Immerse: Bible Reading Experience - NLT Daily Bible In A Year

Day 58: Challenges to Jesus and the Prophecy of His Return - Immerse Bible Reading

Welcome to Immerse: The Daily Bible Reading Experience. On Day 58, the episode begins with religious leaders like the Sadducees questioning Jesus about the resurrection. Jesus counters their misunderstanding by teaching that in the resurrection, there will be no marriages, and God is the God of the living. Following this, the Pharisees try to entrap Jesus by asking Him to identify the greatest commandment, to which He replies with the emphasis on loving God and one's neighbor. Jesus then questions them about the Messiah's lineage, leaving them unable to reply and silencing their further questions.

Jesus delivers a critical message to the crowds and His disciples, emphasizing the hypocrisy of religious leaders who fail to practice what they preach and burden others without alleviating those burdens. He highlights their superficial piety and the true essence of servitude and humility in God's eyes. Jesus sternly denounces the religious leaders as blind guides and hypocrites who focus on minor rituals while neglecting justice, mercy, and faithfulness.

The episode transitions to Jesus foretelling the destruction of the temple and the signs of the end times on the Mount of Olives. He warns His followers about false messiahs, wars, natural disasters, and persecution before the final judgement. Jesus illustrates the suddenness of His return with parables such as the ten bridesmaids and the servants entrusted with silver bags, emphasizing the importance of vigilance and preparedness.

In the final part, Jesus describes the judgement day using the metaphor of separating sheep from goats. He explains that serving the needy is akin to serving Him and underscores the eternal consequences of our actions towards others. This episode of Immerse concludes with a powerful message about the significance of justice, compassion, vigilance, and faithfulness in living a life aligned with God’s will.

00:00 Introduction and Context
00:03 The Question of Resurrection
01:46 The Greatest Commandment
02:22 Jesus Challenges the Pharisees
03:10 Warnings Against Hypocrisy
09:02 Signs of the End Times
15:39 Parables of Preparedness
19:56 The Final Judgment
22:20 Conclusion and Farewell

Immerse contains the full text of the New Living Translation with brief introductions to each book. Nothing has been added or removed from the Bible text. Click here to look inside.

Welcome to Immerse: Messiah! Buy a copy of Immerse Messiah at Tyndale.com

Messiah is the first of six volumes in Immerse: The Bible Reading Experience. Messiah takes the reader on a unique journey through every book of the New Testament. Each section of Messiah begins with one of the Gospels, and together they combine to provide a life-changing reading experience centered on Jesus.
This fresh arrangement of the books highlights the depth of the New Testament’s fourfold witness to Jesus the Messiah. The Son of God, who fulfills all the longings and promises of the collected Scriptures, can be experienced in Messiah through the rich variety of lenses provided by the books of the new covenant.

QUICK START GUIDE - Download from the One Million More Bibles initiative at https://onemillionmore.bible/one-million-more-resources/
3 ways to get the most out of your experience
  1. Use Immerse: Messiah instead of your regular chapter-and-verse Bible. This special reader’s edition restores the Bible to its natural simplicity and beauty by removing chapter and verse numbers and other historical additions. Letters look like letters, songs look like songs, and the original literary structures are visible in each book.
  2. Commit to making this a community experience. Immerse is designed for groups to encounter large portions of the Bible together for 8 weeks—more like a book club, less like a Bible study. By meeting every week in small groups and discussing what you read in open, honest conversations, you and your community can come together to be transformed through an authentic experience with the Scriptures.
  3. Aim to understand the big story. Read through “The Stories and the Story” to see how the books of the Bible work together to tell God’s story of his creation’s restoration. As you read through Immerse: Poets, rather than ask, “How do I fit God into my busy life?” begin asking, “How can I join in God’s great plan by living out my part in his story?”
4 Questions to get your conversations started:
  1. What stood out to you this week?
  2. Was there anything confusing or troubling?
  3. Did anything make you think differently about God?
  4. How might this change the way we live?
The Immerse Bible Series is the proud winner of the prestigious Bible of the Year award from the ECPA Christian Book Awards. Immerse: The Reading Bible is specially crafted for a distraction-free listening and reading experience, helping you dive in and get immersed in Scripture. You’ll have a great experience using Immerse by yourself. But for an even richer experience, try reading with friends.

Immerse: The Bible Reading Experience is an invitation to a different kind of community interaction with the Bible. Less like a Bible study, more like a book club.

– 8 or 16-week Bible listening plans take you through a large section of the Bible like the New Testament or the Torah
– Meet once a week for a free-flowing discussion about the text
– Wrestle with questions and celebrate ‘aha!’ moments together

Nothing impacts spiritual growth more than spending time in Scripture. Immerse removes many of the barriers that make Bible reading difficult and invites communities to become transformed together through the power of God’s word.

For more great resources for your church or small group, visit https://www.immersebible.com/

And for more amazing podcasts, check out https://lumivoz.com or search for Lumivoz in your podcast app of choice!

What is Immerse: Bible Reading Experience - NLT Daily Bible In A Year?

Take a breath, find your place, and read deeply. Discover the joy of reading God’s word with the Immerse New Living Translation (NLT) Bible.

This daily Bible podcast will take you through the Bible in a year following the Immerse Bible Reading Experience. So grab your family and small group and go through the Bible in a year together with Immerse. Each of the 6 volumes is available online or at your favorite Christian bookstore.

Henry: Welcome To Immerse: The
Daily Bible Reading Experience.

Day 58.

that same day, Jesus was approached by
some Sadducees religious leaders who say

there is no resurrection from the dead.

They posed this question, teacher
Moses said, if a man dies without

children, his brother should marry
the widow and have a child who

would carry on the brother's name.

Well, suppose there were seven brothers.

The oldest one married and
then died without children.

So his brother married the widow,
but the second brother also died

and the third brother married her.

This continued with all seven of them.

Last of all, the woman also died.

So tell us whose wife will she be
in the resurrection for all seven.

Were married to her.

Jesus replied.

Your mistake is that you don't know
the scriptures and you don't know the

power of God for when the dead rise.

They will neither marry
nor be given in marriage.

In this respect.

They will be like the angels in heaven.

But now as to whether there will be a
resurrection of the dead, haven't you

ever read about this in the scriptures?

Long after Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had
died, God said, I am the God of Abraham,

the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.

So he is the God of the
living, not the dead.

When the crowds heard him, they were
astounded at his teaching, but when the

Pharisees heard that he had silenced
the Sadducees with his reply, they

met together to question him again.

One of them, an expert in religious law,
tried to trap him with this question,

teacher, which is the most important
commandment in the law of Moses.

Jesus replied, you must love the
Lord your God with all your heart,

all your soul, and all your mind.

This is the first and
greatest commandment.

A second is equally important.

Love your neighbor as yourself.

The entire law in all the
demands of the prophets are

based on these two commandments.

Then surrounded by the Pharisees.

Jesus asked them a question, what
do you think about the Messiah?

Whose son is he?

They replied, he is the son of David.

Jesus responded.

Then why does David speaking under
the inspiration of the spirit?

Call the Messiah my Lord, for David said,
the Lord said to my Lord, sit in the

place of honor at my right hand until I
humble your enemies beneath your feet.

Since David called the Messiah, my
Lord, how can the Messiah be his son?

No one could answer him.

And after that, No one dared
to ask him any more questions.

Then Jesus said to the crowds and to
his disciples, the teachers of religious

law and the Pharisees are the official
interpreters of the law of Moses.

So practice and obey whatever they tell
you, but don't follow their example.

For, they don't practice what they teach.

They crush people with unbearable
religious demands and never lift

a finger to ease the burden.

Everything they do is
for show on their arms.

They wear extra wide prayer boxes
with scripture verses inside, and

they wear robes with extra long
tassels, and they love to sit at the

head table at banquets and in the
seats of honor in the synagogues.

They love to receive respectful
greetings as they walk in the

marketplaces and to be called Rabbi.

Don't let anyone call you Rabbi, for you
have only one teacher, and all of you are

equal as brothers and sisters and don't
address anyone here on Earth as father.

For only God in heaven is your father.

And don't let anyone call you teacher for
you have only one teacher, the Messiah.

The greatest among you must be
a servant, but those who exalt

themselves will be humbled and those
who humble themselves will be exalted.

What sorrow awaits you?

Teachers of religious law and
you, pharisees, hypocrites, for

you shut the door of the Kingdom
of heaven and people's faces.

You won't go in yourselves and
you don't let others enter either.

What sorrow awaits you, teachers of
religious law and you, pharisees,

hypocrites, for you cross land and seed
to make one convert and then you turn

that person into twice the child of hell.

You yourselves are blind guides.

What sorrow awaits you?

For you say that it means nothing to swear
by God's temple, but that it is binding

to swear by the gold in the temple.

Blind fools, which is more
important, the gold or the temple

that makes the gold sacred.

And you say that to swear by the
altar is not binding, but to swear

by the gifts on the altar is binding.

How blind for which is more important,
the gift on the altar or the

altar that makes the gift sacred.

When you swear by the altar, you are
swearing by it and by everything on it.

And when you swear by the temple, you are
swearing by it and by God who lives in it.

And when you swear by heaven, you
are swearing by the throne of God

and by God who sits on the throne.

What's sorrow awaits you?

Teachers of religious
law and you, Pharisees.

Hypocrites for you are careful to tithe
even the tiniest income from your herb

gardens, but you ignore the more important
aspects of the law, justice, mercy,

and faith, you should tithe yes, but do
not neglect the more important things.

Blind guides.

You strain your water so you
won't accidentally swallow a

net, but you swallow a camel.

What sorrow awaits you?

Teachers of religious law and you,
pharisees, hypocrites, for you are so

careful to clean the outside of the cup
and the dish, but inside you are filthy

full of greed and self-indulgence.

You blind Pharisee first wash the
inside of the cup and the dish, and

then the outside will become clean too.

What sorrow awaits you.

Teachers of religious law and you,
pharisees, hypocrites, for you are

like whitewashed tombs beautiful
on the outside, but filled on

the inside with dead people's
bones and all sorts of impurity.

Outwardly, you look like righteous
people, but inwardly, your hearts are

filled with hypocrisy and lawlessness.

What sorrow awaits you, teachers
of religious law and you pharisees,

hypocrites, for you build tombs for
the prophets your ancestors killed

and you decorate the monuments of the
godly people, your ancestors destroyed.

Then you say, if we had lived in the
days of our ancestors, we would never

have joined them in killing the prophets.

But in saying that you testify
against yourselves, that you

are indeed the descendants of
those who murdered the prophets.

Go ahead and finish what
your ancestors started.

Snakes Sons of Vipers.

How will you escape the judgment of hell?

Therefore, I am sending you prophets and
wise men and teachers of religious law.

But you will kill some by
crucifixion and you will flog others

with whips in your synagogues,
chasing them from city to city.

As a result, you will be held
responsible for the murder of

all godly people of all time.

From the murder of righteous Abel to
the murder of Zechariah, son of Barak

Kaya, whom you killed in the temple
between the sanctuary and the altar.

I tell you the truth, this
judgment will fall on this

very generation, oh, Jerusalem.

Jerusalem, the city that kills the
prophets and stones, God's messengers.

How often I have wanted to gather
your children together as a, he

protects her chicks beneath her
wings, but you wouldn't let me.

And now look, your house
is abandoned and desolate.

For I tell you this, you will never see
me again until you say blessings on the

one who comes in the name of the Lord.

As Jesus was leaving the temple grounds,
his disciples pointed out to him

the various temple buildings, but he
responded, do you see all these buildings?

I tell you the truth, they
will be completely demolished.

Not one stone will be
left on top of another.

Later.

Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives.

His disciples came to him privately and
said, tell us when will all this happen?

What sign will signal your
return and the end of the world?

Jesus told them, don't
let anyone mislead you.

For many will come in my name,
claiming I am the Messiah.

They will deceive many and you will
hear of wars and threats of wars.

But don't panic.

Yes, these things must take place,
but the end won't follow immediately.

Nation will go to war against
nation and Kingdom against Kingdom.

There will be famines and earthquakes
in many parts of the world, but all this

is only the first of the birth pains.

With more to come, then you will be
arrested, persecuted, and killed.

You'll be hated all over the world
because you are my followers.

Many will turn away from me and betray and
hate each other, and many false prophets

will appear and will deceive many people.

Sin will be rampant everywhere and the
love of many will grow cold, but the one

who endures to the end will be saved.

And the good news about the kingdom
will be preached throughout the

whole world so that all nations will
hear it, and then the end will come.

The day is coming when you will
see what Daniel the prophet spoke

about, the sacrilegious object that
causes desecration standing in the

holy place reader, pay attention.

Then those in Judea
must flee to the hills.

A person out on the deck of a roof
must not go down into the house

to pack a person out in the field
must not return even to get a coat.

How terrible it will be for pregnant women
and for nursing mothers in those days.

And pray that your flight will not
be in winter or on the Sabbath, for

there will be greater anguish than
at any time since the world began,

and it will never be so great again.

And in fact, unless that time of calamity
is shortened, not a single person

will survive, but it will be shortened
for the sake of God's chosen ones.

Then if anyone tells you,
look, here is the Messiah, or

there he is, don't believe it.

For false messiahs and false prophets
will rise up and perform great signs

and wonders, so as to deceive if
possible, even God's chosen ones.

See, I have warned you about this
ahead of time, so if someone tells you,

look, the Messiah is out in the desert.

Don't bother to go and look or look.

He is hiding here.

Don't believe it for as the
lightning flashes in the east and

shines to the west, so it will
be when the son of man comes.

Just as the gathering of vultures shows
there is a carcass nearby, so these

signs indicate that the end is near.

Immediately after the anguish of
those days, the sun will be darkened.

The moon will give no light.

The stars will fall from the sky and the
powers in the heavens will be shaken.

And then at last, the sign that the
son of man is coming will appear in the

heavens and there will be deep mourning
among all the peoples of the earth.

And they will see the son of man coming
on the clouds of heaven with power and

great glory, and he will send out his
angels with the mighty blast of a trumpet.

And they will gather his chosen ones
from all over the world, from the

farthest ends of the earth in heaven.

Now, learn a lesson from the fig tree.

When its branches, bud and
its leaves begin to sprout.

You know that summer is
near in the same way.

When you see all these things,
you can know his return is

very near right at the door.

I tell you the truth.

This generation will not pass from the
scene until all these things take place.

Heaven and earth will disappear,
but my words will never disappear.

However, no one knows the day or
hour when these things will happen.

Not even the angels in
heaven or the son himself.

Only the father knows.

When the son of Man returns, it
will be like it was in Noah's day.

In those days before the flood,
the people were enjoying banquets

and parties and weddings.

Right up to the time
Noah entered his boat.

People didn't realize what was
going to happen until the flood

came and swept them all away.

That is the way it will be
when the son of man comes.

Two men will be working
together in the field.

One will be taken the other left.

Two women will be grinding
flour at the mill.

One will be taken the other left, so
you too must keep watch for you don't

know what day your Lord is coming.

Understand this, if a homeowner
knew exactly when a burglar was

coming, he would keep watch and not
permit his house to be broken into.

You also must be ready all
the time for the son of man

will come when least expected.

A faithful, sensible servant is
one to whom the master can give the

responsibility of managing his other
household servants and feeding them.

If the master returns and finds
that the servant has done a good

job, there will be a reward.

I tell you the truth.

The master will put that servant
in charge of all he owns.

But what if the servant is evil and thinks
my master won't be back for a while?

And he begins beating the other
servants, partying and getting drunk.

The master will return unannounced and
unexpected and he will cut the servant

to pieces and assign him a place with
the hypocrites and that place there

will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Then the kingdom of heaven will be
like 10 bridesmaids who took their

lamps and went to meet the bridegroom.

Five of them were foolish
and five were wise.

The five who were foolish didn't
take enough olive oil for their

lamps, but the other five were wise
enough to take along extra oil.

When the bridegroom was delayed, they
all became drowsy and fell asleep At

midnight, they were aroused by the
shout Look, the bridegroom is coming.

Come out and meet him.

All the bridesmaids got up
and prepared their lamps.

Then the five foolish ones asked the
others, please give us some of your

oil because our lamps are going out.

But the others replied, we
don't have enough for all of us.

Go to a shop and buy some for yourselves.

But while they were gone to
buy oil, the bridegroom came.

Then those who were ready went
in with him to the marriage

feast, and the door was locked.

Later when the other five bridesmaids
returned, they stood outside calling

Lord, Lord, open the door for us.

But he called back, believe
me, I don't know you, so you

too must keep watch for you.

Do not know the day or hour of my return.

Again, the Kingdom of Heaven
can be illustrated by the story

of a man going on a long trip.

He called together his servants
and entrusted his money

to them while he was gone.

He gave five bags of silver to one
two bags of silver to another, and one

bag of silver to the last, dividing
it in proportion to their abilities.

He then left on his trip.

The servant who received the five
bags of silver began to invest

the money and earned five more.

The servant with two bags of silver
also went to work and earned two

more, but the servant who received
the one bag of silver dug a hole in

the ground and hid the master's money.

After a long time, their master returned
from his trip and called them to give an

account of how they had used his money.

The servant to whom he had
entrusted the five bags of silver.

Came forward with five more and said,
master, you gave me five bags of silver

to invest and I have earned five more.

The master was full of praise.

Well done.

My good and faithful servant.

You have been faithful in handling
this small amount, so now I will

give you many more responsibilities.

Let's celebrate together.

The servant who had received the two
bags of silver came forward and said,

master, you gave me two bags of silver
to invest and I have earned two more.

The master said, well done.

My good and faithful servant.

You have been faithful in handling
this small amount, so now I will

give you many more responsibilities.

Let's celebrate together.

Then the servant with the one bag of
silver came and said, master, I knew

you were a harsh man harvesting crops.

You didn't plant and gathering
crops you didn't cultivate.

I was afraid I would lose your money.

So I hid it in the earth.

Look, here is your money
back, but the master replied.

You wicked and lazy servant.

If you knew I harvested crops,
I didn't plant and gathered

crops I didn't cultivate.

Why didn't you deposit
my money in the bank?

At least I could have
gotten some interest on it.

Then he ordered, take the money from
this servant and give it to the one with

the 10 bags of silver to those who use.

Well, what they are given even more will
be given and they will have an abundance.

But from those who do nothing, even what
little they have will be taken away.

Now, throw this useless servant
into outer darkness where there will

be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

But when the son of man comes in his
glory and all the angels with him, then

he will sit upon his glorious throne.

All the nations will be gathered
in his presence, and he will

separate the people as a shepherd
separates the sheep from the goats.

He will place the sheep at his right
hand and the goats at his left.

Then the king will say to those on his
right, come you who are blessed by my

father, inherit the kingdom prepared
for you from the creation of the world.

For, I was hungry and you fed me.

I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink.

I was a stranger and you
invited me into your home.

I was naked and you gave me clothing.

I was sick, and you cared for me.

I was in prison and you visited me.

Then these righteous ones will reply.

Lord, when did we ever see you
hungry and feed you or thirsty and

give you something to drink or a
stranger and show you hospitality

or naked and give you clothing?

When did we ever see you sick
or in prison and visit you?

And the king will say, I tell you
the truth, when you did it to one of

the least of these, my brothers and
sisters, you were doing it to me.

Then the king will turn to those on
the left and say, away with you, you

cursed ones into the eternal fire
prepared for the devil and his demons

for I was hungry and you didn't feed me.

I was thirsty, and you
didn't give me a drink.

I was a stranger and you didn't
invite me into your home.

I was naked and you
didn't give me clothing.

I was sick and in prison,
and you didn't visit me.

Then they will reply.

Lord, when did we ever see you hungry
or thirsty, or a stranger or naked,

or sick or in prison and not help you?

And he will answer.

I tell you the truth.

When you refused to help the least of
these, my brothers and sisters, you were

refusing to help me and they will go
away into eternal punishment, but the

righteous will go into eternal life.

This concludes today's
Immer Reading experience.

Thank you for joining us.