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Read (and listen!) through the amazing story of Luke and Acts!
Immerse: Luke and Acts is part of Immerse: The Reading Bible, which takes you on a new and unique journey through the books of Luke and Acts in the New Testament. 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. The goal of Bible reading is to understand the sacred writings in depth so we can learn to live with them. Using the text of the New Living Translation (NLT) from Tyndale Publishing, now you can experience Luke and Acts the same way the original readers did and be fully immersed in the most amazing story of all time!
Alan: Welcome to Immerse
Luke Acts, Day ten, Week two
.
The Festival of Unleavened Bread, which
is also called Passover, was approaching.
The leading priests and
teachers of religious law were
plotting how to kill Jesus.
But they were afraid of
the people's reaction.
Then Satan entered into Judas Iscariot,
who was one of the twelve disciples.
And he went to the leading priests and
captains of the temple guard to discuss
the best way to betray Jesus to them.
They were delighted, and they
promised to give him money.
So he agreed, and began looking
for an opportunity to betray Jesus.
So they could arrest him when
the crowds weren't around.
Now the festival of unleavened
bread arrived when the
Passover lamb is sacrificed.
Jesus sent Peter and John ahead and
said, Go and prepare the Passover
meal, so we can eat it together.
Where do you want us to prepare it?
They asked him.
He replied, As soon as you enter
Jerusalem, a man carrying a
pitcher of water will meet you.
Follow him.
At the house he enters, say to the
owner, The teacher asks, Where is
the guest room where I can eat the
Passover meal with my disciples?
He will take you upstairs to a
large room that is already set up.
That is where you should prepare our meal.
They went off to the city and found
everything just as Jesus had said.
And they prepared the Passover meal there.
When the time came, Jesus and the
Apostles sat down together at the table.
Jesus said, I have been very eager
to eat this Passover meal with
you before my suffering begins.
For I tell you now that I won't eat
this meal again until its meaning
is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.
Then he took a cup of wine
and gave thanks to God for it.
Then he said, Take this and share it among
yourselves, for I will not drink wine
again until the kingdom of God has come.
He took some bread and
gave thanks to God for it.
Then he broke it in pieces and gave
it to the disciples, saying, This
is my body, which is given for you.
Do this in remembrance of me.
After supper, he took another cup of
wine and said, This cup is the new
covenant between God and his people, an
agreement confirmed with my blood, which
is poured out as a sacrifice for you.
But here at this table, sitting among
us as a friend, is the man who will
betray me, for it has been determined
that the son of man must die.
But what sorrow awaits
the one who betrays him?
The disciples began to ask each other
which of them would ever do such a thing.
Then they began to argue among
themselves about who would
be the greatest among them.
Jesus told them, In this world the kings
and great men lord it over their people,
yet they are called friends of the people.
But among you it will be different.
Those who are the greatest among
you should take the lowest rank, and
the leader should be like a servant.
Who is more important, the one who sits
at the table or the one who serves?
The one who sits at the table, of course.
But not here, for I am
among you as one who serves.
You have stayed with me in my time of
trial, and just as my father has granted
me a kingdom, I now grant you the right
to eat and drink at my table in my
kingdom, and you will sit on thrones
judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift
each of you like wheat, but I have
pleaded in prayer for you, Simon,
that your faith should not fail, so
when you have repented and turned to
me again, strengthen your brothers.
Lord, I am ready to go to prison
with you, and even to die with you.
But Jesus said, Peter,
let me tell you something.
Before the rooster crows tomorrow
morning, you will deny three
times that you even know me.
Then Jesus asked them, When I sent you out
to preach the good news, and you did not
have money, a traveler's bag, or an extra
pair of sandals, did you need anything?
No, they replied.
But now, he said, take your
money in a traveler's bag.
And if you don't have a sword,
sell your cloak and buy one.
For the time has come for this
prophecy about me to be fulfilled.
He was counted among the rebels.
Yes, everything written about me
by the prophets will come true.
Look, Lord, they replied.
We have two swords among us.
That's enough, he said.
Then accompanied by the disciples,
Jesus left the upstairs room and
went as usual to the Mount of Olives.
There, he told them, pray that you
will not give in to temptation.
He walked away, about a stone's throw,
and knelt down and prayed, Father,
if you are willing, please take
this cup of suffering away from me.
Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.
Then an angel from heaven
appeared and strengthened him.
He prayed more fervently, and he was in
such agony of spirit that his sweat fell
to the ground like great drops of blood.
At last he stood up again and returned
to the disciples, only to find
them asleep, exhausted from grief.
Why are you sleeping?
He asked them.
Get up and pray, so that you
will not give into temptation.
But even as Jesus said this, a
crowd approached, led by Judas,
one of the twelve disciples.
Judas walked over to Jesus
to greet him with a kiss.
But Jesus said, Judas, would you
betray the Son of Man with a kiss?
When the other disciples saw
what was about to happen, they
exclaimed, Lord, should we fight?
We brought the swords.
And one of them struck at
the high priest's slave,
slashing off his right ear.
But Jesus said, No more of this, and he
touched the man's ear and healed him.
Then Jesus spoke to the leading priests,
the captains of the temple guard,
and the elders who had come for him.
Am I some dangerous revolutionary,
he asked, that you come with
swords and clubs to arrest me?
Why didn't you arrest me in the temple?
I was there every day.
But this is your moment, the time
when the power of darkness reigns.
So they arrested him and led him
to the high priest's home, and
Peter followed at a distance.
The guards lit a fire in the middle
of the courtyard and sat around
it, and Peter joined them there.
A servant girl noticed him in the
firelight and began staring at him.
Finally, she said, This man
was one of Jesus followers.
But Peter denied it.
Woman, he said.
I don't even know him.
After a while, someone else looked at
him and said, You must be one of them.
No, man, I'm not, Peter retorted.
About an hour later, someone else
insisted, This must be one of them,
because he is a Galilean, too.
But Peter said, Man, I don't
know what you are talking about.
And immediately, while he was
still speaking, the rooster crowed.
At that moment, the Lord
turned and looked at Peter.
Suddenly, the Lord's words
flashed through Peter's mind.
Before the rooster crows tomorrow
morning, you will deny three
times that you even know me.
And Peter left the
courtyard, weeping bitterly.
The guards in charge of Jesus
began mocking and beating him.
They blindfolded him and said,
Prophesy to us, who hit you that time?
And they hurled all sorts
of terrible insults at him.
At daybreak, all the elders of the people
assembled, including the leading priests
and the teachers of religious law, Jesus
was led before this High Council, and
they said, Tell us, are you the Messiah?
But he replied, If I tell you,
you won't believe me, and if I ask
you a question, you won't answer.
But from now on the Son of Man
will be seated in the place
of power at God's right hand.
They all shouted, So are you
claiming to be the Son of God?
And he replied, You say that I am.
Why do we need other witnesses, they said.
We ourselves heard him say it.
Then the entire council took Jesus
to Pilate, the Roman governor.
They began to state their case.
This man has been leading our people
astray by telling them not to pay their
taxes to the Roman government and by
claiming he is the Messiah, a king.
So Pilate asked him, Are
you the king of the Jews?
Jesus replied, You have said it.
Pilate turned to the leading
priests and to the crowd and said,
I find nothing wrong with this man.
Then they became insistent,
but he is causing riots by his
teaching wherever he goes, all over
Judea, from Galilee to Jerusalem.
Oh, is he a Galilean?
Pilate asked.
When they said that he was, Pilate sent
him to Herod Antipas, because Galilee
was under Herod's jurisdiction, and Herod
happened to be in Jerusalem at the time.
Herod was delighted at the
opportunity to see Jesus.
Because he had heard about him
and had been hoping for a long
time to see him perform a miracle.
He asked Jesus question after
question, but Jesus refused to answer.
Meanwhile, the leading priests and
the teachers of religious law stood
there shouting their accusations.
Then Herod and his soldiers began
mocking and ridiculing Jesus.
Finally, they put a royal robe on
him and sent him back to Pilate.
Herod and Pilate, who had been enemies
before, became friends that day.
Then Pilate called together the
leading priests and other religious
leaders, along with the people,
and he announced his verdict.
You brought this man to me,
accusing him of leading a revolt.
I have examined him thoroughly
on this point in your presence,
and find him innocent.
Herod came to the same conclusion,
and sent him back to us.
Nothing this man has done calls for
the death penalty, so I will have him
flogged, and then I will release him.
Then a mighty roar rose from the
crowd, and with one voice they shouted,
Kill him, and release Barabbas to us.
Barabbas was imprisoned for
taking part in an insurrection in
Jerusalem against the government.
And for murder, Pilate argued with them,
because he wanted to release Jesus.
But they kept shouting, Crucify him!
Crucify him!
For the third time he demanded, Why?
What crime has he committed?
I have found no reason
to sentence him to death.
So I will have him flogged,
and then I will release him.
But the mob shouted louder and louder,
demanding that Jesus be crucified.
And their voices prevailed.
So Pilate sentenced Jesus
to die, as they demanded.
As they had requested, he released
Barabbas, the man in prison for
insurrection and murder, but he turned
Jesus over to them to do as they wished.
As they led Jesus away, a man named
Simon, who was from Cyrene, happened
to be coming in from the countryside.
The soldiers seized him and put the cross
on him and made him carry it behind Jesus.
A large crowd trailed behind,
including many grief stricken women.
But Jesus turned and said to
them, Daughters of Jerusalem,
don't weep for me, but weep for
yourselves and for your children.
For the days are coming when they
will say, Fortunate indeed are the
women who are childless, The wombs
that have not born a child, and
the breasts that have never nursed.
People will beg the mountains, fall on
us, and plead with the hills, bury us.
For if these things are done when the tree
is green, what will happen when it is dry?
Two others, both criminals, were
let out to be executed with him.
When they came to a place called the
Skull, they nailed him to the cross.
And the criminals were also crucified,
one on his right, and one on his left.
Jesus said, Father, forgive them, for
they don't know what they are doing.
And the soldiers gambled for
his clothes by throwing dice.
The crowd watched, and
the leaders scoffed.
He saved others, they said.
Let him save himself, if he is
really God's Messiah, the Chosen One.
The soldiers mocked him, too, by
offering him a drink of sour wine.
They called out to him, If you are
the king of the Jews, save yourself.
A sign was fastened above him with these
words, This is the king of the Jews.
One of the criminals hanging beside him
scoffed, So you're the messiah, are you?
Prove it by saving yourself.
And us, too, while you're at it.
But the other criminal protested,
Don't you fear God even when
you have been sentenced to die?
We deserve to die for our crimes.
But this man hasn't done anything wrong.
Then he said, Jesus, remember me
when you come into your kingdom.
And Jesus replied, I assure you,
today you will be with me in paradise.
By this time it was about noon,
and darkness fell across the
whole land until three o'clock.
The light from the sun was gone, and
suddenly, the curtain in the sanctuary
of the temple was torn down the middle.
Then Jesus shouted, Father, I
entrust my spirit into your hands.
And with those words he breathed his last.
When the Roman officer overseeing
the execution saw what had
happened, he worshipped God and
said, Surely this man was innocent.
And when all the crowd that came
to see the crucifixion saw what had
happened, they went home in deep sorrow.
But Jesus friends, including the
women who had followed him from
Galilee, stood at a distance watching.
Now there was a good and
righteous man named Joseph.
He was a member of the Jewish High
Council, but he had not agreed
with the decision and actions
of the other religious leaders.
He was from the town
of Arimathea in Judea.
And he was waiting for the
kingdom of God to come.
He went to Pilate and
asked for Jesus body.
Then he took the body down from the
cross and wrapped it in a long sheet
of linen cloth and laid it in a new
tomb that had been carved out of rock.
This was done late on Friday
afternoon, the day of preparation,
as the Sabbath was about to begin.
As his body was taken away, the
women from Galilee followed and saw
the tomb where his body was placed.
Then they went home and prepared spices
and ointments to anoint his body.
But by the time they were
finished, the Sabbath had begun.
So they rested, as required by the law.
But very early on Sunday morning
the women went to the tomb, taking
the spices they had prepared.
They found that the stone had been
rolled away from the entrance.
So they went in, but they didn't
find the body of the Lord Jesus.
As they stood there puzzled,
two men suddenly appeared to
them, clothed in dazzling robes.
The women were terrified and bowed
with their faces to the ground.
Then the man asked, Why are you looking
among the dead for someone who is alive?
He isn't here.
He is risen from the dead.
Remember what he told you back in
Galilee, that the Son of Man must
be betrayed into the hands of sinful
men and be crucified, and that he
would rise again on the third day.
Then they remembered that he had said
this, so they rushed back from the
tomb to tell his eleven disciples
and everyone else what had happened.
It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the
mother of James, and several other women
who told the apostles what had happened,
but the story sounded like nonsense
to the men, so they didn't believe it.
However, Peter jumped up
and ran to the tomb to look.
Stooping, he peered in and
saw the empty linen wrappings.
Then he went home again,
wondering what had happened.
That same day, two of Jesus followers
were walking to the village of
Emmaus, seven miles from Jerusalem.
As they walked along, they were talking
about everything that had happened.
As they talked and discussed these
things, Jesus himself suddenly came
and began walking with them, but
God kept them from recognizing him.
He asked them, What are you discussing
so intently as you walk along?
They stopped short, sadness
written across their faces.
Then one of them, Cleopas, replied, You
must be the only person in Jerusalem who
hasn't heard about all the things that
have happened there the last few days.
What things?
Jesus asked.
The things that happened to Jesus,
the man from Nazareth, they said.
He was a prophet who did powerful
miracles, and he was a mighty teacher
in the eyes of God and all the people.
But our leading priests and
other religious leaders handed
him over to be condemned to
death, and they crucified him.
We had hoped he was the Messiah
who had come to rescue Israel.
This all happened three days ago.
Then some women from our group
of his followers were at his
tomb early this morning, and they
came back with an amazing report.
They said his body was missing,
and they had seen angels who
told them, Jesus is alive.
Some of our men ran out to see,
and sure enough, his body was
gone, just as the women had said.
Then Jesus said to them,
You foolish people!
You find it so hard to believe all that
the prophets wrote in the Scriptures.
Wasn't it clearly predicted that the
Messiah would have to suffer all these
things before entering His glory?
Then Jesus took them through the
writings of Moses and all the prophets,
explaining from all the Scriptures
the things concerning Himself.
By this time they were nearing
Emmaus, and the end of their journey.
Jesus acted as if He were going on,
but they begged Him, Stay the night
with us, since it is getting late.
So he went home with them.
As they sat down to eat, he
took the bread and blessed it.
Then he broke it and gave it to them.
Suddenly their eyes were
opened, and they recognized him.
And at that moment, he disappeared.
They said to each other, Didn't our hearts
burn within us as he talked with us on the
road and explained the scriptures to us?
And within the hour they were
on their way back to Jerusalem.
There they found the eleven disciples and
the others who had gathered with them,
who said, The Lord has really risen.
He appeared to Peter.
Then the two from Emmaus told their
story of how Jesus had appeared to them
as they were walking along the road.
And how they had recognized him
as he was breaking the bread.
And just as they were telling
about it, Jesus himself was
suddenly standing there among them.
Peace be with you, he said.
But the whole group was startled
and frightened, thinking
they were seeing a ghost.
Why are you frightened?
he asked.
Why are your hearts filled with doubt?
Look at my hands.
Look at my feet.
You can see that it's really me.
Touch me, and make sure
that I am not a ghost.
Because ghosts don't have
bodies, as you see that I do.
As he spoke, he showed them
his hands and his feet.
Still, they stood there in disbelief,
filled with joy and wonder.
Then he asked them, Do you
have anything here to eat?
They gave him a piece of broiled
fish, and he ate it as they watched.
Then he said, When I was with you before,
I told you that everything written about
me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets
and in the Psalms must be fulfilled.
Then he opened their minds to understand
the Scriptures, and he said, Yes,
it was written long ago that the
Messiah would suffer and die and
rise from the dead on the third day.
It was also written that this message
would be proclaimed in the authority
of his name to all the nations.
beginning in Jerusalem.
There is forgiveness of sins.
For all who repent.
You are witnesses of all these things.
And now I will send the Holy
Spirit, just as my father promised.
But stay here in the city
until the Holy Spirit comes.
Fills you with power from heaven.
Then Jesus led them to Bethany
and lifting his hands to heaven.
He blessed them.
While he was blessing them.
He left them and was taken up to
heaven, so they worshiped him and
then returned to Jerusalem, filled
with great joy, and they spent all of
their time in the temple praising God.
This concludes today's
Immerse Reading Experience.
Thank you for joining us.