Jesus' Tenth Appearance 

Jesus’ tenth appearance was to many of his dedicated followers. Abner, a leader under John the Baptist, later oversaw Jesus’ disciples and women’s corps. Abner led the Perean Mission and preached three times a day in the synagogue at Philadelphia where he became the head. Lazarus, a close friend whom Jesus had recently resurrected, fled to Philadelphia for safety. Abner had called a meeting in the synagogue to discuss the crucifixion of Jesus and the report of his resurrection delivered by one of David Zebedee’s messengers. The news did not surprise anyone as Lazarus was a byproduct of Jesus' resurrection powers and was among them.

There were close to one hundred and fifty of their associates at the synagogue, including more than fifty of the evangelistic corps of the seventy. As the meeting began and Abner and Lazarus were about to address the assembly, the entire audience saw the form of the Master suddenly become visible. Jesus stepped between Abner and Lazarus, who were unaware, and Jesus said, “Peace be upon you.”

After his greeting, Jesus went on to say:

You all know that we have one Father in heaven and that there is but one gospel of the kingdom – the good news of the gift of eternal life which men receive by faith. As you rejoice in your loyalty to the gospel, pray the Father of truth to shed abroad in your hearts a new and greater love for your brethren. You are to love all men as I have loved you; you are to serve all men as I have served you. With understanding sympathy and brotherly affection, fellowship all your brethren who are dedicated to the proclamation of the good news, whether they be Jew or gentile, Greek or Roman, Persian or Ethiopian. John proclaimed the kingdom in advance; you have preached the gospel in power; the Greeks already teach the good news; and I am soon to send forth the Spirit of Truth into the souls of all these, my brethren, who have so unselfishly dedicated their lives to the enlightenment of their fellows who sit in spiritual darkness. You are all the children of light; therefore stumble not into the misunderstanding entanglements of mortal suspicion and human intolerance. If you are ennobled, by the grace of faith, to love unbelievers, should you not also equally love those who are your fellow believers in the far-spreading household of faith? Remember, as you love one another, all men will know that you are my disciples.

Go, then, into all the world proclaiming this gospel of the fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of men to all nations and races and ever be wise in your choice of methods for presenting the good news to the different races and tribes of mankind. Freely you have received this gospel of the kingdom, and you will freely give the good news to all nations. Fear not the resistance of evil, for I am with you always, even to the end of the ages. And my peace I leave with you.

After saying, “My peace I leave with you,” he vanished. This group in Philadelphia had the most mortals who saw him at once, except for one appearance in Galilee, where over five hundred believers saw him. While the apostles waited in Jerusalem for Thomas' emotional recovery, these Philadelphia believers went forth proclaiming Jesus' resurrection.

Jesus, as sovereign of a universe, wanted to experience life as a human, to be a compassionate and understanding ruler. He thus needed to experience living a human life, to die, and to rise again after death. Jesus was experiencing the same post-mortal life that we will all have after we are resurrected into a spiritual body like Jesus had during his resurrection appearances. In doing so, he also spent time learning about the life of spirit transition as experienced by mortals as they journey through the Father's many mansions after death.