Henry: Welcome To Immerse: The Daily Bible Reading Experience.
Day 42.
Afterward, Jesus went up on a mountain and called out the ones he wanted
to go with him and they came to him.
Then he appointed 12 of them and called them his apostles.
They were to accompany him and he would send them out to preach, giving
them authority to cast out demons.
These are the 12 he chose Simon, whom he named Peter.
James and John the sons of Zedi, but Jesus nicknamed them Sons of
Thunder, Andrew Philip Bartholomew, Matthew Thomas James, son of Alpheus,
Thaddeus Simon, the zealot, Judas Iscariot, who later betrayed him.
One time, Jesus entered a house and the crowds began to gather again.
Soon.
He and his disciples couldn't even find time to eat.
When his family heard what was happening, they tried to take him away.
He's out of his mind, they said.
But the teachers of religious law who had arrived from Jerusalem said, he's
possessed by Satan, the prince of demons.
That's where he gets the power to cast out demons.
Jesus called them over and responded with an illustration.
How can Satan cast out Satan?
He asked.
A kingdom divided by civil war will collapse.
Similarly, a family splintered by feuding will fall apart, and
if Satan is divided and fights against himself, how can he stand?
He would never survive.
Let me illustrate this further, who is powerful enough to enter the house of a
strong man and plunder his goods, only someone even stronger, someone who could
tie him up and then plunder his house.
I tell you the truth.
All sin and blasphemy can be forgiven, but anyone who blasphemes the Holy
Spirit will never be forgiven.
This is a sin with eternal consequences.
He told them this because they were saying he's possessed by an evil spirit.
Then Jesus' mother and brothers came to see him.
They stood outside and sent word for him to come out and talk with them.
There was a crowd sitting around Jesus and someone said, your mother and your
brothers are outside asking for you.
Jesus replied, who is my mother?
Who are my brothers?
Then he looked at those around him and said, look, these
are my mother and brothers.
Anyone who does God's will is my brother and sister and mother.
Once again, Jesus began teaching by the Lake Shore.
A very large crowd soon gathered around him, so he got into a boat,
then he sat in the boat while all the people remained on the shore.
He taught them by telling many stories in the form of parables, such as this one.
Listen, a farmer went out to plant some seed as he scattered it across his field.
Some of the seed fell on a footpath and the birds came and ate it.
Other seed fell on shallow soil with underlying rock.
The seed sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow, but the plant soon
wilted under the hot sun, and since it didn't have deep roots, it died.
Other seed fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender
plants, so they produced no grain.
Still other seeds fell on fertile soil and they sprouted, grew and produced a
crop that was 30, 60, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted.
He said, anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.
Later, when Jesus was alone with the 12 disciples and with the others
who were gathered around, they asked him what the parables meant.
He replied, you are permitted to understand the secrets
of the kingdom of God.
But I used parables for everything I say to outsiders so that the scriptures might
be fulfilled when they see what I do.
They will learn nothing.
When they hear what I say, they will not understand.
Otherwise, they will turn to me and be forgiven.
Then Jesus said to them, if you can't understand the meaning
of this parable, how will you understand all the other parables?
The farmer plants seed by taking God's word to others, the seed that
fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message.
Only to have Satan come at once and take it away.
The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and
immediately receive it with joy.
But since they don't have deep roots, they don't last long.
They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted
for believing God's word.
The seed that fell among the thorns represents others who hear God's word.
But all too quickly, the message is crowded out by the worries
of this life, the lure of wealth and the desire for other things.
So no fruit is produced, and the seed that fell on good soil represents those who
hear and accept God's word and produce a harvest of 30, 60, or even a hundred
times as much as had been planted.
Then Jesus asked them, would anyone light a lamp and then put it under a basket?
Or under a bed, of course not.
A lamp is placed on a stand where its light will shine for everything
that is hidden will eventually be brought into the open and every
secret will be brought to light.
Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.
Then he added pay close attention to what you hear.
The closer you listen, the more understanding you will be given
and you'll receive even more.
To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given.
But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they
have will be taken away from them.
Jesus also said The kingdom of God is like a farmer who scatters seed on the ground
night and day while he's asleep or awake.
The seed sprouts and grows, but he does not understand how it happens.
The earth produces the crops on its own.
First, a leaf blade pushes through, then the heads of wheat are formed, and
finally the grain ripens, and as soon as the grain is ready, the farmer comes and
harvests it with a sickle for the harvest.
Time has come.
Jesus said, how can I describe the kingdom of God?
What story should I use to illustrate it?
It is like a mustard seed planted in the ground.
It is the smallest of all seeds, but it becomes the largest of all garden plants.
It grows long branches and birds can make nests in its shade.
Jesus used many similar stories and illustrations to teach the people
as much as they could understand.
In fact, in his public ministry, he never taught without using parables.
But afterward, when he was alone with his disciples, he
explained everything to them.
As evening came, Jesus said to his disciples, let's cross
to the other side of the lake.
So they took Jesus in the boat and started out leaving the crowds
behind, although other boats followed.
But soon a fierce storm came up.
High waves were breaking into the boat, and it began to fill with water.
Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion.
The disciples woke him up shouting, teacher, don't you
care that we're going to drown?
When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the waves, silence be still.
Suddenly the wind stopped and there was a great calm.
Then he asked them, why are you afraid?
Do you still have no faith?
The disciples were absolutely terrified.
Who is this man?
They asked each other, even the wind and waves obey him.
So they arrived at the other side of the lake in the region of the Razzes.
When Jesus climbed out of the boat, a man possessed by an evil spirit
came out from the tombs to meet him.
This man lived in the burial caves and could no longer be
restrained, even with a chain.
Whenever he was put into chains and shackles, as he often was,
he snapped the chains from his wrists and smashed the shackles.
No one was strong enough to subdue him day and night.
He wandered among the burial caves and in the hills howling and
cutting himself with sharp stones.
When Jesus was still some distance away, the man saw him, ran to meet
him, and bowed low before him.
With a shriek.
He screamed, why are you interfering with me?
Jesus, son of the most high God in the name of God, I beg you, don't torture me.
For Jesus had already said to the spirit, come out of the man, you, evil spirit.
Then Jesus demanded, what is your name?
And he replied, my name is Legion because there are many of us inside this man.
Then the evil spirits begged him again and again not to send
them to some distant place.
There happened to be a large herd of pigs feeding on the hillside
nearby, send us into those pigs.
The spirits begged let us enter them, so Jesus gave them permission.
The evil spirits came out of the man and entered the pigs.
And the entire herd of about 2000 pigs plunged down the steep hillside into
the lake and drowned in the water.
The herdsman fled to the nearby town and the surrounding
countryside, spreading the news.
As they ran, people rushed out to see what had happened.
A crowd soon gathered around Jesus and they saw the man who had been
possessed by the legion of demons.
He was sitting there fully cloth and perfectly sane.
And they were all afraid.
Then those who had seen what happened, told the others about the demon
possessed man and the pigs and the crowd began pleading with Jesus
to go away and leave them alone.
As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon possessed, begged
to go with him, but Jesus said, no.
Go home to your family and tell them everything the Lord has done for
you and how merciful he has been.
So the man started off to visit the 10 towns of that region and began
to proclaim the great things Jesus had done for him, and everyone
was amazed at what he told them.
Jesus got into the boat again and went back to the other side
of the lake where a large crowd gathered around him on the shore.
Then a leader of the local synagogue whose name was Jairus, arrived.
When he saw Jesus, he fell at his feet pleading fervently with him.
My little daughter is dying.
He said, please come and lay your hands on her.
Heal her so she can live.
Jesus went with him and all the people followed crowding around him.
A woman in the crowd had suffered for 12 years with constant bleeding.
She had suffered a great deal from many doctors, and over the years she had
spent everything she had to pay them.
But she had gotten no better.
In fact, she had gotten worse.
She had heard about Jesus, so she came up behind him through the crowd and touched
his robe for, she thought to herself, if I can just touch his robe, I will be healed.
Immediately, the bleeding stopped and she could feel in her body that she had
been healed of her terrible condition.
Jesus realized at once that healing power had gone out from him.
So he turned around in the crowd and asked, who touched my robe?
His disciple said to him, look at this crowd pressing around you.
How can you ask who touched me?
But he kept on looking around to see who had done it.
Then the frightened woman trembling at the realization of what had happened to
her, came and fell to her knees in front of him and told him what she had done.
And he said to her daughter, your faith has made you, well go in peace.
Your suffering is over.
While he was still speaking to her, messengers arrived from the home of
Jairus, the leader of the synagogue.
They told him, your daughter is dead.
There is no use.
Troubling the teacher now.
But Jesus overheard them and said to Jairus, don't be afraid.
Just have faith.
Then Jesus stopped the crowd and wouldn't let anyone go with him except Peter,
James and John, the brother of James.
When they came to the home of the synagogue leader, Jesus saw much
commotion and weeping and wailing.
He went inside and asked Why all this commotion and weeping?
The child isn't dead.
She's only asleep.
The crowd laughed at him, but he made them all leave.
He took the girl's father and mother and his three disciples into the room where
the girl was lying, holding her hand.
He said to her, Tali, which means little girl get up, and the girl
who was 12 years old immediately stood up and walked around.
They were overwhelmed and totally amazed.
Jesus gave them strict orders not to tell anyone what had happened, and then he
told them to give her something to eat.
Jesus left that part of the country and returned with his disciples to
Nazareth, his hometown, the next Sabbath.
He began teaching in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed.
They asked, where did he get all this wisdom and the power
to perform such miracles?
Then they scoffed.
He's just a carpenter.
The son of Mary and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas, and Simon and
his sisters live right here among us.
They were deeply offended and refused to believe in him.
Then Jesus told them, A prophet is honored everywhere except in his own hometown
and among his relatives and his own family, and because of their unbelief.
He couldn't do any miracles among them except to place his hands on a
few sick people and heal them, and he was amazed at their unbelief.
This concludes today's Immer reading experience.
Thank you for joining us.