Ed Rabel - Words of Jesus - Words During Final Public Appearances

Rabel now considers words during final public appearances.

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1. The words are eternal

Mark 13:31 (00:00). The words of Jesus are eternal and far more important to incorporate into our life than focusing on the works and events of the life of Jesus.

One of the things that is rather surprising when you examine the actual words of Jesus carefully is the great emphasis he himself places on his words, the words which he knew would be recorded and preserved in a book which he calls the gospels and how often he calls attention to his words and the necessity of learning his words, taking them seriously, and trying to live by them. In fact, almost belittling the importance of his works which were contemporary to his words which are timeless and universal, not that the works he did were not important. They were. But in comparison to the importance of his words, they definitely were of lesser importance.

An example of that is in this first statement where he says, “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.” The meaning of that would lie in what did he have in mind when he said heaven and earth shall pass away. I would interpret that to mean the environment in which I am doing my works right now, existence as it now is, and the things that are now in existence. I would say that’s what he means by heaven and earth. They come and go. They will pass away. For instance, the works that he did back then are now past history, aren’t they? They’re past happenings, but the words that he spoke are far from past history. They are now. They are up to date. They are avant garde. They were when he spoke them, they still are today. But his works, wonderful as they were, you have to look back on them and they already have happened.

So Charles Fillmore caught this message from Jesus. And as Mr. Fillmore progressed in his spiritual understanding of scripture, more and more in his writings, Mr. Fillmore insists that true students learn these words of Jesus, learn to make them your own words and incorporate them in your consciousness and the works become of lesser importance strictly as historical documentation and verification of Jesus’ supernatural power. But Jesus lives today for us in the form of his words and my words are ... Well, we’ll come to that a little later. We don’t want to jump the gun.

2. Stay prayed-up and watch

Matt. 24:42 (03:13). Stay prayed up and watch. Especially watch ‘within yourself.’ ‘Have you made room for your highest good when it may appear?’

His next statement is, “Watch, therefore, for ye know not on what day your Lord cometh.” This is a repeat of a statement he made in another place where he added the word pray, watch and pray. Watch and pray for ye know not on what day your Lord cometh. Your Lord is a symbol for the law of your highest good. Your indwelling Lord is the law of your highest good. It comes from God and it is in your being and it works for you as you serve it.

Jesus is saying in effect, if you want to update his language, stay prayed up and watch. Stay prayed up and always watch and especially watch within yourself, not so much watch out there. We’re all experts at watching out there, aren’t we? We do too much of that but we ought to do more inward watching.

The thing I would say he wants us to watch out for is have you made room for your Lord in yourself. Is there room in you for your highest good when it shows up? You know not on what day your Lord cometh. Your and my highest good could appear in our lives at any moment, in any form, from any direction and the question is have we made room for it in our lives, in ourselves?

I wonder if I’ve got enough room in me right now for some new happiness. I’m not so sure. I might have taken up more room with telling me why I had old happiness or unhappiness. So watch and pray, keep yourself alert for the coming of your Lord, the manifestation of your highest good because it will show up. You got an appointment with it.

3. What is judgement day?

Matt. 25:34 (05:23). Judgment day is discerning what must be affirmed and what must be denied.

Mr. Fillmore wrote a lot about judgment day, the meaning of judgment day. The interpretation he gives is the one that we are going to consider in this presentation. First, I want to read Jesus’ words concerning this event.

“Then shall the king say unto them on his right hand, ‘Come, ye blessed of my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the word.’ Then shall he say unto them on the left hand, ‘Depart from me, ye cursed, into the eternal fire which is prepared for the devil and his angels.’”

This is the very famous statement of Jesus concerning judgment day, the day of judgment. “Come ye blessed, says the king to the righteous. Depart from me, ye cursed, to the wicked.” Can you not see that this beautifully symbolizes affirmation and denial? Judgment day is within us. It is any moment of our lives when we are using our good judgment faculty correctly.

You know that your judgment is your ability to discern, evaluate, and make decisions, and most of our judgements should be on ourselves, on our inner states, learning to distinguish between what should be affirmed and kept and what should be denied and let go of.

The words that Jesus speaks are not words being spoken to bunches of human beings out there. That would be too cruel. But to the thought people within us and the feelings within us, the attitudes within us. The king who does this is where? Within us. The king of our being is the Christ within and good judgment is one of his disciples. So it is using affirmation and denial, constantly under good judgment and Christ awareness.

4. Fourth dimensional consciousness

Mark 14:9 (07:45). The fourth dimensional consciousness of Jesus allowed him to distinguish eternal Truth from everyday events.

Here is where Jesus mentions something that should be very surprising to us except if we know the mind of Jesus well enough, we aren’t so surprised. He is talking about something a woman has done for which Judas is criticizing her. She spent a lot of money on some ointment to rub his feet and Jesus has this to say.

“Verily I say unto you, wheresoever the gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, that also which this woman hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her.”

It’s amazing. He is saying what this woman is doing should not be criticized because when people start preaching the gospel or reading the gospel or writing the gospel, what she has done here will be in those gospels and will be spoken of in praise for her.

You see, just like he knew the betrayal was coming, he knew the frame up would come, he knew the crucifixion, he knew the being put in the tomb, he knew the resurrection after three days. It wasn’t that he thought it would happen, he knew. He was a fourth dimensional consciousness, folks. Time and space were not limitations to his knowing. But here again, he has this knowing that all this is going to be recorded somehow by somebody and the name of the records are going to be called ... He copyrighted the title right there, the gospels, and they were going to be read and preached and this woman was going to be praised even though right now she’s being criticized. Jesus is fantastic, or did you already know that?

5. True mastery and dominion

John 13:13 (09:46). Psychological significance of washing of the feet shows true mastery and dominion.

Jesus often returns from this cosmic, esoteric level of his statements and gets down to earth into the nitty gritty of human psychology, and this is another wonderful thing about him. He says to them, this is after he has washed their feet and Peter doesn’t want him to do it. Jesus insists that he let him and makes this comment, but remember all these comments are addressed to all of us in this age today.

“You call me master and Lord and you say well for so I am. If I then, the Lord and the master, have washed your feet, ye also ought to wash one another’s feet.”

Here again, he is bringing this teaching of always expressing compassion, service, and humility in our give and take in our human relations.

Of course, washing the feet has a deep metaphysical significance also but right now, we’re going to look more at the psychological significance. That the highest accomplishment any of his followers could attain, according to his standards, was to learn to be willing, to be compassionate, serviceable, and humble. This, in his opinion, was the mark of true dominion and mastery, true greatness.

6. We shall attain Christ consciousness

John 13:36 (11:25). Assurance that we shall attain the same consciousness of Jesus Christ.

Next, he gives us some assurance that even though we are not on a par with him, as far as level of being and development of consciousness are concerned, that that was nothing to worry about. That the difference between himself and us, his followers, and the status that we had in the evolutionary plan would not remain a difference, that there would be a closing of the gap, so to speak, if we persisted and if we followed his words and he says it in a very, very simple way. He says to his disciples,

“Whither I go, thou canst not follow me yet, but thou shalt follow me afterwards.”

In other words, here is assurance that we shall attain the same consciousness as Jesus Christ. We shouldn’t worry about the fact that we have not attained it yet, the fact that we still have a lot of learning and working and growing to do. But remember the assurance, “You will follow me. If you are willing, you will follow me and you will join me.”

7. We are now in Christ

John 14:19 (12:52). Assurance that in the present moment Christ is in the Father and we are in Christ.

He goes a little further than that. He goes even deeper into that in the next statement,

“Because I live, ye shall live also. In that day, ye shall know that I am in my father and ye are in me, and I am in you.”

You see, he doesn’t place that in the future tense the way he did the previous statement. Did you catch that? The previous statement he talks about this is the way it’s going to be. In this statement he says in that day, in this day. The truth is I am in the father, you are in me, and I am in you. Jesus Christ is here now in oneness with me and with the father.

8. Cosmic words are eternal

John 14:26 (13:35). The words that Jesus spoke are directly from the Father or the ‘cosmic Christ mind.’ Mentions Akashic records. Therefore the words will always be available through ‘the comforter’ or the Holy Spirit.

Further on in the same chapter, Jesus says,

“But the comforter, even the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.”

The comforter, the Holy Spirit, and all of the words spoken by Jesus but remember, Jesus made it very clear, “The words that I speak to you are not my words, but words that the Father hath given unto me.” You see, so that the words that Jesus spoke are directly from the father or the cosmic Christ Mind. And because Jesus has spoken them, they are recorded both in the Gospels and in the Akashic Records, in the Book of Life for this life way.

Jesus assures us that even if you don’t get my words from the bible, from the book, you will get it from the comforter, the Holy Spirit, who will deliver those words from the Akashic Records into your understanding when you are ready to receive them. Doesn’t that mean nobody’s left out? Even those who “hate the Bible” are going to get it any way if they’re ready for it, if they’re willing. There is truth in the saying, “When the student is ready, the teacher appear,” and this teacher is a divine teacher, the comforter, the Holy Spirit. Isn’t it wonderful that he chose the word comforter instead of big shot? Comforter, that’s what I want from the Holy Spirit.

9. Much is left unsaid

John 16:12 (15:37). Much is left unsaid by Jesus because we are not ready to accept.

Now, Jesus holds a carrot on a stick in front of us and torments us a little bit when he says this, and I almost wish he hadn’t told us this. “I have yet many things to say unto you but you cannot bear them now.” By the way, my ego says how does he know? How be it when he, the spirit of truth is come, he shall guide you into all the truth.

In other words, Jesus admits that I have a lot more to say, but I’d be wasting my breath, you see. Therefore, we are fortunate that he did not say the things we weren’t ready for. You know why? Because if he had, you and I would be stewing all over the place about the fact that we can’t comprehend them.

So to save us a lot of grief and trouble, he left unsaid many things that he knew that even today, 2,000 years later, we probably wouldn’t be able to take. How many people are able to take turn the other cheek? That’s as plain as day, but who can take it? Some can, but I think that a lot of the things that he said and left unsaid will come to us in the same way through the comforter, the Holy Spirit, the spirit of truth.

10. Legitimate suffering

John 16:22 (17:04). There is ‘polarity of suffering.’ The negative polarity is hell, unnecessary suffering. Sorrow is a genuine emotion, which is ‘legitimate suffering’ and can be transformed into joy.

Now, Jesus was very much aware of human suffering, but Jesus also knew something that most people didn’t know. All suffering is not the same. There is polarity of suffering just like there is polarity of every energy expression. So he knew that the polarities of suffering were positive/negative like everything else. But the negative polarity is called hell in the Bible, which is what kind of suffering? Useless, unnecessary suffering.

The other kind of suffering is positive which is creative or organic or useful suffering. Suffering that has a point to it, a purpose behind it. So Jesus reminds us of this kind of suffering if we’re in danger of thinking all suffering is useless, unnecessary. He says, “And ye, therefore, now have sorrow.” Sorrow is a genuine emotion, folks. It’s not useless, unnecessary. “Ye now have sorrow, but I will see you again and your heart shall rejoice. And your joy no one taketh away from you.” See, every legitimate suffering can be transformed into legitimate joy, while useless suffering can only be what? Burned away, burned away, denied away, or drowned.

11. If God is acknowledged

Luke 22:42 (18:44). Everything will work out alright if the Father is acknowledged to be part of it.

Jesus is getting near the time of what the world will call his passion, his ordeal. He is master of all this but he realizes the world doesn’t understand that. Even today, everybody cries on Good Friday, see. Even today, the world still cannot see that was his climactic victory and not his failure or tragedy. But for those who would be thinking of his latter days as a tragedy, as sorrow, and sympathizing with him, he does a few things to help these people, to pat them on the back and kiss them on the cheek through his spoken words. He makes an example of himself at in at least two occasions to help sentimental people feel comfortable.

One of these is in the garden of Gethsemane, where he deliberately does something that sentimental people would expect him to do. He was thinking of everybody, not just the know-it-alls, but even the sentimentalist like yours truly. And he says this, and I can hear myself in his words, and he says this,

“Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me.”

There’s the problem. Here’s the solution.

“Nevertheless, not my will but thine be done.”

In other words, he’s saying everything will turn out all right no matter how it looks beforehand if the father is acknowledged to be part of the outworking. Nevertheless, not my will but thy be done.

12. The super-cosmic impression

Matt. 26:53 (20:30). Don’t waste too much sympathy on the passion of Jesus so much that it is exaggerated into tragedy. The passion will make an impact on race consciousness, a ‘super-cosmic impression.’ Don’t interfere.

Nevertheless, a lot of his followers, especially his disciples, didn’t get his message and still insisted on thinking that this was terrible, awful tragedy, and he was the victim, the poor suffering victim. Even Pontius Pilate felt very, very sorry for him as being a victim of unjust conniving and frame up, and all that. Jesus tries to assure these people just like he does from the cross. But even before that, he tries to get these people to see “don’t waste too much pity on me, don’t waste too much sympathy on me.” It’s okay to pity. Pity is a legitimate emotion. Sympathy, it’s okay to sympathize. Sympathy is a genuine emotion. But don’t exaggerate it into tragedy. Here are his words to help in that direction.

“Thinketh thou that I cannot beseech my father even now, and he shall now send me more than 12 legions of angels.”

You see what he’s saying there? He’s saying look, I am in this, I am in this because I want to. This is part of my messiah job here. I’ve got to make this great demonstration. I’ve got to make a demonstration so spectacular that it will make an impression on raised consciousness which cannot be erased. It will go into raised consciousness, into the collective unconscious, into the Akashic records, and it won’t be lost.

Here is my opportunity to make that super cosmic impression. I’ve got to do it by enacting a tragic event, don’t interfere. Don’t interfere. Everybody wanted to interfere, and he kept saying don’t and hear these words, “Don’t you know that if suddenly I realize the Father wanted this stopped or that even I wanted it stopped, all I have to do would be to call upon my Father, and the Father who sent me would have no problem sending 12 legions of angels.” But just like he said to John the Baptist, “Suffer it to be so for the sake of righteousness, and let’s get the good job done.”

That will conclude our words prior to his very, very final words.

Personal Use Study Questions

  1. How would you explain the emphasis Jesus gave to His “words”? Why do you think Ed Rabel emphasizes “Jesus lives in His words”?
  2. List some ways you can “keep alert for your highest good.” What does it mean to you to “watch and pray”?
  3. What is your understanding of “Judgment Day”? Of what value is this understanding to you in your every day life?
  4. Explain in your own words the significance of Jesus washing the feet of His disciples. What message of service to others does this imply for you?
  5. Read carefully John 13:36 and John 14:19-20. Write, in your own words, what these passages mean to you.
  6. What do you think Ed Rabel means when he says, “You don’t get it ‘til you are ready”? What are the implications for your spiritual unfoldment?
  7. Explain, in your own words, “useless unnecessary suffering.”
  8. When was the last time you exaggerated a negative appearance into tragedy? What is an affirmation you can use when you are tempted to “exaggerate”?
  9. How would you explain the significance of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ?