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The
Story of Everything
An
abridged edition of The Urantia Book
Paper
192: Appearances in Galilee
The apostles left for Galilee, followed by John Mark. Jewish leaders in Jerusalem, noting that the apostles were out of the public eye, decided that the Jesus movement had been squelched. The apostles arrived in Bethsaida late Wednesday. Simon Zelotes was so disheartened that he turned around and went home. Thursday night Peter suggested they go fishing. They fished all night without catching anything, and at dawn they decided to go ashore.
As they dropped anchor a man on the beach asked them whether they caught anything. When they told him they hadn't, he advised them to drop their net on the right side of the boat. The apostles did as they were told and their net was immediately filled. John Zebedee realized who the man on shore was and whispered to Peter, "It is the Master." Impetuously Peter jumped into the water and began to swim to shore, reaching Jesus just ahead of the others.
Jesus visited with John Mark and the apostles for more than an hour as they ate breakfast. After breakfast, he walked on the beach with them two by two, advising them, counseling them, and encouraging them to be strong during the trials ahead. Jesus left them with instructions that they were to find Simon Zelotes and return with him to a meeting the next day on the mount of the ordination near Capernaum.
At noon on Saturday Jesus appeared among his apostles at the site where they had first been ordained as ambassadors of the kingdom. The eleven men once again knelt in a circle around their Master as he reaffirmed their ordination. When the ceremony was complete, Jesus vanished.
Many believers arrived in Bethsaida to ask about the resurrection. Peter announced that a public meeting would be held the following Saturday afternoon. More than five hundred people gathered that day to hear Peter preach his first public sermon since the resurrection. Peter ended with these words: "We affirm that Jesus of Nazareth is not dead; we declare that he has risen from the tomb; we proclaim that we have seen him and talked with him." Just as Peter said this, Jesus appeared, saying only, "Peace be upon you, and my peace I leave with you."
The next day the apostles started back for Jerusalem where they headquartered in the home of John Mark. All except the Alpheus twins, Thomas, and Simon Zelotes, pledged themselves to preach the new gospel of the risen Lord. The subtle process of altering the religion of Jesus into a religion about Jesus had begun.