The Aquarian Gospel of Jesus the Christ

30 O God, forgive this man, because he knows not what he does.

31 And now, O God, I come to thee, and am no more in mortal life; keep thou these men to whom I have made known thy wisdom and thy love.

32 As they believe in me, and in the words I speak, may all the world believe in them and in the words they speak.

33 As thou hast sent me forth into the world, so I have sent them forth. I pray that thou wouldst honor them as thou hast honored me.

34 I do not pray that thou wouldst take them from the world, but that they may be guarded from the evil of the world, and not be subject to temptations that are too great for them to bear.

35 They once were of the world, but now are of the world no more, as I am of the world no more.

36 Thy word is truth, O God, and by thy word let them be sanctified.

37 I do not pray for these alone, O God; I also pray for all who will believe on me, and will accept the Christ because of what they do and say, that they may all be one.

38 As I am one with thee, and thou art one with me, may they be one with us,

39 That all the world may know that thou hast sent me forth to do thy will, and that thou lovest them as thou hast ever loved me.

40 When Jesus had thus said, they sung the Jewish song of praise, and then arose and went their way.

CHAPTER 163

Jesus visits Pilate, who urges him to flee from the country to save his life. Jesus refuses to do so. He meets his disciples in Massalian’s orchard. The scene in Gethsemane. The Jewish mob led by Judas appears.

As Jesus and the eleven went out, a Roman guard approached and said, All hail! Is one of you the man from Galilee?

2 And Peter said, We all are men from Galilee; whom do you seek?

3 The guard replied, I seek for Jesus, who is called the Christ.

4 And Jesus answered, Here am I.

5 The guard spoke out and said, I do not come in an official way; I bear to you a message from the governor.

6 Jerusalem is all alive with vengeful Jews who swear that they will take your life, and Pilate would confer with you, and he would have you come to him without delay.

7 And Jesus said to Peter and the rest, Go to the vale, and by the Kidron wait for me, and I will go alone and see the governor.

8 And Jesus went up with the guard, and when he reached the palace, Pilate met him at the gate and said,

9 Young man, I have a word to say that may be well for you. I have observed your works and words three years and more;

10 And I have often stood in your defense when your own countrymen would fain have stoned you as a criminal.

11 But now the priests, the scribes and Pharisees have stirred the common people to a stage of frenzied wantonness and cruelty, and they intend to take your life,

12 Because, they say, that you have sworn to tear their temple down; to change the laws that Moses gave; to exile Pharisee and priest and seat yourself upon a throne.

13 And they aver that you are full in league with Rome.

14 The streets of all Jerusalem are filled this moment with a horde of madmen all intent to shed your blood.

15 There is no safety for you but in flight; wait not until the morning sun. You know the way to reach the border of this cursed land.

16 I have a little band of guards, well horsed and armed, and they will take you out beyond the reach of harm.

17 You must not tarry here, young man, you must arise and go.

18 And Jesus said, A noble prince has Cæsar in his Pilate Pontius, and from the point of carnal man your words are seasoned with the wise man’s salt; but from the point of Christ your words are foolishness.

19 The coward flees when danger comes; but he who comes to seek and save the lost must give his life in willing sacrifice for those he comes to seek and save.

20 Before the pasch has been consumed, lo, all this nation will be cursed by shedding blood of innocence; and even now the murderers are at the door.

21 And Pilate said, It shall not be; the sword of Rome will be unsheathed to save your life.

22 And Jesus said, Nay, Pilate, nay; there are no armies large enough in all the world to save my life.

23 And Jesus bade the governor farewell, and went his way; but Pilate sent a double guard with him lest he should fall into the hands of those who were alert to take his life.

24 But in a moment Jesus disappeared; the guards saw him no more, and in a little while he reached the brook of Kidron where the eleven were.

25 Now, just beyond the brook there was an orchard and a home where one, Massalian, lived, where Jesus oft had been.

26 Massalian was his friend, and he believed that Jesus was the Christ that Jewish prophets long ago had said would come.

27 Now, in the orchard was a sacred knoll; Massalian called the place Gethsemane.

28 The night was dark, but in the orchard it was doubly dark and Jesus bade the eight disciples tarry by the brook,

29 While he, with Peter, James and John went to Gethsemane to pray.

30 They sat beneath an olive tree, and Jesus opened up the mysteries of life to Peter, James and John. He said,

31 The Spirit of eternity is One unmanifest; and this is God the Father, God the Mother, God the Son in One.

32 In life of manifests the One became the Three, and God the Father is the God of might; and God the Mother is omniscient God, and God the Son is love.

33 And God the Father is the power of heaven and earth; and God the Mother is the Holy Breath, the thought of heaven and earth; and God the Son, the only son, is Christ, and Christ is love.

34 I came as man to manifest this love to men,

35 As man I have been subject unto all the trials and temptations of the human race; but I have overcome the flesh, with all its passions and its appetites.

36 What I have done all men can do.

37 And I am now about to demonstrate the power of man to conquer death; for every man is God made flesh.