Free Daily Podcast Summary
Scott LaPierre Ministries: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Scott LaPierre
Scott LaPierre is a pastor, author, and Christian speaker on marriage. This podcast includes his conference messages, guest preaching, and expository sermons at Woodland Christian Church. Each of Scott’s messages is the result of hours of studying the Bible. Scott and his wife, Katie, grew up together in northern California, and God has blessed them with nine children. View all of Pastor Scott’s books on Amazon. Receive a copy of Scott’s book, “Seven Biblical Insights for Healthy, Joyful, Christ-Centered Marriages.” For Scott LaPierre’s conference and speaking information, including testimonies, and endorsements, please visit. Feel free to contact Scott at.
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- Yesterday26 min
Repentance for the Forgiveness of Sins: Not Penance but Christ
Repentance for the forgiveness of sins is the message Jesus gave His disciples after His resurrection. He did not tell them to preach: penance for the forgiveness of sins religious works for the forgiveness of sins or self-punishment for the forgiveness of sins He told them that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in His name. One of the most important questions anyone can ask is, “How can my sins be forgiven?” Every religion tries to answer that question, and fallen man naturally gravitates toward the same answer: “I must do something.” I must suffer enough. I must sacrifice enough. I must perform enough religious acts, prayers, rituals, or good works to make up for what I have done. Basically, we think: “I have done something wrong, so I must do something right to cancel it out. I have sinned badly, so I must suffer badly. I have offended God greatly, so I must offer something great to satisfy Him.” But Jesus gives us a very different answer. After He rose from the dead, He appeared to His disciples, showed them His hands and feet, invited them to touch Him, and even ate in front of them to prove He had truly risen bodily from the dead. Then He reminded them that everything written about Him in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms had to be fulfilled. The cross and resurrection were not accidents. They were not Plan B. They were the fulfillment of God’s Word. And once Jesus opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, He showed them that the message of the gospel is not penance, but repentance in His name. https://youtu.be/fnuLzd6ouEI Table of contentsJesus Opened Their Minds to Understand the ScripturesUnderstanding Scripture Should Make Us Humble and PrayerfulScripture Reveals That Christ Had to Suffer and RiseJesus Commanded Repentance for the Forgiveness of SinsPenance Is Not the Same as RepentanceFallen Man Wants to Earn ForgivenessThe Old Testament Also Rejects Man-Made Payment for SinGod Desires Repentant Hearts More Than Religious SacrificesThe Tax Collector Brought the Sacrifice God AcceptsForgiveness Is Found in Christ, Not in Making Up for SinRun to ChristConclusion Jesus Opened Their Minds to Understand the Scriptures Luke 24:45 says: “Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.” Notice the wording. Luke does not say, “They finally figured it out.” He does not say, “They were smart enough to put the pieces together.” He says Jesus opened their minds. This continues a pattern we see throughout Luke 24. Earlier, the disciples on the road to Emmaus were kept from recognizing Jesus. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized Him. Spiritual understanding is not ultimately a human achievement. It is a divine gift. That does not mean study is useless. Paul told Timothy to do his best to rightly handle the word of truth. The Bereans were commended because they examined the Scriptures daily to see whether Paul’s teaching was true. Study matters. Effort matters. Sitting under faithful preaching matters. But in the end, God must still open the heart. These disciples were not unintelligent men. They had spent three years with Jesus. They heard Him teach in synagogues, in the Temple courts, by the lakeside, on the hillside, and in private. They knew the Old Testament. They were not spiritual novices. But they still did not understand until Jesus opened their minds. The same is true with us. A person can read Scripture and miss the meaning. A person can hear preaching and remain spiritually blind. A person can know facts about the Bible without seeing the glory of Christ in the Bible. Paul explains why in 1 Corinthians 2:14: “The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him.” The difference is not ultimately intelligence, education, or effort. The difference is God opening the mind and enlightening the heart. Understanding Scripture Should Make Us Humble and Prayerful If understanding Scripture is a gift, then two applications follow. First, we should be humble. If we have come to understand any spiritual truth from Scripture, our response should be gratitude, not pride. We did not crack the code because we are smarter than others. God was gracious to us. Paul prayed in Ephesians 1:17–18 that God would give believers “the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him” and that the eyes of their hearts would be enlightened. That is what happened to the disciples in Luke 24. Jesus opened their minds. He enlightened their hearts. He gave them spiritual understanding. Second, we should be prayerful. If understanding Scripture is a gift Jesus gives, then we should approach the Bible with dependence. Before we come to the text as students, teachers, preachers, or scholars, we should come as beggars. Psalm 119:18 is a wonderful prayer to pray before reading Scripture: “Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous
- 1 weeks ago24 min
The Word of the Lord Fulfilled in Christ (Isaiah 55:10-11 and Hebrews 4:12-13)
The Word of the Lord fulfilled in Christ is one of the great themes running through all of Scripture. From the opening words of Genesis to the risen Christ explaining the Old Testament in Luke 24, the Bible reveals one unified story: God speaks, God promises, God sends His Word, and that Word is ultimately Jesus Christ. https://youtu.be/zg74q5OenbU Table of contentsThe Word of the Lord Created All ThingsThe Word of the Lord Came Throughout the Old TestamentThe Word of the Lord Became FleshThe Word of the Lord Reveals Christ from Creation to ConsummationJesus Opened the Old Testament to His DisciplesThe Law, Prophets, and Psalms Point to ChristAll God’s Promises Find Their Yes in ChristConclusion: Worship the Word Fulfilled in Christ Have you ever noticed how much harder it is to understand something when you come in near the end? You walk into the final scene of a movie, and everyone around you is emotional. Some are crying. Some are rejoicing. But because you missed the beginning, the ending does not carry the same weight. Or you catch the last few minutes of a sporting event. You see who wins and who loses, but because you do not know how close the game was, how many times the lead changed, or what happened along the way, the victory does not mean as much. Or you walk into the end of a conversation and hear only the last few sentences. Even if the conversation is important, you do not really understand what is happening because you missed what led up to it. That is what happened with many people in the Gospels. They saw the final scenes of Jesus’ earthly ministry: His arrest, trial, crucifixion, darkness, death, burial, and empty tomb. But they did not understand what they were seeing because they did not understand the story that had led up to it. Even the disciples struggled with this. They loved Jesus. They followed Him. They listened to Him. But when He suffered and died, they were confused, discouraged, and afraid. They saw the end of the story, but they could not make sense of it because they had not put the pieces together from everything that came before in the Old Testament. So before we can rightly understand Luke 24, we need to go back to the beginning. We need to start where the Bible starts, because if we want to understand the end, we need to understand the beginning. The end of Jesus’ earthly life was not disconnected from the rest of Scripture. His death and resurrection were the fulfillment of the story God had been telling from the very first page of the Bible. And that story begins with God speaking. The Word of the Lord Created All Things We first see God’s Word at creation: “And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light.”Genesis 1:3 That phrase is repeated throughout Genesis 1. God said, “Let there be an expanse.” God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together.” God said, “Let the earth sprout vegetation.” God said, “Let there be lights.” God said, “Let the waters swarm.” God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures.” God created everything by speaking. He created all things by His Word. The rest of Scripture emphasizes this same truth: “By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, and by the breath of his mouth all their host.”Psalm 33:6 “For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm.”Psalm 33:9 The New Testament says the same thing: “By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God.”Hebrews 11:3 Creation itself reveals the power of God’s Word. God did not struggle to create the universe. He spoke, and it came to be. The Word of the Lord Came Throughout the Old Testament God spoke at creation, but He did not stop speaking then. He continued speaking, not to create, but to communicate. Throughout the Old Testament, we repeatedly read phrases such as “The word of the LORD came to…” The word of the Lord came to Abraham. The word of the Lord came to Samuel. The word of the Lord came to Nathan. It came to David, Gad, Solomon, Elijah, Elisha, Isaiah, Jonah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Haggai, Zechariah, and many others. This shows us that God is a speaking God. He reveals Himself. He makes His will known. He sends forth His Word. One of the most important Old Testament passages about the Word of the Lord is Isaiah 55:10–11: “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth… so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose.”Isaiah 55:10–11 These verses are often applied to Scripture, and there is certainly a relationship between God’s written Word and this passage. But Isaiah 55 also beautifully points us to Christ, the Incarnate Word. The rain and snow come down from heaven, accomplish their purpose, and then return. This is exactly what Jesus did. He came down from heaven, accomplished the Father’s will, and
- 1 weeks ago26 min
God’s Compassion for Sinners in Luke 15:20-21
One of the most beautiful truths in Scripture is God’s compassion for sinners. Many people imagine God the Father as harsh, distant, angry, and reluctant to forgive, while they see Jesus as merciful, gentle, and willing to receive sinners. But the Bible never presents the Father and Son as divided in heart, will, or purpose. The Father is not trying to destroy sinners while the Son holds Him back. Rather, the Father Himself planned redemption, sent the Son, and receives repentant sinners with compassion. Luke 15 gives us one of the clearest pictures of this truth. Jesus said of the prodigal son, “And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him” (Luke 15:20). Before the son could finish his confession, before he could offer his prepared speech, and before he could ask to be treated like a hired servant, the father saw him and felt compassion. That father represents God the Father. And this means Luke 15 is not merely a touching story about a wayward son coming home. It is a revelation of God’s heart toward repentant sinners. https://youtu.be/tUYPswVYKGo Table of contentsGod’s Compassion and God’s Forgiveness Are Related, but Not IdenticalGod’s Compassion for Sinners Is Seen Throughout ScriptureGod’s Compassion Is Greater Than We ExpectGod’s Kindness Leads Us to RepentanceEven God’s Children Should Confess Their SinGod’s Compassion Allows Sinners to Escape the Law’s DemandsThe Prodigal Son Shows the Heart of God the FatherNo Sinner Is Beyond God’s CompassionConclusion God’s Compassion and God’s Forgiveness Are Related, but Not Identical God’s compassion and God’s forgiveness are closely connected, but they are not exactly the same. Compassion is what God feels toward sinners in their pitiful condition. Forgiveness is what God does because of His mercy and compassion. In Scripture, compassion is often related to pity. We feel compassion when we see someone suffering, broken, humbled, or in need. We do not feel compassion for every situation. If a couple announces they are expecting a child, we rejoice with them. But if they share that they miscarried, we feel compassion. Compassion rises in our hearts when we see pain, sorrow, brokenness, and need. That helps us understand the father’s response in Luke 15. When he saw his son returning, he knew what his son had done. He knew the shame, waste, rebellion, and misery that had marked his journey. The son had demanded his inheritance, left home, squandered everything, and ended up in humiliation. When the father saw him returning, he did not first feel disgust, suspicion, or hostility. He felt compassion. Even more striking, the father felt compassion before the son confessed. The son had prepared to say, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son” (Luke 15:21). But before those words were spoken, the father ran, embraced him, and kissed him. This is one of the most moving pictures in Scripture of God’s compassion for sinners. God’s Compassion for Sinners Is Seen Throughout Scripture God's compassion is not only a New Testament truth. It is not something that appears only when Jesus comes in the flesh. God’s compassion for sinners is revealed throughout all of Scripture. In Matthew 18, Jesus tells the parable of the unforgiving servant. A servant owed a debt so large he could never repay it, even with many lifetimes. That debt pictures our sin debt before God. We cannot pay it. We cannot work it off. We cannot make ourselves righteous. When the servant pleaded for patience, the master’s response was astonishing: “And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt” (Matthew 18:27). The master was moved with compassion and forgave the debt completely. That is how God forgives repentant sinners. He does not forgive a little. He does not merely reduce the debt. He cancels it. We also see God’s compassion in the book of Jonah. Jonah preached to Nineveh, and the Ninevites responded with one of the most dramatic examples of repentance in Scripture. But Jonah was angry because he hated the Ninevites and did not want them to receive mercy. God said to Jonah, “Should not I pity Nineveh, that great city?” (Jonah 4:11). Humanly speaking, most people familiar with Nineveh’s wickedness would have expected the opposite. The Ninevites were violent, cruel, idolatrous people. Yet God had compassion on them when they humbled themselves. What is especially revealing is that Jonah was not surprised by God’s compassion. He said, “I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love” (Jonah 4:2). Jonah knew God’s character. He knew God was compassionate toward sinners, and that is exactly why he resisted preaching to Nineveh. This matters because Jonah is in the Old Testament. The Old Testamen
- 2 weeks ago25 min
Proof of the Resurrection: How Jesus Handled Doubt in Luke 24:36–43
The proof of the resurrection in Luke 24:37–43 is not vague, symbolic, or merely emotional. Jesus did not ask His disciples to believe in a resurrection without evidence. He stood before them, showed them His hands and feet, invited them to touch Him, and even ate in front of them. The risen Christ graciously helped troubled, doubting disciples believe what was gloriously true. For the last few weeks, we have been walking through Luke 24. We followed the two disciples on the road to Emmaus as their eyes were opened in the breaking of the bread. Then they got up that same hour and walked seven miles back to Jerusalem in the dark, where the other disciples were gathered. Now we join them in that room. It is late. The doors are shut. Many voices are speaking at once. The women have testified about the empty tomb. Peter has testified that the Lord appeared to him. The two from Emmaus are sharing how Jesus walked with them and made Himself known. Then, while they were all talking, Jesus Himself stood among them and said, “Peace to you!” But instead of immediately rejoicing, they were startled and frightened. Luke tells us they thought they saw a spirit. https://youtu.be/VR6MJ_F-mLM Table of contentsThe Disciples Knew the Truth but Struggled to Trust ItJesus Is Gracious with Our DoubtsThe Resurrection Is Physical, Verifiable, and PermanentJesus’ Scars Identify HimThe Resurrection Should Seem Too Good to Be TrueJesus Ate to Prove He Was Truly RaisedJesus Still Gives Peace to Troubled HeartsConclusion The Disciples Knew the Truth but Struggled to Trust It Luke 24:36–37 says: “Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, ‘Peace to you!’ But they were startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit.” Think about how surprising this is. These were the same people who had spent three years with Jesus. They had heard Him say more than once that He would rise on the third day. They had heard the women’s testimony. They had heard Peter’s testimony. They had heard the testimony of the two disciples from Emmaus. But when Jesus stood right in front of them, their minds reached for the wrong conclusion: “This must be a spirit.” John’s Gospel adds that the doors were locked because the disciples were afraid of the Jews. Jesus came and stood among them anyway. Yet even then, they did not immediately think, “He is risen!” They thought, “We are seeing a ghost.” This teaches us something important: we can know the truth but still struggle to trust it when it matters. That is not only true of the disciples in Luke 24. We see something similar in Acts 12. Peter had been arrested by Herod, and the church was earnestly praying for him. God answered their prayer by sending an angel to release Peter from prison. Peter went to the very house where the believers were praying and knocked at the door. Rhoda heard his voice, recognized him, and ran to tell everyone. But instead of rejoicing that God had answered their prayers, they said, “You are out of your mind.” Then they concluded, “It is his angel!” In Luke 24, the disciples thought Jesus was a spirit. In Acts 12, the believers thought Peter was represented by an angel. In both cases, the people who should have been most ready to believe struggled to trust what God had done. We can be the same way. We know what God’s Word says. We have heard it preached. We have shared it with others. But when fear presses in, our hearts can struggle to trust what our minds know. Knowing and trusting are two different things. The question is not merely whether we know the truth. The question is whether we trust what we know when it counts. Jesus Is Gracious with Our Doubts Luke 24:38 says: “And he said to them, ‘Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts?’” Jesus asks two questions. First, “Why are you troubled?” The word describes being stirred up, agitated, or thrown into turmoil. The disciples were not calm observers carefully evaluating evidence. They were frightened, unsettled, and confused. Second, Jesus asks, “Why do doubts arise in your hearts?” The word translated as “doubts” carries the idea of inner conflicts, arguments, and debates. It is as though a debate was raging inside them. One part of them had heard the testimony. One part of them wanted to believe. But another part of them was saying, “This cannot be real. People do not come back from the dead. The doors are locked. This must be a ghost.” Notice how Jesus responds. He does not disappear. He does not leave them in fear. He does not say, “I cannot believe you still do not trust Me after everything I told you.” He does not condemn them for the argument raging in their hearts. Instead, He graciously gives them what they need: “See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see.” Jesus is gracious with doubting disciples. We see the same grace eight days later with Thomas. Thomas had said he would not believe unles
- 3 weeks ago26 min
Jesus’ First Words After the Resurrection: “Peace to You” (Luke 24:36)
There are moments in life when the next few words out of someone’s mouth mean everything. Jesus’ first words after the resurrection were one of those moments. After His disciples had abandoned Him, denied Him, doubted Him, and failed Him, the risen Christ stood among them and said, “Peace to you” (Luke 24:36). https://youtu.be/4qKxuCTXvRA Table of contentsWhen First Words MatterJesus Began His Ministry Preaching RepentanceJesus Concluded His Ministry Preaching PeaceThe Resurrection Announces Peace with GodPeace Follows RepentanceWhy the Disciples Needed to Hear “Peace”The Risen Christ Is Not Keeping a ListFrom Repentance to Peace When First Words Matter Over ten years ago, a large group of us gathered at the hospital while someone from our church family was in a touch-and-go surgery. We were waiting in a big room, broken up into little groups, talking quietly to pass the time. Then the doctor walked in, and the room went silent instantly. Every conversation stopped. You could hear a pin drop. Everyone turned toward him because the next words out of his mouth mattered deeply. Life has moments like that. A man who has been out of work for months waits for a phone call after a job interview. His savings are almost gone, the mortgage is due, and he has been praying for work that will allow him to provide for his family. When the phone rings and the company’s name lights up the screen, the whole family gathers around to hear whether the next words will be, “Congratulations, you got the job,” or, “Unfortunately, we went with someone else.” Or picture a courtroom. The jury has been deliberating for hours. The defendant sits at the table, unsure whether he will walk out free or be taken away in handcuffs. His family waits anxiously. The victim’s family waits too. The jury returns, the judge asks whether they have reached a verdict, and the whole room holds its breath to hear the words guilty or not guilty. There are moments when first words matter. That is true when Jesus began His earthly ministry, and it is also true when He appeared to His disciples after His resurrection. Jesus Began His Ministry Preaching Repentance Matthew tells us that after Jesus was baptized, tempted in the wilderness, and began His public ministry, His first recorded preaching was this: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 4:17). Jesus began His ministry with repentance. That is significant. His first ministry words confronted sin and announced the arrival of God’s kingdom. Matthew says, “From that time Jesus began to preach,” which means this was the launching point of His public ministry. Repentance is not simply feeling bad. Many people in Scripture said, “I have sinned,” but did not truly repent. Pharaoh, Balaam, Achan, Saul, Shimei, and Judas all expressed sorrow or guilt, but their lives did not show true turning to God. Repentance means a change of mind that produces a change of direction. It is turning from sin to the Lord. The prodigal son is a beautiful picture of repentance because he did not merely say, “I have sinned.” He left the far country and returned to his father. The Greek word translated repent carries the idea of changing one’s mind. But biblical repentance is not merely intellectual. It is a Spirit-worked turning from the kingdom of self to the kingdom of God. Jesus did not say, “Repent, because you are terrible.” He said, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” In other words, “Turn from what you are doing because God’s kingdom has come near.” Repentance is not the enemy of joy. It is the doorway to real peace. Jesus Concluded His Ministry Preaching Peace Now jump forward three and a half years. Luke 24 brings us into a room filled with confused, anxious, and excited disciples. The women have testified about the empty tomb. Peter has seen the Lord. The two disciples from the road to Emmaus have returned to tell what happened when Jesus made Himself known to them in the breaking of bread. Then Luke writes, “As they were talking about these things, Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, ‘Peace to you!’” (Luke 24:36). These are Jesus’ first recorded words to His gathered disciples after the resurrection. Peace. That word is the other bookend of His earthly ministry. Jesus began with repentance, and He rose from the dead, announcing peace. Everything Jesus did in between is held between those two words. Every sermon, every miracle, every demon cast out, every leper cleansed, every blind eye opened, every storm calmed, every sinner forgiven, every Pharisee confronted, the Last Supper, the garden of Gethsemane, the trial before Pilate, the crown of thorns, the whip, and the cross are all held between repentance and peace. That is not accidental. Those two words summarize the gospel. Jesus began His ministry by saying, “Repent.” After He died for sin and rose from the dead, He said, “Peace.” The Resurrection Announces Pe
- 3 weeks ago30 min
When Jesus Opens Our Eyes and Sets Our Hearts on Fire (Luke 24:28–35)
Have you ever read the Bible, heard the truth, and still felt like you could not see Christ as clearly as you should? Luke 24:28–35 reminds us that Jesus opens our eyes in His timing, warms our hearts through His Word, and gives us urgency to tell others that He is risen. For the last two weeks, we have been walking with two disciples along the road to Emmaus. Jesus drew near to them as a stranger, listened to their grief, gently rebuked their unbelief, and patiently opened the Old Testament Scriptures to show them how Moses, the Psalms, and all the Prophets pointed to Him. Their hearts were being warmed, but their eyes were still closed. Now everything changes. https://youtu.be/1rvTlE2QRqY Table of contentsJesus Waits to Be WelcomedGod Opens Our Eyes in His Own TimingJesus’ Physical Absence Does Not Mean His Spiritual AbsenceOur Hearts Should Burn When Christ Opens the ScripturesBeware of Knowing the Word Without Loving ChristEncountering Christ Produces UrgencyThe Risen Christ Still Opens Eyes Jesus Waits to Be Welcomed Luke 24:28 says: So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He acted as if he were going farther. That phrase can sound strange: “He acted as if he were going farther.” This was not deception. Jesus was not pretending in some dishonest way. He was giving them the opportunity to invite Him in. We see something similar in Mark 6:48, when Jesus came to the disciples, who were walking on the water, and “meant to pass by them.” He was not abandoning them. He was drawing near in a way that allowed them to respond. Revelation 3:20 gives us the same picture: Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. Christ comes near, but He waits to be welcomed. The two disciples respond beautifully: “Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent.” So he went in to stay with them (Luke 24:29). They had spent the afternoon listening to Jesus open the Scriptures, and they did not want the conversation to end. So they urged Him strongly. They constrained Him. They invited Him to stay. And He did. God Opens Our Eyes in His Own Timing Luke 24:30–31 says: When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. This is a striking scene. Jesus was the guest, but He became the host. It was their house, their table, and their bread. But Jesus takes the bread, blesses it, breaks it, and gives it to them. Why did they recognize Him then? Maybe they recognized the action. Jesus had taken, blessed, broken, and given bread before, such as in the feeding of the five thousand in Luke 9:16. He had also done this at the Last Supper in Luke 22:19. Maybe when He stretched out His hands to break the bread, they saw the wounds. The nail prints were fresh. He had been crucified only three days earlier. But the simplest answer is this: God chose that moment to open their eyes. Earlier in Luke 24:16, we read that “their eyes were kept from recognizing him.” Now, in Luke 24:31, “their eyes were opened.” The same divine hand that veiled them now unveils them. This teaches us an important truth: spiritual sight is the work of God. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 4:6: For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. Paul compares conversion to creation. When God said, “Let there be light,” there was light. In the same way, when God opens blind eyes, sinners see the glory of Christ. The disciples on the road had heard the Scriptures explained by the perfect Teacher. They had received the greatest Bible study ever taught. But until God opened their eyes, they could not see. That means we cannot pry our own eyes open. We cannot manufacture spiritual sight in ourselves or anyone else. We cannot reason someone into seeing the glory of Christ unless God gives light. But this should not discourage us. It should teach us to pray. “Lord, open my eyes.” If your heart feels cold, pray. If Scripture feels dry, pray. If someone you love seems blind to Christ, pray. The same Lord who opened the eyes of the disciples on the road to Emmaus still opens eyes today. Jesus’ Physical Absence Does Not Mean His Spiritual Absence After their eyes were opened, Luke 24:31 says: And he vanished from their sight. This moment foreshadows the ascension. In Acts 1:9, Jesus was lifted up, and “a cloud took him out of their sight.” Before the cross, the disciples knew Jesus primarily by sight. They walked with Him, ate with Him, heard His voice, saw His miracles, and watched Him break bread. But after the resurrection, Jesus began preparing them for a different way of relating to Him—not by physical sight, but by faith. At first, this can a
- May 14, 202627 min
Jesus Is Our Sabbath Rest
Jesus is our Sabbath rest, which means Christians no longer look to one day, one land, or one law for the rest God provides. The Sabbath was good, but it pointed beyond itself to something greater. Under the New Covenant, believers find true rest in Christ—rest from striving to earn salvation, rest from the crushing burden of law-keeping, and rest in the finished work of our Savior. That does not mean Christians become lazy, careless, or indifferent to worship. Far from it. The grace of God trains us “to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions” and to live “self-controlled, upright, and godly lives” (Titus 2:11–12). The rest Christ gives is not a license to sin; it is grace that frees us from the burden of trying to be saved by our works so that we can joyfully labor for Him. Table of contentsThe Sabbath Was the Seventh DayThe Old Covenant and the New Covenant Are DistinctJesus Raised the StandardA Change in Priesthood Means a Change in LawMelchizedek Points to a Better PriesthoodThe Sabbath Was a Shadow Fulfilled in ChristHebrews 4 Teaches the True Sabbath RestWe Enter Rest Under Joshua, Not MosesJesus Gives Better Rest Than the Old Covenant SabbathResting in Christ Does Not Mean We Stop WorkingChristians Worship on the Lord’s DayMen Should Lead Their Homes to Prioritize WorshipConclusion The Sabbath Was the Seventh Day When we think about the Sabbath, we should first associate it with the seventh day. The Sabbath has never been the first day of the week. This distinction matters because Christians sometimes speak as though Sunday became the Sabbath. But biblically, the Sabbath was the seventh day. The Sabbath was also connected to the Mosaic Covenant. It belonged to the Old Covenant given to Israel through Moses. That covenant had its own mediator, its own priesthood, and its own law. Moses was the mediator of the Mosaic Covenant. The law associated with that covenant is often called the Mosaic Law. Jesus, however, is the mediator of the New Covenant, and the law associated with Him is the Law of Christ. The Old Covenant and the New Covenant Are Distinct The Old Covenant was instituted through blood sacrifices. Those sacrifices pointed forward to the blood of Christ. At the Last Supper, Jesus instituted the New Covenant in His blood, showing Himself to be the true and greater Passover Lamb. This means we should not treat the New Covenant as merely the Old Covenant slightly improved. The New Covenant is not the Old Covenant maturing into something better. It is a new covenant, instituted by a better Mediator, founded on better promises, and connected to a better priesthood. Jesus Himself showed the distinction when He spoke of new wine and old wineskins. The point is not that the old and the new should be mixed, but that they do not belong together. Law and grace cannot be blended as though sinners are justified partly by Moses and partly by Christ. Jesus Raised the Standard Some people wrongly think grace lowers the standard. But Jesus did not lower the standard. He raised it. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus repeatedly said, “You have heard that it was said…but I say to you.” He contrasted the external requirements of the Mosaic Law with the deeper heart righteousness demanded by His kingdom. The Mosaic Law said, “You shall not murder.” Jesus said that sinful anger in the heart is also serious before God. The Mosaic Law said, “You shall not commit adultery.” Jesus said lust in the heart is adultery already. This shows us that the New Covenant is not a license to sin. Grace is not permission to live carelessly. Grace trains us not to sin. The Law of Christ reaches the heart, not merely the hands. A Change in Priesthood Means a Change in Law Hebrews 7:12 says, “For when there is a change in the priesthood, there is necessarily a change in the law as well.” That verse is crucial. If the priesthood changes, the law changes too. Under the Old Covenant, the priesthood was Levitical or Aaronic. It came through the tribe of Levi, and more specifically through Aaron and his descendants. But Jesus did not come from Levi. He came from the tribe of Judah. That creates a problem if we expect Him to be a priest under the Levitical system. But Jesus is not a priest according to Aaron. He is a priest according to the order of Melchizedek. This is why Hebrews spends so much time showing that the priesthood of Melchizedek is legitimate and superior. Melchizedek Points to a Better Priesthood In Genesis 14, Abraham met Melchizedek after rescuing Lot. Abraham gave Melchizedek a tithe, and Melchizedek blessed Abraham. Both details are important. First, Abraham’s tithe recognized Melchizedek’s priesthood. Abraham was not an insignificant man. He was the father of the Jewish nation. If Abraham honored Melchizedek in this way, then the Melchizedekian priesthood could not be dismissed. Second, Melchizedek blessed Abraham. Hebrews explains that the lesser is bl
- May 11, 202652 min
How the Old Testament Points to Jesus in Luke 24:22–27
One of the most important lessons in Luke 24:22–27 is how the Old Testament points to Jesus. On the road to Emmaus, two discouraged disciples had the evidence of the resurrection, but they still lacked understanding. They knew the tomb was empty. They knew the women had reported that angels said Jesus was alive. They knew others had gone to the tomb and confirmed the women’s report. Yet they still did not believe. https://youtu.be/h47NFMhmSbU Table of contentsThe Disciples Had Evidence but Still Did Not BelieveBelief Is Not Primarily About EvidenceJesus Rebuked Them for Being Slow of HeartTrue Faith Believes All That God Has SpokenBelief Is Primarily a Heart IssueThe Christ Had to Suffer Before Entering GloryThe Old Testament Is About JesusJesus Reveals Himself Through ScriptureJesus Wants Us to Find Him in ScriptureRead the Bible Looking for Christ The Disciples Had Evidence but Still Did Not Believe Luke 24:22–24 says: “Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning, and when they did not find his body, they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see.” This is a stunning admission. Up to this point, we might assume the two disciples were discouraged simply because all they knew was that Jesus had been crucified. But now we learn they knew much more than that. They knew the tomb was empty. They knew the women’s testimony. They knew angels had declared Jesus to be alive. They knew others had gone to the tomb and confirmed the women’s report. That is a remarkable amount of evidence. Yet still, they did not believe. This raises an important question: why didn’t they believe after all that evidence? The answer is one of the most important truths we can learn about faith and unbelief. Belief Is Not Primarily About Evidence Belief is not primarily about evidence. Evidence matters. God has given us reasonable grounds for our faith. The Christian faith is not irrational or blind. The resurrection occurred in history, and Luke presents eyewitness testimony to show that it truly happened. But if belief were strictly a matter of evidence, then everyone who heard the gospel would be saved, and everyone exposed to Jesus’s death, burial, and resurrection would believe. Yet that is not what we see in Scripture or in our own experience. Two people can hear the same sermon, read the same passage, listen to the same testimony, and be presented with the same evidence, yet walk away with very different responses. Why? Because people have different hearts. This is one of the main points of the parable of the sower. The same seed is scattered, but it falls on different soils. The seed is the same, but the responses differ because the hearts differ. Sometimes we think, “If only I had one more sign,” or “If only God made things clearer,” or “If only I saw one more confirmation.” But often the deeper issue is not a shortage of evidence. It is a heart slow to submit to what God has already said. Unbelief is not chiefly about evidence. The deeper issue is the human heart's slowness to trust God’s Word. That is why Jesus rebuked them. Jesus Rebuked Them for Being Slow of Heart Luke 24:25 says: “And he said to them, ‘O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken!’” Jesus does not say, “O uninformed ones.” He does not say, “O people who lacked enough evidence.” He says they were foolish and slow of heart. There is a difference between ignorance and foolishness. Ignorance means you do not know. Foolishness means you knew better but did not act on what you knew. That is why Jesus calls these disciples foolish. They were not ignorant. They had been told. They had heard the reports. More importantly, they had the Scriptures. Jesus says they were “slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken.” Their problem was not that God had failed to speak clearly. Their problem was that they had failed to believe all that God had already spoken. True Faith Believes All That God Has Spoken The word “all” in Luke 24:25 is significant. These disciples were willing to believe some of what the prophets had spoken. They were happy to embrace promises of glory, deliverance, kingdom, and redemption. But they struggled to believe the parts about suffering, rejection, humiliation, and death. That is still a danger for us. We love the Scriptures about God’s love, grace, mercy, and blessing. But we can struggle to embrace the Scriptures about suffering, trials, judgment, repentance, discipline, and self-denial. True faith believes all that God has spoken, not only the parts that fit our preferred narrative. The disciples were profoundly confused by the cross. They probably thought the crucifixion meant Jesus could not be the Messiah. But in r
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About Scott LaPierre Ministries
Scott LaPierre is a pastor, author, and Christian speaker on marriage. This podcast includes his conference messages, guest preaching, and expository sermons at Woodland Christian Church. Each of Scott’s messages is the result of hours of studying the Bible. Scott and his wife, Katie, grew up together in northern California, and God has blessed them with nine children. View all of Pastor Scott’s books on Amazon. Receive a copy of Scott’s book, “Seven Biblical Insights for Healthy, Joyful, Christ-Centered Marriages.” For Scott LaPierre’s conference and speaking information, including testimonies, and endorsements, please visit. Feel free to contact Scott at.
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