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From the tomb David and Joseph went immediately to the home of Elijah Mark, where they held
a conference with the ten apostles in the upper chamber. Only John Zebedee was disposed to
believe, even faintly, that Jesus had risen from the dead. Peter had believed at first but, when he
failed to find the Master, fell into grave doubting. They were all disposed to believe that the Jews
had removed the body. David would not argue with them, but when he left, he said: "You are the
apostles, and you ought to understand these things. I will not contend with you; nevertheless, I
now go back to the home of Nicodemus, where I have appointed with the messengers to
assemble this morning, and when they have gathered together, I will send them forth on their last
mission, as heralds of the Master's resurrection. I heard the Master say that, after he should die,
he would rise on the third day, and I believe him." And thus speaking to the dejected and forlorn
ambassadors of the kingdom, this self-appointed chief of communication and intelligence took
leave of the apostles. On his way from the upper chamber he dropped the bag of Judas,
containing all the apostolic funds, in the lap of Matthew Levi.
It was about half past nine o'clock when the last of David's twenty-six messengers arrived at the
home of Nicodemus. David promptly assembled them in the spacious courtyard and addressed
them:
"Men and brethren, all this time you have served me in accordance with your oath to me and to
one another, and I call you to witness that I have never yet sent out false information at your
hands. I am about to send you on your last mission as volunteer messengers of the kingdom, and
in so doing I release you from your oaths and thereby disband the messenger corps. Men, I
declare to you that we have finished our work. No more does the Master have need of mortal
messengers; he has risen from the dead. He told us before they arrested him that he would die
and rise again on the third day. I have seen the tomb--it is empty. I have talked with Mary
Magdalene and four other women, who have talked with Jesus. I now disband you, bid you
farewell, and send you on your respective assignments, and the message which you shall bear to
the believers is: `Jesus has risen from the dead; the tomb is empty.'"
430
The majority of those present endeavored to persuade David not to do this. But they could not
influence him. They then sought to dissuade the messengers, but they would not heed the words
of doubt. And so, shortly before ten o'clock this Sunday morning, these twenty-six runners went
forth as the first heralds of the mighty truth-fact of the resurrected Jesus. And they started out on
this mission as they had on so many others, in fulfillment of their oath to David Zebedee and to
one another. These men had great confidence in David. They departed on this assignment
without even tarrying to talk with those who had seen Jesus; they took David at his word. The
majority of them believed what David had told them, and even those who somewhat doubted,
carried the message just as certainly and just as swiftly.
The apostles, the spiritual corps of the kingdom, are this day assembled in the upper chamber,
where they manifest fear and express doubts, while these laymen, representing the first attempt at
the socialization of the Master's gospel of the brotherhood of man, under the orders of their
fearless and efficient leader, go forth to proclaim the risen Savior of a world and a universe. And
they engage in this eventful service ere his chosen representatives are willing to believe his word
or to accept the evidence of eyewitnesses.
These twenty-six were dispatched to the home of Lazarus in Bethany and to all of the believer
centers, from Beersheba in the south to Damascus and Sidon in the north; and from Philadelphia
in the east to Alexandria in the west.
When David had taken leave of his brethren, he went over to the home of Joseph for his mother,
and they then went out to Bethany to join the waiting family of Jesus. David abode there in
Bethany with Martha and Mary until after they had disposed of their earthly possessions, and he
accompanied them on their journey to join their brother, Lazarus, at Philadelphia.
In about one week from this time John Zebedee took Mary the mother of Jesus to his home in
Bethsaida. James, Jesus' eldest brother, remained with his family in Jerusalem. Ruth remained at
Bethany with Lazarus's sisters. The rest of Jesus' family returned to Galilee. David Zebedee left
Bethany with Martha and Mary, for Philadelphia, early in June, the day after his marriage to
Ruth, Jesus' youngest sister.