Urantia Book 115. The Life and Teachings of Jesus of Nazareth, Joshua bin Joseph, Yeshua, Christ Michael, Sovereign God of Nebadon. The apostles refused to believe in the resurrection unless they were confronted with unimpeachable evidence and the absolute proof of their own experiences. Shortly after 6 pm the daughter of Joseph of Arimathea and the four women who had seen Jesus at the tomb went over to the home of Nicodemus, where they related all these happenings to Joseph, Nicodemus, David Zebedee and the other men. Nicodemus and the others doubted their story, doubted that Jesus had risen from the dead; they reasoned that the Jews had removed the body. Joseph and David were disposed to believe the report, so much so that they hurried out to inspect the tomb, and they found everything just as the women had described. The captain of the temple guards came at half past 7 pm and removed the grave cloths, and he threw them over a nearby cliff. Only John Zebedee was disposed to believe, even faintly, that Jesus was risen from the dead. Peter had believed at first, but, when he failed to find the Master, fell into grave doubting. They all tended 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 will meet with my messengers, and when they have gathered I will send them forward on their last mission, as heralds of the Master’s resurrection. I heard the Master say that, after his death, he would rise on the third day, and I believe him.” It was half past 9 am when David’s 26 messengers arrived at the home of Nicodemus. David assembled them in the courtyard and addressed them thus: “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. Jesus has risen from the dead. He told us he would die and rise again on the third day. I have talked with Mary Magdalene and the other women who have seen Jesus, and he is alive. I send you out and the message you shall bear to believers is ‘Jesus has risen from the dead; the tomb is empty.'” The majority of those present begged David not to do this, but they had no success.Then they tried to convince the messengers not to go into the world with this message, but they refused to listen, being very loyal to David. They didn’t know if Jesus rose from the dead, but they would do this for David. After the messengers departed, David and his mother went to Bethany to be with the family of Jesus. Mary and Martha disposed of their possessions and went to Philadelphia to join their brother, Lazarus. John Zebedee took Mary, the mother of Jesus, into his home at Bethsaida. James, Jesus’ eldest brother, remained with his family in Jerusalem. David Zebedee married Ruth, Jesus’ youngest sister (190.1.1-10).