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

Day 9: Jesus' Journey to Jerusalem and Teachings in the Temple

Welcome to Immerse, the daily Bible reading experience. In this episode, we explore Day 9, where Jesus travels to Jerusalem, instructs his disciples, and performs significant actions, including riding a young donkey into the city, which fulfills prophecy. He is met with praise and opposition, notably from the Pharisees. Jesus weeps for Jerusalem, prophesies its future destruction, and clears the temple of merchants, calling it a house of prayer. In the temple, Jesus engages with religious leaders, revealing their hypocrisy and teaching on complex issues such as paying taxes to Caesar, the resurrection, and the signs of the end times. He also shares parables, including that of the wicked tenant farmers, and concludes with reflections on giving, exemplified by the story of the poor widow's offering. The episode underscores themes of faith, judgment, and the coming kingdom of God.

00:00 Introduction and Welcome
00:03 Jesus' Journey to Jerusalem
00:46 The Triumphal Entry
01:31 Jesus Weeps Over Jerusalem
02:03 Cleansing the Temple
02:20 Teaching in the Temple
02:36 Authority Questioned
03:23 Parable of the Wicked Tenants
05:19 Paying Taxes to Caesar
06:00 Question About the Resurrection
08:05 Warning Against the Teachers of the Law
08:38 The Widow's Offering
09:03 Signs of the End Times
11:58 The Coming of the Son of Man
12:41 Final Exhortations
13:05 Daily Teachings and Conclusion

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Welcome to Immerse: Messiah!

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.

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  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
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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 nine.

After telling this story,
Jesus went on toward Jerusalem,

walking ahead of his disciples.

As you came to the towns of Beth
Fiji and Bethany on the Mount of

Olives, he sent two disciples ahead,
go into that village over there.

He told them, as you enter it,
you will see a young donkey tied

there that no one has ever ridden.

Untie it and bring it here.

If anyone asks, why are
you untying that col?

Just say, the Lord needs it.

So they went and found the
cult, just as Jesus had said.

And sure enough, as they were
untying it, the owners asked them,

why are you untying that cult?

And the disciples simply
replied, the Lord needs it.

So they brought the colt to
Jesus and threw their garments

over it for him to ride on.

As he rode along, the crowds spread out
their garments on the road ahead of him.

When he reached the place where the road
started down the Mount of Olives, all of

his followers began to shout and sing as
they walked along, praising God for all

the wonderful miracles they had seen.

Blessings on the King who comes
in the name of the Lord, peace in

heaven and glory and highest heaven.

But some of the Pharisees among
the crowd said, teacher rebuke your

followers for saying things like that.

He replied, if they kept quiet, the stones
along the road would burst into cheers.

But as he came closer to Jerusalem and
saw the city ahead, he began to weep.

How I wish today that you, of all
people would understand the way to

peace, but now it is too late and
peace is hidden from your eyes.

Before long, your enemies will build
ramparts against your walls and encircle

you and close in on you from every side.

They will crush you into the
ground and your children with you.

Your enemies will not leave a single stone
in place because you did not recognize it.

When God visited you, then Jesus entered
the temple and began to drive out the

people selling animals for sacrifices.

He said to them, the scriptures declare
my temple will be a house of prayer, but

you have turned it into a den of thieves.

After that, he taught daily in the temple.

But the leading priests, the teachers
of religious law and the other leaders

of the people began planning how
to kill him, but they could think

of nothing because all the people
hung on every word he said one day.

It's Jesus was teaching the people and
preaching the good news in the temple.

The leading priests, the
teachers of religious law,

and the elders came up to him.

They demanded, by what authority
are you doing all these things?

Who gave you the right, let me ask
you a question First, he replied,

did John's authority to baptize come
from heaven or was it merely human?

They talked it over among themselves.

If we say it was from heaven, he
will ask why we didn't believe John.

But if we say it was merely human,
the people will stone us because they

are convinced John was a prophet.

So they finally replied that they
didn't know, and Jesus responded,

then I won't tell you by what
authority I do these things.

Now.

Jesus turned the people again
and told them this story.

A man planted a vineyard, leased it to
tenant farmers, and moved to another

country to live for several years.

At the time of the grape harvest, he
sent one of his servants to collect

his share of the crop, but the farmers
attacked the servant, beat him up

and sent him back empty handed.

So the owner sent another servant,
but they also insulted him, beat him

up, and sent him away empty handed.

A third man was sent and they
wounded him and chased him away.

What will I do?

The owner asked himself.

I know I'll send my cherished son.

Surely they will respect him.

But when the tenant farmer saw
his son, they said to each other,

here comes the air to this estate.

Let's kill him and get
the estate for ourselves.

So they dragged him outta the
vineyard and murdered him.

What do you suppose the owner
of the vineyard will do to them?

Jesus asked.

I'll tell you, he will come and kill those
farmers and lease the vineyard to others.

How terrible that such a
thing should ever happen.

His listeners protested.

Jesus looked at them and said,
then what does the scripture mean?

The stone that the builders rejected
has now become the cornerstone.

Everyone who stumbles over
that stone will be broken to

pieces and it will crush anyone.

It falls on.

The teachers of religious law and the
leading priests wanted to arrest Jesus

immediately because they realized he
was telling the story against them.

They were the wicked farmers, but they
were afraid of the people's reaction

watching for their opportunity.

The leader sent spies
pretending to be honest men.

They tried to get Jesus to say something
that could be reported to the Roman

governor, so he would arrest Jesus.

Teacher.

They said, we know that you speak
and teach what is right and are not

influenced by what others think.

You teach the way of God truthfully.

Now tell us, is it right for us
to pay taxes to Caesar or not?

He saw through their trickery and
said, show me a Roman coin whose

picture and title are stamped on it?

Caesar's.

They replied, well, then he said,
give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar.

And give to God what belongs to God.

So they failed to trap him by what
he said in front of the people.

Instead, they were amazed by his
answer and they became silent.

Then Jesus was approached by some
Sadducees religious leaders who say

there was no resurrection from the dead.

They posed this question.

Teacher Moses gave us a law that
if a man dies leaving a wife, but

no children, His brother should
marry the widow and have a child who

will carry on the brother's name.

Well, suppose there were seven brothers.

The oldest one married and
then died without children.

So the second brother married
the widow, but he also died.

Then the third brother married her.

This continued with all seven of
them who died without children.

Finally, the woman also died.

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

Were married to her.

Jesus replied, marriage is for people
here on earth, but in the age to come.

Those worthy of being raised from the
dead will neither marry nor be given in

marriage, and they will never die again.

In this respect, they will be like angels.

They are children of God and
children of the resurrection.

But now as to whether the dead will
be raised, even Moses proved this

when he wrote about the burning bush.

Long after Abraham, Isaac, and
Jacob had died, he referred to the

Lord as the God of Abraham, the
God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.

So he is the God of the living, not the
dead, for they are all alive to him.

Well said.

Teacher remarked some of the
teachers of religious law who were

standing there, and then no one
dared to ask him any more questions.

Then Jesus presented them with a question.

Why is it he asked that the Messiah
is said to be the son of David?

For David himself wrote in the Book of
Psalms, the Lord said to my Lord, sit

in the place of honor at my right hand
until I humble your enemies, making

them a footstool under your feet.

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

Then with the crowds listening, he turned
to his disciples and said, Beware of

these teachers of religious law for they
like to parade around in flowing robes

and love to receive respectful greetings
as they walk in the marketplaces and

how they love the seats of honor and the
synagogues and the head table at banquets.

Yet they shamelessly cheat widows out
of their property and then pretend to be

pious by making long prayers in public.

Because of this, they
will be severely punished.

While Jesus was in the temple, he
watched the rich people dropping

their gifts in the collection box.

Then a poor widow came by and
dropped in two small coins.

I tell you the truth, Jesus said
this poor widow has given more

than all the rest of them for.

They have given a tiny part of
their surplus, but she poor as she

is, has given everything she has.

Some of his disciples began talking about
the majestic stonework of the temple and

the memorial decorations on the walls.

But Jesus said, the time is
coming when all these things

will be completely demolished.

Not one stone will be left
on top of another teacher.

They asked, when will all this happen?

What sign will show us that these
things are about to take place?

He replied, Don't let anyone mislead you.

For many will come in my name, claiming
I am the Messiah, and saying The time

has come, but don't believe them.

And when you hear of wars and
insurrections, don't panic.

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

Then he added Nation will
go to war against nation

and kingdom against Kingdom.

There will be great earthquakes and there
will be famines and plagues and many

lands, and there will be terrifying things
and great miraculous signs from heaven.

But before all this occurs, there
will be a time of great persecution.

You will be dragged into synagogues
and prisons, and you will stand trial

before kings and governors because
you are my followers, but this will be

your opportunity to tell them about me.

So don't worry in advance about how
to answer the charges against you for

I will give you the right words and
such wisdom that none of your opponents

will be able to reply or refute you.

Even those closest to you, your
parents, brothers, relatives,

and friends will betray you.

They will even kill some of you.

And everyone will hate you because
you are my followers, but not a

hair of your head will perish.

By standing firm, you will win your souls.

And when you see Jerusalem surrounded
by armies, then you will know that the

time of its destruction has arrived.

Then those in Judea
must flee to the hills.

Those in Jerusalem must get out,
and those out in the country

should not return to the city.

For those will be days of God's
vengeance and the prophetic words

of the scriptures will be fulfilled.

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

For there will be disaster in the land
and great anger against this people.

They will be killed by the sword
or sent away as captives to

all the nations of the world.

And Jerusalem will be trampled down by
the Gentiles until the period of the

Gentiles comes to an end and there will be
strange signs in the sun, moon, and stars.

And here on earth, the nations will
be in turmoil, perplexed by the

roaring seas and strange tides.

People will be terrified of what they
see coming upon the earth for the

powers and the heavens will be shaken.

Then everyone will see the
son of man coming on a cloud

with power and great glory.

So when all these things begin
to happen, stand and look up

for your salvation is near.

Then he gave them this illustration.

Notice the fig tree or any other tree
when the leaves come out, you know,

without being told that summer is near.

In the same way, when you see all
these things taking place, you can

know that the kingdom of God is near.

I tell you the truth, this generation
will not pass from the scene until

all these things have taken place.

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

Watch out.

Don't let your hearts be dulled
by carousing and drunkenness

and by the worries of this life.

Don't let that day catch you unaware,
like a trap for that day will come

upon everyone living on the earth.

Keep alert at all times and pray
that you might be strong enough

to escape these coming horrors
and stand before the Son of man.

Every day, Jesus went to the temple to
teach, and each evening he returned to

spend the night on the Mount of Olives.

The crowds gathered at the temple
early each morning to hear him.

This concludes today's
Immer reading experience.

Thank you for joining us.