Henry: Welcome To Immerse: The Daily Bible Reading Experience.
Day 59
some of the governor's soldiers took Jesus into their headquarters
and called out the entire regiment.
They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him.
They wove thorn branches into a crown and put it on his head, and they placed a
reed stick in his right hand as a scepter.
Then they knelt before him in mockery and taunted hail king of the Jews, and
they spit on him and grabbed the stick and struck him on the head with it.
When they were finally tired of mocking him, they took off the robe
and put his own clothes on him again.
Then they led him away to be crucified Along the way, they
came across a man named Simon.
Who was from Cyrene, and the soldiers forced him to carry Jesus cross,
and they went out to a place called Gatha, which means place of the skull.
The soldiers gave Jesus wine mixed with bitter gall, but when he had
tasted it, he refused to drink it.
After they had nailed him to the cross, the soldiers gambled for
his clothes by throwing dice.
Then they sat around and kept guard as he hung there.
A sign was fastened above Jesus' head announcing the charge against him.
It read.
This is Jesus the king of the Jews.
Two revolutionaries were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left.
The people passing by shouted abuse, shaking their heads in mockery.
Look at you now.
They yelled at him.
You said you were going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days.
Weldon, if you are the son of God, save yourself and come down from the cross.
The leading priests, the teachers of religious law and
the elders also mocked Jesus.
He saved others.
They scoffed, but he can't save himself.
So he is the king of Israel, is he?
Let him come down from the cross right now, and we will believe in him.
He trusted God, so let God rescue him.
Now if he wants him for, he said, I am the son of God.
Even the revolutionaries who were crucified with him ridiculed him in the
same way at noon, darkness fell across the whole land until three o'clock.
At about three o'clock, Jesus called out with a loud voice.
Eli Eli Lamas, which means, my God, my God, why have you abandoned me?
Some of the bystanders misunderstood and thought he was
calling for the prophet Elijah.
One of them ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, holding it up to
him on a reeds stick so he could drink, but the rest said, wait.
Let's see whether Elijah comes to save him.
Then Jesus shouted out again and he released his spirit.
At that moment, the curtain and the sanctuary of the temple was torn in two.
From top to bottom, the earth shook rocks split apart in tombs opened.
The bodies of many Godly men and women who had died were raised from the dead.
They left the cemetery after Jesus resurrection, went into the holy city of
Jerusalem and appeared to many people.
The Roman officer and the other soldiers at the crucifixion were terrified by the
earthquake and all that had happened.
They said, this man truly was the son of God and many women who had come
from Galilee with Jesus to care for him, were watching from a distance.
Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary, the mother of James and Joseph, and the
mother of James and John, the sons of Zee.
As evening approached Joseph, a rich man from Arimathea who had become
a follower of Jesus, went to Pilate and asked for Jesus' body, and Pilate
issued an order to release it to him.
Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a long sheet of clean linen cloth.
He placed it in his own new tomb, which had been carved out of the rock.
Then he rolled a great stone across the entrance and left.
Both Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting across from the tomb and
watching the next day on the Sabbath.
The leading priests and Pharisees went to Sea Pilot.
They told him.
Sir, we remember what that deceiver once said while he was still alive.
After three days, I will rise from the dead, so we request that you
seal the tomb until the third day.
This will prevent his disciples from coming and stealing his
body and then telling everyone he was raised from the dead.
If that happens, we'll be worse off than we were at first.
Pilate replied.
Take guards and secure it the best you can.
So they sealed the tomb and posted guards to protect it.
Early on Sunday morning, as the new day was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the
other Mary went out to visit the tomb.
Suddenly there was a great earthquake for an angel of the Lord.
Came down from heaven, rolled aside the stone, and sat on it.
His face shown like lightning and his clothing was as white as snow.
The guard shook with fear when they saw him and they fell into a dead faint.
Then the angel spoke to the women.
Don't be afraid.
He said, I know you are looking for Jesus who was crucified.
He isn't here.
He is risen from the dead, just as he said would happen.
Come see where his body was lying.
And now go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead and
he is going ahead of you to Galilee.
You will see him there.
Remember what I have told you?
The women ran quickly from the tomb.
They were very frightened, but also filled with great joy, and they rushed
to give the disciples the angels message and as they went, Jesus met them and
greeted them, and they ran to him, grasped his feet and worshiped him.
Then Jesus said to them, don't be afraid.
Go tell my brothers to leave for Galilee, and they will see me there.
As the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and told
the leading priests what had happened.
A meeting with the elders was called, and they decided to
give the soldiers a large bribe.
They told the soldiers, you must say Jesus disciples came during the night while we
were sleeping, and they stole his body.
If the governor hears about it, well stand up for you so you won't get in trouble.
So the guards accepted the bribe and said what they were told to say.
Their story spread widely among the Jews, and they still tell it today.
Then the 11 disciples left for Galilee going to the mountain
where Jesus had told them to go.
When they saw him, they worshiped him, but some of them doubted.
Jesus came and told his disciples, I have been given all
authority in heaven and on earth.
Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing
them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have
given you, and be sure of this.
I am with you always, even to the end of the age.
This concludes today's Immer Reading experience.
Thank you for joining us.