Scott LaPierre Ministries

Proclaiming the gospel to all nations is not an optional assignment for especially gifted Christians. It is part of Christ’s final instructions to His people. In Luke 24:47–49, Jesus tells His disciples that “repentance for the forgiveness of sins” must be proclaimed in His name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. Then He calls them witnesses and promises them power from on high. https://youtu.be/S--plksRBaY Table of contentsThe Gospel Must Be ProclaimedWe Shouldn’t Keep the Good News to OurselvesThe Gospel Must Be Spoken, Not Just ShownThe Gospel Begins in the Least Likely PlaceThis Gospel Is for All NationsGod Always Planned to Save the NationsWe Are Living Proof That Jesus Meant “All Nations”Jesus Sends WitnessesAre We Witnesses Too?God Uses Ordinary WitnessesGospel Witness Is Empowered by the Holy SpiritThe Spirit Does What We Cannot DoConclusion: We Have Found the Bread of Life The Gospel Must Be Proclaimed In the previous sermon, we considered one of the most important questions anyone can ask: How can sins be forgiven? Jesus gives the answer in Luke 24:47: “Repentance for the forgiveness of sins…” Forgiveness comes through repentance. It is not earned by repentance, but repentance is the necessary turning from sin to Christ. We turn from our sin, our self-righteousness, our excuses, and our rebellion, and we look to Christ for mercy. But this raises another question: how will this truth reach the people who need to hear it? Jesus answers in the rest of the verse: “…should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.” The message of repentance and forgiveness is not to be hidden, whispered, or kept private. It must be proclaimed. To proclaim means to announce, declare, or herald. It is the way a messenger would carry the word of a king’s decree, or the way a runner might bring news from the battlefield that the war has been won. The gospel is good news, and good news is meant to be announced. We Shouldn’t Keep the Good News to Ourselves D. T. Niles famously said: “Evangelism is one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread.” That line captures the heart of Christian witness beautifully. When we find bread, we tell the hungry. When we find water, we tell the thirsty. When we find the Savior, we tell sinners. There is a powerful Old Testament picture of this in 2 Kings 7. Samaria, the capital of the northern kingdom of Israel, was under siege by the Syrians. The famine inside the city had become horrific. People were starving, and the situation looked hopeless. Then Elisha prophesied that by the next day, food would be plentiful and inexpensive again. Humanly speaking, that seemed impossible. Outside the city gate were four lepers. Because of their disease, they were outcasts. They could not live among the people. As they considered their situation, they realized they had only three options. They could stay where they were and die. They could enter the city and die in the famine. Or they could go to the Syrian camp, surrender, and perhaps be spared. None of the options looked good, but the third seemed least hopeless. So they went to the Syrian camp. What they did not know was that the Lord had caused the Syrians to hear the sound of a great army. The Syrians panicked and fled, leaving behind their tents, food, supplies, and possessions. The lepers entered the camp and found food. They ate and drank. Then they began hiding treasure for themselves. But their consciences convicted them: “We are not doing right. This day is a day of good news…Now therefore come; let us go and tell the king’s household” (2 Kings 7:9). They had found life while a city was dying behind the walls. They could not keep it to themselves. That is what evangelism is. We are not superior people telling inferior people to get their lives together. We are beggars who have found the Bread of Life in Christ, and we tell other beggars where they can find Him too. The Gospel Must Be Spoken, Not Just Shown It is important to bring balance here. Our lives matter. Jesus said: “Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). Peter also wrote that believing wives can have a powerful influence on unbelieving husbands through respectful and pure conduct: “…so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives” (1 Peter 3:1). So we should be clear: Christians should live in such a way that people see Christlike love, humility, holiness, patience, mercy, forgiveness, and compassion in us. Our conduct should never contradict the gospel we proclaim. But no matter how much our lives reflect Christ, Jesus still says the gospel must be proclaimed. People are not saved merely by watching Christian lives. They must hear the message of Christ crucified and risen. They must hear of sin, repentance, forgiveness, grace, and salvation in Jesus’ name. This helps us think rightly about a popular saying often attributed to Francis of Assisi: “Preach the gospel at all times. If necessary, use words.” The statement sounds appealing, but it is misleading. The gospel cannot be preached without words. A changed life may adorn the gospel. Good works may make the gospel attractive. Kindness may open a door for gospel conversation. But the gospel itself is news: Christ died for our sins, was buried, rose from the dead, and offers forgiveness to all who repent and believe. That message must be spoken. Paul makes this clear in Romans 10: “How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard?...So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” (Romans 10:14, 17). Follow Paul’s chain backward: People are saved when they call on the Lord. But they cannot call on someone they have not believed in. They cannot believe in someone they have not heard of. And they cannot hear unless someone tells them. Take away the proclaiming, and the whole chain collapses. The Gospel Begins in the Least Likely Place Jesus says this message will be proclaimed “beginning from Jerusalem.” That is stunning. The worldwide mission does not begin in a distant city that had nothing to do with Jesus’s death. It does not begin in a place that welcomed Him. It begins in Jerusalem. Jerusalem was the city where the leaders plotted against Him. Jerusalem was the city where He was falsely tried and condemned. Jerusalem was the city where the crowd cried, “Crucify him!” Of every city on earth, Jerusalem was the most guilty of Christ’s blood. Humanly speaking, it seems like the least likely place to begin. But that is exactly where Jesus says to start. This was always God’s plan. Paul would later write: “The gospel…is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek” (Romans 1:16). And this is exactly what happened at Pentecost. Peter stood in Jerusalem and preached to the very people among whom Jesus had been rejected and crucified. He said: “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins…” (Acts 2:38). Repentance. In Jesus’ name. For forgiveness. Beginning in Jerusalem. Luke 24:47 was fulfilled within weeks, and three thousand Jews were saved that day. If forgiveness reached hands stained with Christ’s blood, then no sinner is too far gone. This Gospel Is for All Nations The mission begins in Jerusalem, but it does not stay there. Jesus says repentance and forgiveness must be proclaimed “to all nations.” To us, the church's worldwide mission may sound familiar. But to Jesus’s Jewish disciples, this would have been surprising and difficult. They knew the Messiah came from the Jews. They knew the promises had been given to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, David, and the prophets. They knew they were God’s covenant people, distinct from the nations around them. But Jesus says this message is not only for Israel. It is for all nations. If you want to see how hard this was for them to accept, look at Acts 10. Even Peter did not naturally conclude, “Of course I should go preach Christ to Gentiles.” God had to prepare him through a vision. Peter saw a sheet coming down from heaven filled with all kinds of animals, and he heard the command: “Rise, Peter; kill and eat” (Acts 10:13). Peter resisted: “By no means, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean” (Acts 10:14). Then God told him: “What God has made clean, do not call common” (Acts 10:15). This happened three times, showing how deeply ingrained Peter’s convictions were. When Cornelius’s messengers came, the Spirit had to tell Peter: “Rise and go down and accompany them without hesitation, for I have sent them” (Acts 10:20). Even when Peter entered Cornelius’s house, he admitted how unusual this was: “You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a Jew to associate with or to visit anyone of another nation” (Acts 10:28). Jesus had already said the gospel would go to all nations, but Peter still needed divine intervention to enter a Gentile’s house and preach Christ. Only then did Peter confess: “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality” (Acts 10:34). God Always Planned to Save the Nations Although many Jews struggled to understand it, the inclusion of the Gentiles was not a new idea. It was God’s plan from the beginning. God told Abraham: “…in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Genesis 12:3). He said again: “…in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed…” (Genesis 22:18). The Psalms said: “All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord,...

Why do Christians worship on Sunday instead of Saturday? In Part 1, we saw that the seventh-day Sabbath belonged to the Old Covenant mediated by Moses and given to Israel. In Part 2, we move from the covenantal foundation to the New Testament evidence. The resurrection of Jesus on the first day of the week, the worship pattern of the early church, and the fulfillment of the Sabbath in Christ all help explain why Christians gather on Sunday rather than Saturday. Table of contentsThe resurrection made the first day central for the New Covenant people of GodThe early church gathered on the first day of the week1 Corinthians 16:2 confirms the first-day patternThe Sabbath is de-emphasized in the New Testament after the GospelsColossians 2:16–17 says Sabbaths were shadows fulfilled in ChristRomans 14:5–6 shows that observance of days is not a binding church commandSunday is rightly called the Lord’s DayThe true and greater Sabbath is found in ChristConclusion The resurrection made the first day central for the New Covenant people of God Why did the first day become so important? Because that is the day Jesus rose from the dead. The phrase “first day of the week” occurs eight times in the New Testament, and six of those occurrences refer directly to Christ’s resurrection. Matthew 28:1, Mark 16:2, Mark 16:9, Luke 24:1, John 20:1, and John 20:19 all draw attention to the first day in connection with the risen Christ. That is not accidental. The New Testament repeatedly highlights the first day as the day of resurrection. This is important because the resurrection is not a minor event added onto the Christian faith. It is the triumph of Christ over sin, death, and the grave. If the Old Covenant was associated with the seventh day, it should not surprise us that the New Covenant would be marked by the day on which Christ rose and inaugurated the new creation reality His people now live in. Sunday became the fitting day for New Covenant worship because it is the day of the resurrection. The early church gathered on the first day of the week The importance of the first day extends beyond the resurrection accounts. The book of Acts shows the early church gathering on that day. Acts 20:7 says, “On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul talked with them.” This gives us a clear picture of the gathered church meeting on Sunday. The reference to breaking bread is most naturally understood as a reference to communion in the context of corporate worship. Acts 2:42 supports this understanding by distinguishing fellowship from “the breaking of bread,” suggesting that it is more than an ordinary meal. This makes excellent theological sense. Communion looks back to Christ’s death and forward to His return, as 1 Corinthians 11:26 teaches. Since Christ rose on the first day of the week, it is fitting that the church gathered on that day to worship and remember Him. 1 Corinthians 16:2 confirms the first-day pattern Paul also wrote in 1 Corinthians 16:2, “On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up.” The most natural explanation is that Paul instructed believers to do this on the day they gathered together. This fits well with Acts 20:7 and reinforces the pattern of first-day worship in the early church. So the evidence is not only that Jesus rose on the first day. It is also that the early church assembled on the first day. That pattern is exactly what we would expect if the day of Christ’s resurrection had become the fitting day for New Covenant worship. The Sabbath is de-emphasized in the New Testament after the Gospels There is also an important contrast in emphasis. As your notes point out, the phrase “first day of the week” occurs eight times in the New Testament, but “seventh day of the week” never occurs. After the Gospels, the Sabbath is no longer emphasized as a binding Christian obligation. Why is the Sabbath mentioned so often in the Gospels? Because during Jesus’s earthly ministry, the Old Covenant order was still in place. Christ had not yet died and risen. The New Covenant had not yet been instituted. The transition had not yet occurred. But after Christ’s death and resurrection, the emphasis changes. When the Sabbath appears in Acts, it is associated with Jewish practice rather than with the church's gathered worship. That is a very important distinction. Colossians 2:16–17 says Sabbaths were shadows fulfilled in Christ One of the clearest passages on this subject is Colossians 2:16–17: “Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ.” This passage makes two truths unmistakably clear. First, believers are not to let anyone judge them regarding the Sabbaths. If seventh-day Sabbath observance were a binding New Covenant command for the church, that would be a very strange statement. Second, Paul says Sabbaths were a shadow. A shadow is not the final reality. It points forward to something greater. The substance, the fulfillment, belongs to Christ. That means the Sabbath had a temporary and typological role under the Old Covenant. It pointed beyond itself to Jesus. Once the reality has come, God’s people must understand the shadow in light of Him. Romans 14:5–6 shows that observance of days is not a binding church command Romans 14:5–6 says, “One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind.” Paul treats the observance of days as a matter of liberty, not law. That would be impossible if the church were required to keep the seventh-day Sabbath as a continuing covenant obligation. This fits perfectly with Colossians 2. The Sabbath is not treated as a moral command binding the church in the same way as commands against adultery, lying, or idolatry. The New Testament does not speak about Sabbath observance as a universal covenant requirement for believers under Christ. Sunday is rightly called the Lord’s Day Revelation 1:10 says, “I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day.” This most likely refers to Sunday, the first day of the week, so named because it is the day of the Lord’s resurrection. That title is fitting. The Sabbath was the sign day under the Old Covenant. The Lord’s Day is the resurrection day under the New Covenant. Sunday is not arbitrary. It is rooted in the finished work of Christ, the day He rose, and the worship pattern of the early church. The true and greater Sabbath is found in Christ This is where the lesson reaches its deepest theological point. Hebrews 4:9–10 says there remains a rest for the people of God. That rest is ultimately found in Christ. The Sabbath under the Old Covenant was a picture, a shadow, and a type. The reality is Jesus Himself. Jesus said in Matthew 11:28–30, “Come to me… and I will give you rest.” Christians do not say that there is no Sabbath principle at all. Rather, we say the true and greater Sabbath is fulfilled in Christ. We rest in His finished work. We stop striving to earn salvation. We trust Him. And we enjoy that rest not merely one day each week, but every day in Him. That gives a strong answer when someone asks, “Why don’t you keep the Sabbath?” A helpful response is this: “I keep the true and greater Sabbath by resting in Christ, and I gather with the church on Sunday because Jesus rose on the first day of the week.” That captures both the fulfillment of the Sabbath and the reason Christians worship on Sunday. Conclusion So why do Christians worship on Sunday instead of Saturday? Because the seventh-day Sabbath belonged to the Old Covenant mediated by Moses and given to Israel. Jesus instituted the New Covenant in His blood. Hebrews 7:12 explains that when the priesthood changed, the law-covenant order changed as well. Christ rose on the first day of the week, and the early church gathered on that day. Colossians says Sabbaths were shadows fulfilled in Christ, Romans says the observance of days is not a binding law for the church, and Hebrews says the true rest is found in Jesus. So the Old Covenant is associated with Moses and the seventh day. The New Covenant is associated with Jesus and the first day. That is why Christians worship on Sunday.

Responding to the resurrection is not merely about celebrating Easter once a year. It is about how we interpret the empty tomb, how we respond to Christ’s promises, and how we live in light of Jesus' resurrection. In Luke 24:7–12, we see that the resurrection calls for more than admiration. It calls for remembrance, faith, witness, and wonder. One of the great comforts in the Christian life is knowing that our faith does not rest on vague feelings, religious sentiment, or wishful thinking. It rests on what God has said and done in history. That is especially important when we come to the resurrection. Jesus did not merely rise unexpectedly after a tragic death. He rose exactly as He said He would. https://youtu.be/BLwpyG_dTlg Table of contentsJesus followed the Father’s divine planGod is directing our steps, tooRemembering the Lord’s words strengthens faithThose who believe the good news should share the good newsThe resurrection account bears the marks of truthMarvel at the risen ChristConclusion Jesus followed the Father’s divine plan Before the women remembered Christ’s words, the angels reminded them of something crucial: The Son of Man must be delivered. He must be crucified. He must rise on the third day. That word must matters. Throughout Luke’s Gospel, Jesus repeatedly described His life and ministry in terms of divine necessity. He was not being swept along by events outside His control. He was carrying out the Father’s sovereign plan. From His youth, Jesus said He must be in His Father’s house. In His ministry, He said He must preach the kingdom to other towns. As He looked ahead to the cross, He said the Son of Man must suffer, be rejected, be killed, and be raised. Even His meeting with Zacchaeus was described as something He must do. When we come to Luke 24, that same pattern continues. The crucifixion was not a derailment. The resurrection was not a recovery. Everything took place according to God’s perfect will. This should encourage us deeply. Christ’s death was not a defeat. It was the accomplishment of redemption. And Christ’s resurrection was not an emergency reversal. It was the triumphant fulfillment of God’s saving purpose. God is directing our steps, too Of course, Jesus is unique. He is the eternal Son of God in the flesh. His life, death, and resurrection stand alone in redemptive history. None of us can compare ourselves to Him in that sense. But there is still tremendous comfort here for believers. The same sovereign God who directed every step of Christ’s earthly ministry is also directing our lives. Scripture teaches this repeatedly. Proverbs says that a man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps. Jeremiah confesses that it is not in man to direct his own steps. Ephesians says that believers are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand. That does not excuse sin or rebellion. God’s sovereignty never authorizes disobedience. But it does mean that the Christian can rest in this truth: your life is not random. Many of us know what it is like to look back and realize that God was wise in withholding what we wanted and wise in giving what we would never have chosen. Sometimes His providence becomes clearer over time. Other times it remains mysterious. But in both situations, faith says the same thing: the Lord knows what He is doing. This is why the resurrection strengthens us so much. If the Father directed every step of Christ’s suffering all the way to the empty tomb, then we can trust Him with our own confusing paths as well. Remembering the Lord’s words strengthens faith Luke 24:8 says, “And they remembered his words.” That simple statement marks a turning point. The women were standing at an empty tomb, grieving, confused, and overwhelmed. But when they remembered what Jesus had said, everything began to make sense. They did not need a new revelation. They did not need a new experience. They did not need a dramatic emotional breakthrough. They needed to remember the words Christ had already spoken. That is still true for us. When life is perplexing, we need to remember the Lord’s words. When suffering is heavy, we need to remember the Lord’s words. When God’s plan is difficult to understand, we need to remember the Lord’s words. Our circumstances often confuse us. Our emotions can mislead us. Our fears can cloud our thinking. But God’s Word steadies us. Psalm 119:50 says, “This is my comfort in my affliction, that your promise gives me life.” The psalmist’s comfort did not come from affliction being removed. It came from God’s promise sustaining him in the middle of it. How often do we struggle because we have forgotten what Christ has said? We forget that He will never leave us nor forsake us. We forget that He works all things together for good. We forget that His grace is sufficient. We forget that because He lives, we also will live. When we forget His words, we become unstable. We fear, panic, doubt, and despair. But when we remember His words, faith is strengthened, and our vision clears. Those who believe the good news should share the good news After the women remembered Christ’s words, they did not keep the news to themselves. Luke says they returned from the tomb and told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. That is a fitting pattern for every believer. Those who believe the good news should share it. Saving faith is personal, but it is never meant to be private. The resurrection is too glorious to hoard. If Christ is truly risen, then others need to hear that news. We see this pattern throughout Scripture. Philip found Nathanael and told him he had found the One Moses and the prophets wrote about. Peter and John declared that they could not help but speak of what they had seen and heard. The gospel creates this kind of holy compulsion. A famous line often attributed to D. T. Niles says that evangelism is one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread. That captures the spirit of Luke 24 well. The women found the empty tomb, remembered Christ’s words, and ran to tell others. That is what we should do too: We should tell our children. We should tell our friends. We should tell our neighbors. We should tell fellow sinners where forgiveness and life can be found. If we believe Christ is risen, then we should want others to hear about the risen Savior. The resurrection account bears the marks of truth Luke names the women: Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others with them. He is grounding the resurrection in real history and real eyewitness testimony. This is one of the many reasons Luke’s account is so compelling. It includes details that do not read like polished propaganda. The apostles did not immediately believe. They thought the women’s report sounded like nonsense. If someone were inventing this account, he would probably portray the apostles as perceptive, confident, and full of faith from the beginning. But Luke tells the truth, even when it makes the apostles look slow and skeptical. Likewise, women were the first human witnesses of the resurrection. In that culture, women’s testimony was often undervalued. If someone were fabricating a story to gain credibility in the eyes of society, he would not likely choose women as the first witnesses. But God did. These details do not feel contrived. They feel true. The resurrection account does not read like a carefully engineered myth. It reads like history. Marvel at the risen Christ Finally, Peter ran to the tomb. He stooped, looked in, saw the linen cloths by themselves, and went home, marveling at what had happened. That is a fitting response for us as well. Marvel that Jesus said He would rise, and He did. Marvel that the grave could not hold Him. Marvel that death had its moment, but not its victory. Marvel that because Christ lives, all who trust in Him will live also. The resurrection is not only a doctrine to defend. It is a glory to behold. It should fill our hearts with reverent wonder. Conclusion Luke 24:7–12 teaches us how to respond to the empty tomb. First, remember the Lord’s words. The women’s confusion began to lift when they remembered what Jesus had told them. The same is true for us. Christ’s words bring clarity, stability, and comfort. Second, share the good news. The women returned from the tomb and told others. If we believe Christ is risen, we should want others to know. Third, marvel at the risen Christ. Peter went away amazed, and so should we. The tomb is empty. Christ is risen. Death has been defeated. And for anyone who has never trusted in Christ, do not respond as the apostles did at first. Do not dismiss the truth as an idle tale. Repent of your sins. Believe in the risen Savior. Come to the One who was delivered, crucified, and raised on the third day, just as He said. Because the tomb is empty. Christ is risen. And that truth demands a response from every one of us.

We live in a world overflowing with information but lacking wisdom, which is why we desperately need God’s wisdom. People have endless access to opinions, advice, and content, yet lives are still marked by confusion, bad decisions, and foolishness. The problem is not that we need more knowledge. The problem is that we need the wisdom that comes from the Lord. Job asked this same question when he grew weary of his friends’ clichés and empty platitudes. He wanted real wisdom, so he asked where wisdom could be found. That is still the right question for us today. And the good news is that Scripture does not leave us guessing. James 1:5 gives tremendous hope: “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” God is not stingy with wisdom. He does not give it begrudgingly. He gives it generously to those who ask. https://youtu.be/LgA58i5HxQQ Table of contentsLesson One: God Wants to Give Us WisdomLesson Two: Fools Don’t Apply KnowledgeLesson Three: Wisdom Calls for RepentanceLesson Four: Rejecting Wisdom Brings Severe ConsequencesLesson Five: Acquiring Wisdom Requires EffortLesson Six: Wisdom Must Be Our Daily PursuitConclusion Lesson One: God Wants to Give Us Wisdom James 1:5 is one of the clearest New Testament verses on this subject, but Proverbs makes the same truth abundantly clear: God wants to give us wisdom. Wisdom is not hidden from those who seek the Lord. It is not reserved for spiritual elites. It is available. Proverbs 1 presents wisdom as a woman crying aloud in the street, raising her voice in the markets, and speaking at the city gates. That imagery is meant to show how near wisdom is to us. Wisdom is not whispering from some remote location. She is calling out in the busiest places of life, making herself known right where people live, work, and make decisions. This is encouraging. If you want wisdom, God is not playing hide-and-seek with you. He is not reluctant to guide you. He wants you to hear His voice through His Word. But there is also a warning here. Proverbs says wisdom cries out in the “noisy streets.” That reminds us that many competing voices are trying to drown out wisdom. Social media, entertainment, news, shallow conversations, and foolish influences can all make it harder to hear what God is saying. This means we should each ask ourselves: What is drowning out wisdom in my life? What distractions are keeping me from hearing God’s voice clearly? Lesson Two: Fools Don’t Apply Knowledge Proverbs 1:22 identifies three groups: the simple, the scoffers, and the fools. Each one reveals something about the human heart apart from wisdom. The simple are gullible. They do not know what to believe. Proverbs contrasts them with the prudent, who think carefully and consider their steps. The simple are easily led astray because they lack discernment. The scoffers are different. They are not merely uninformed; they are arrogant. They smirk at the correction. They mock wisdom because they think they already know better. Then there are fools. Proverbs says fools hate knowledge. That sounds surprising at first, because many fools are actually knowledgeable. They may know the truth. They may have heard sermons, read Scripture, and received counsel. But they do not apply what they know. That is what makes them fools. Wisdom is not merely possessing information. Wisdom is the application of knowledge. A wise person does what is morally and spiritually right with what he knows. A fool may know the right thing to do and still refuse to do it. That is why James 4:17 is so important: “Whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.” Fools live in that dangerous place of knowing better while choosing disobedience anyway. This is deeply convicting because it moves the conversation from intellect to obedience. The issue is not simply whether we know the truth, but whether we will submit to it. Lesson Three: Wisdom Calls for Repentance Proverbs 1:23 says, “If you turn at my reproof, behold, I will pour out my spirit to you; I will make my words known to you.” The call to turn is a call to repent. Why does wisdom begin there? Because wisdom exposes our foolishness and sin. If we are going to grow in wisdom, we must first be willing to repent of the ways we have rejected God’s truth. This is what happens whenever we read Scripture honestly. God’s Word confronts us. It reveals where we are wrong. It exposes sinful habits, prideful attitudes, and foolish patterns. If we humble ourselves and turn, we grow in wisdom. If we scoff, excuse ourselves, or refuse correction, we remain fools. There is also a beautiful promise here. Wisdom says that if we turn, she will pour out her spirit and make her words known. This points us to the ministry of the Holy Spirit, who illuminates Scripture and gives understanding. Ephesians 1:17 speaks of “the Spirit of wisdom,” reminding us that true wisdom is not merely academic. It is spiritual. God Himself helps His people understand His truth. Lesson Four: Rejecting Wisdom Brings Severe Consequences Proverbs 1 takes a sobering turn when wisdom says that because people refused to listen, ignored counsel, and rejected reproof, calamity and distress would come upon them. The language is intentionally severe. It is meant to warn us. This can sound harsh at first, but it is actually merciful. Warnings are loving. When God shows us where foolishness leads, He is being gracious. He is urging us to turn before we reap the consequences of sin. Still, the warning is real. There comes a point when those who repeatedly reject wisdom are left to suffer the fruit of their choices. Proverbs says they will eat the fruit of their own way. That is one of the most frightening forms of judgment in Scripture: God turns people over to what they have chosen. Jeremiah 2:19 teaches the same truth: “Your evil will chastise you, and your apostasy will reprove you.” Sin carries its own penalties. Our foolish decisions often produce their own pain. God does not always need to add further judgment because the consequences of sin can be punishing enough on their own. This should cause us to take wisdom seriously. Foolishness is not harmless. It is destructive. Rejecting wisdom is not a small matter. Lesson Five: Acquiring Wisdom Requires Effort If wisdom is so available, why do so many people remain foolish? Proverbs 2 answers that question by showing that although wisdom is available, it is not automatic. We must pursue it. The father in Proverbs 2 tells his son to receive his words, treasure his commandments, make his ear attentive, incline his heart, call out for insight, raise his voice for understanding, seek wisdom like silver, and search for it as hidden treasure. These are action words. They show that wisdom requires deliberate effort. No one becomes wise by accident. Wise people become wise because they value wisdom enough to pursue it consistently. Just as people work hard for money, promotions, and success, believers must be willing to work diligently for spiritual riches. This also reveals something about the heart. We pursue what we value. If we truly saw the worth of wisdom, we would chase after it more earnestly than we chase after earthly gain. Lesson Six: Wisdom Must Be Our Daily Pursuit Proverbs 2 does not describe wisdom as a one-time event. The verbs are ongoing. Receive. Treasure. Listen. Seek. Search. These are not occasional hobbies. They are the daily disciplines of a lifetime. This is much like physical training. People do not become strong because of one workout, one meal, or one good week. Growth comes through consistency over time. The same is true spiritually. Wise believers usually cannot point to a single sermon, devotional, or Bible study that made them wise. Instead, wisdom develops through years of hearing God’s Word, receiving correction, and walking in obedience. That is encouraging because it means ordinary faithfulness matters. Each day you read Scripture, sit under preaching, seek counsel, pray for discernment, and obey what God shows you, you are growing in wisdom. Conclusion Wisdom is available, but it is not automatic. God wants to give us wisdom generously, and He makes it available through His Word, godly counsel, and the work of the Holy Spirit. But we must still humble ourselves, repent where needed, and pursue wisdom diligently. We should ask ourselves two questions. What is drowning out wisdom in my life? And what do I already know is right, but have failed to do? There is a price to gaining wisdom: time, humility, and effort. But there is a far greater price to rejecting it: the pain and consequences of foolishness. So let us seek the Lord now and pursue wisdom daily, because the one who gains wisdom gains a treasure far greater than anything this world can offer.

Why Jesus’ body is called the veil is one of the most beautiful truths in Hebrews 10:19–20, because it explains how sinners like us can enter God’s presence with confidence through the torn flesh and shed blood of Christ. For centuries, the Old Testament taught distance, separation, and holy fear. But in Jesus, the barrier has been removed, and the way to the Father has been opened. If you read the Old Testament carefully, you see a repeated message: sinful people cannot approach a holy God casually. Nadab and Abihu died when they offered unauthorized fire. The men of Beth Shemesh were judged for treating the ark irreverently. Uzzah died when he touched the ark. At Mount Sinai, the people were warned not to come near lest they perish. Then, in the tabernacle and temple, room after room and curtain after curtain reinforced the same lesson: stay back. But Hebrews 10 announces something shocking. Instead of staying back, believers are told to draw near. Instead of trembling outside, we are invited to enter with confidence. That dramatic change is possible because Jesus Christ has done what the old sacrifices, priests, and covenant could never accomplish. https://youtu.be/WgfVQlm-15k Table of contentsJesus Is Better Than the Old Testament SacrificesThe Holy Place and the Most Holy PlaceWhy This Truth Is Easy to Take for GrantedEsther Helps Us Feel the Weight of This PrivilegeWhy Jesus’ Body Is Called the Veil1. Jesus’ Body and the Veil Provide the Way to God’s Presence2. Jesus’ Body and the Veil Hide and Reveal the Father3. Jesus’ Body and the Veil Join Deity and Humanity4. Jesus’ Body and the Veil Were Obstacles While Whole5. Jesus’ Body and the Veil Were Torn Once6. Jesus’ Body and the Veil Were Torn by God the FatherThe Barrier Has Been RemovedTwo Responses to This Truth Jesus Is Better Than the Old Testament Sacrifices To understand Hebrews 10:19–20, we need the surrounding context. Hebrews 10:4 says it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. The old sacrifices were never meant to remove sin permanently. They covered sin temporarily until Christ came. That is why John the Baptist declared, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” The old sacrifices were good in their appointed place, but Jesus is better. They covered sin. He takes sin away. Hebrews 10:11 also says that the priests stood daily, offering the same sacrifices repeatedly. Their work was never finished. The repetition proved the system's insufficiency. But Hebrews 10:12 says that when Christ had offered a single sacrifice for sins for all time, He sat down at the right hand of God. Unlike the old priests, Jesus sat down because His work was complete. Then Hebrews 10:18 adds, “Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.” Once sin has truly been forgiven, no further sacrifice is needed. Christ accomplished fully and forever what the old covenant only pictured. The Holy Place and the Most Holy Place The temple contained two main rooms. The first was the Holy Place, where only the priests could enter. Beyond that was the Most Holy Place, where the ark of the covenant was located and where God’s presence was uniquely associated. Only the high priest could enter there, and only once a year on the Day of Atonement. That arrangement preached a clear message. God is holy. Man is sinful. Access is restricted. So when Hebrews 10:19 says, “Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus,” the language is astonishing. The “holy places” refer to the true presence of God. The writer is not telling believers to physically enter a temple structure. He is telling us that through Christ, we now have spiritual access to God Himself. The reason is simple and glorious: the sin that kept people out of God’s presence has been dealt with by Jesus. Why This Truth Is Easy to Take for Granted One danger for believers is familiarity. We hear about prayer, grace, and access to God so often that we can stop being amazed by them. We forget how extraordinary this privilege really is. Old Testament saints lived with visible reminders that God’s presence was not to be approached casually. Boundaries existed everywhere. But in Christ, the believer has a privilege that would have sounded astonishing under the old covenant: confident access to the living God. That should humble us, comfort us, and fill us with gratitude. Esther Helps Us Feel the Weight of This Privilege One helpful illustration comes from the book of Esther. Esther had to approach the king on behalf of her people, even though doing so uninvited could cost her life. She said, “I will go to the king, though it is against the law, and if I perish, I perish.” Even though she was queen, she still approached with fear and reverence. And if that was true of entering the presence of an earthly king, how much more serious should it be to enter the presence of God? Yet Hebrews 10:19 says believers have confidence to enter. That is the wonder of the gospel. Because of Jesus, we can come to the King not with presumption, but with humble boldness. Why Jesus’ Body Is Called the Veil Hebrews 10:20 says that Jesus opened for us “the new and living way… through the curtain, that is, through his flesh.” This is the heart of the passage. The curtain, or veil, is presented as a picture of Christ’s body. This does not mean Jesus was literally the veil. It means the veil was a type, a foreshadowing, of Him. Just as many Old Testament realities pointed forward to Christ, so the temple veil pointed forward to His flesh and His saving work. The rest of the passage becomes richer when we see the parallels. 1. Jesus’ Body and the Veil Provide the Way to God’s Presence Hebrews 10:20 calls this a “new and living way.” That language should immediately remind us of John 14:6, where Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” In the early church, Christianity was even called “the Way.” That title reflects the truth that Jesus is not merely one guide among many. He is the only path to the Father. This way is “new” because it belongs to the new covenant and is superior to the old covenant system. It is also “living” because it is bound up with a risen Savior. Christ was slain, yet He lives. His death opened the way, and His resurrection guarantees that the way remains open. 2. Jesus’ Body and the Veil Hide and Reveal the Father The veil both concealed and revealed. On the one hand, it hid the Most Holy Place from ordinary sight and blocked free access to God’s presence. On the other hand, it was the very boundary through which the high priest passed in order to enter that presence. Jesus does the same. He says in John 14:6, “No one comes to the Father except through me.” That means He is the exclusive access point. No one bypasses Him. Yet Jesus also reveals the Father. He said, “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.” Colossians 1:15 says He is the image of the invisible God. So just like the veil, Christ both conceals and reveals. He blocks every false way to God while opening the only true way. 3. Jesus’ Body and the Veil Join Deity and Humanity On one side of the veil was the symbolic place of God’s presence. On the other side stood humanity in all its need. In that sense, the veil marked the meeting point between divine holiness and human need. That makes it a striking picture of the incarnation. In Christ, deity and humanity are joined in one person. He is fully God and fully man. He is not part God and part man, but truly both. Perhaps no Old Testament type makes this point more vividly. The veil stood where God’s holy presence and man’s desperate need met. Jesus is the true and greater fulfillment of that picture. 4. Jesus’ Body and the Veil Were Obstacles While Whole Hebrews 10:19 says we enter by the blood of Jesus. That is important. It does not say we enter by the example of Jesus, the teaching of Jesus, or merely the life of Jesus. We enter by His blood. That does not diminish His perfect life. His sinless life qualified Him to be the spotless Lamb. But it was His sacrificial death that opened access to God. In this sense, as long as the veil remained whole, it was a barrier. Likewise, as long as Christ’s flesh had not been given up in death, the way had not yet been opened in its fullness. But when His body was torn at the cross, the barrier was removed. That means two errors must be rejected. First, no one should say, “I am too sinful to come to God,” if he comes through Christ in repentance and faith. Second, no one should say, “I can come to God because I am good.” Our access rests entirely on the blood of Jesus. 5. Jesus’ Body and the Veil Were Torn Once When the high priest passed through the veil on the Day of Atonement, the opening was temporary. The veil closed again. The message remained the same: the way is still not open. But when the temple veil was torn at Christ’s death, it was torn once for all. The barrier was not simply moved aside for a moment. It was decisively opened. Hebrews 9 says Christ appeared once to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. He was once offered to bear the sins of many. Just as the veil did not need to be torn repeatedly, Christ does not need to be crucified repeatedly. His sacrifice is final, complete, and sufficient forever. 6. Jesus’ Body and the Veil Were Torn by God the Father Matthew 27:51 says the veil was torn from top to bottom. That detail matters. It shows that God did it. This was not ultimately man’s work but heaven’s declaration. And the same is true at the cross. Isaiah 53 says Christ was smitten by God and that it was the will of the Lord to crush Him. Acts 2 says Jesus was delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God. ...

If people claim to be sent by God, how would you know whether they really were? Scripture teaches that miracles function as God’s public endorsement—His witness that a messenger truly is from Him. And nowhere is that clearer than in the miracles at Jesus’ death, when the Father surrounded the crucifixion with signs that testified that Christ is the One He sent. https://youtu.be/OmsxbrahPI0 Table of contentsMiracles authenticate those truly sent by GodThe Father surrounded the cross with supernatural testimonyLesson 1: The darkness reveals the evil of Jesus’ deathLesson 2: The darkness also reveals God’s judgmentLesson 3: The failing light points to the Light of the World being extinguishedJesus died in controlThe Father pressed Jesus’ innocence on everyone watchingLesson 4: The cross should produce repentance Miracles authenticate those truly sent by God The Greek word apostle means “one who is sent.” The apostles claimed to be sent by God—and the Lord confirmed that claim with signs. Scripture is explicit: 2 Corinthians 12:12 — “The signs of a true apostle were performed among you…with signs and wonders and mighty works.” Hebrews 2:4 — “God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit…” Miracles are not religious entertainment. They are God’s testimony. Now consider this: Hebrews 3:1 calls Jesus “the apostle.” Jesus is the ultimate One sent from the Father. And if God authenticated the lesser apostles with signs, how much more would He testify to the true and greater Apostle—His own Son? As we come to Luke 23 and stand at the foot of the cross, we see the Father doing exactly that. The Father surrounded the cross with supernatural testimony Luke records miracles at the crucifixion that were impossible to miss: Darkness over the land The sun’s light failing The temple curtain tearing The earthquake Tombs opening and saints raising from the dead God the Father did not leave the world to wonder whether this was just another execution. He surrounded the death of His Son with signs that revealed the identity of the One being crucified. Luke begins with the first miracle: “It was now about the sixth hour… and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour…” (Luke 23:44) From noon until three in the afternoon—the brightest part of the day—darkness covered the land. This was not weather. It was a sign. Lesson 1: The darkness reveals the evil of Jesus’ death Scripture repeatedly uses light and darkness as moral and spiritual metaphors—good and evil, righteousness and wickedness. Even earlier in Luke, Jesus rebuked the leaders who came to arrest Him at night: “This is your hour, and the power of darkness.” (Luke 22:53) Their actions were physically done at night, but Jesus exposed the spiritual reality behind them: darkness—evil—was at work. Now at the crucifixion, what had been spiritual becomes physical. Literal darkness covers the land to display the evil of what is happening: the sinless Son of God is being murdered. Lesson 2: The darkness also reveals God’s judgment Darkness in Scripture doesn’t only picture evil; it also often accompanies judgment. So the question is: on whom is judgment falling? Not on the criminals—though they deserved it. Not on the mocking crowd—though they deserved it. Not on the Romans—though they deserved it. Instead, judgment falls on Jesus. The innocent One is treated as guilty. The One who knew no sin is made sin for us. This is substitutionary atonement—our sin imputed to Christ, His righteousness imputed to us: “For our sake He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:21) The darkness is God’s testimony: sin is being judged—and Christ is bearing that judgment in the place of His people. Lesson 3: The failing light points to the Light of the World being extinguished Luke adds another detail: “…while the sun’s light failed…” (Luke 23:45) Luke already told us it was dark. So why add that the light “failed”? Because Luke is not describing an ordinary dimming. He is describing a sign—language that echoes who Jesus is. Jesus is the Light of the World: “I am the light of the world…” (John 8:12) So when Luke says “the light failed,” it’s hard not to hear the theological echo: the Light of the World is being extinguished. But this does not mean Jesus failed. “No one takes My life from Me… I lay it down of My own accord.” (John 10:18) The light did not “fail” because Christ was overpowered. The light “failed” because Christ willingly stepped into the darkness we deserved. He entered judgment to deliver His people from judgment. Jesus died in control Luke records Jesus’ final words: “Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit!” (Luke 23:46) Crucifixion made speaking agonizing. Yet Luke tells us Jesus cried out with a loud voice. This reveals something crucial: He was not a helpless victim. He died when He chose to lay down His life. The Father pressed Jesus’ innocence on everyone watching Luke then records the centurion’s response: “Certainly this man was innocent!” (Luke 23:47) All through Luke 23, Jesus’ innocence is repeated. It is as though the Father insisted the world hear it while His Son was being killed: Jesus is innocent. Lesson 4: The cross should produce repentance Luke says the crowds went home “beating their breasts” (Luke 23:48). That phrase matters because Luke uses it elsewhere: The tax collector “beat his breast” and cried, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!” (Luke 18:13). In Luke, beating the breast is not casual emotion. It is brokenness over sin. It is repentance. God did not surround the death of His Son with signs so people would walk away impressed. He surrounded the cross with signs so people would walk away convicted. The darkness tells us sin is real and judgment is real. The cross tells us that grace is real and that forgiveness is available. The question is not whether the signs were powerful. The question is what we will do with the One they point to. Will we respond like the hardened scoffer—or like the tax collector, the convicted crowd, and the centurion—owning our sin, confessing Christ, and pleading for mercy? If we come to Jesus in faith—confessing our sin and trusting His substitution—we will never have to fear the darkness of judgment, because the Light of the world stepped into it for us, so we could walk in the light of life.

The account of the two thieves on the cross is one of the clearest pictures in Scripture of how identical circumstances can produce opposite responses to Jesus. Side-by-side, they saw the same Savior, heard the same words, endured the same suffering, and faced the same urgency—yet one hardened his heart while the other repented and believed. Their final moments preach a timeless message: what ultimately separates people is not their situation, but their response to Christ. https://youtu.be/6MqIINxLMqA Table of contentsLesson 1: Jesus’ parables teach that identical circumstances can produce opposite responsesThe parable of the two buildersThe parable of the sowerThe parable of the two sonsThe parable of the ten virginsThe parable of the talents (and minas)The wedding feast, the two debtors, and moreLesson 2: The two criminals are a living illustration of Jesus’ parablesLesson 3: Each person is responsible for their response to ChristHe believes in life after deathHe believes Jesus has a kingdom beyond deathHe believes salvation is mercy, not meritHe believes Jesus will receive himJesus’ response: assurance, immediacy, and fellowshipCertaintyImmediacyPersonal fellowshipThe gospel in living colorThe “deathbed conversion” question—and Matthew 20Lesson 4: God’s grace to others can expose envy in our heartsDon’t presume on tomorrowConclusion Lesson 1: Jesus’ parables teach that identical circumstances can produce opposite responses Jesus regularly taught in a way that removes that excuse. He often described people who shared identical circumstances—and yet experienced opposite outcomes. Once you notice this pattern, you start seeing it everywhere in Jesus’ teaching. The parable of the two builders Both men heard the same teaching: “Everyone who hears these words of mine…” (Matthew 7:24) “Everyone who hears these words of mine…” (Matthew 7:26) Both men built a house. Both faced the same storm: “The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house…” (Matthew 7:25) “The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house…” (Matthew 7:27) Same teaching. Same project. Same storm. Completely different results. The parable of the sower There is one Sower. The seed is good. The seed is distributed broadly. Same Sower. Same seed. Same method. Yet radically different responses. The parable of the two sons Same father. Same command: “Son, go and work in the vineyard today.” (Matthew 21:28) Completely different responses. The parable of the ten virgins Same wedding. Same role. Same expectation: wait for the bridegroom. But two very different endings. The parable of the talents (and minas) Same master. Same stewardship principle. Same assignment: be faithful with what you’ve been entrusted. But again: different responses—and different outcomes. The wedding feast, the two debtors, and more Same King. Same invitation. Same mercy. Same opportunity. Yet not everyone responds the same. And if we’ll allow Jesus’ parables to do their work, they press us toward a sobering conclusion: the decisive issue is not the sameness of circumstances, but the posture of the heart. That prepares us for what happens at the cross. Lesson 2: The two criminals are a living illustration of Jesus’ parables In recent sermons, we’ve been noticing living illustrations in Scripture: Barabbas as a living illustration of substitutionary atonement (Jesus takes the punishment another deserved). Simon of Cyrene is a living illustration of cross-bearing discipleship (he literally picks up the cross and follows). Now we come to another living illustration—one of the clearest in all the Gospels. The two criminals crucified next to Jesus face nearly identical circumstances, yet they respond in opposite ways. Here’s how similar their situations are: Same guilt and sentence: both are criminals being executed by Rome—publicly shamed and justly condemned. Same suffering and helplessness: neither can come down, fix their life, or perform works to “make up for it.” Same proximity to Jesus: both are close enough to see Him, hear Him, and observe His restraint and mercy. Same evidence: they watch the same mocking crowd, the same religious scorn, the same soldiers, the same injustice. Same limited time: there is no future. No long discipleship process. Eternity is immediate. Same social pressure: the whole atmosphere pushes them toward scoffing and unbelief. Same claims about Christ: they hear “He is the Christ,” and they see the inscription, “King of the Jews.” Same setting. Same opportunity. Same Savior. But two radically different responses. Lesson 3: Each person is responsible for their response to Christ Luke records the first man’s response: “One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, ‘Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!’” (Luke 23:39) His response is hardened unbelief: He blends in with the mockers. He shows no fear of God. He makes no confession of sin. He wants to use Jesus for relief from consequences—not rescue from sin. Then Luke shows us the other criminal: “But the other rebuked him, saying, ‘Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.’” (Luke 23:40–41) In that statement, the second criminal does multiple commendable things: He rebukes blasphemy because he is offended for Christ. He demonstrates the fear of God. He confesses guilt and acknowledges deserved judgment. He proclaims Jesus’ innocence—even as everyone else mocks Him. And then we arrive at one of the simplest—and most effective—prayers in the Bible: “And he said, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’” (Luke 23:42) So much is packed into this one sentence. He believes in life after death That might sound obvious to modern ears, but it wasn’t universal in Jesus’ day. The Sadducees—prominent religious leaders—denied the resurrection. He believes Jesus has a kingdom beyond death He says, “Your kingdom.” At the moment when Jesus appears weakest—bleeding, mocked, dying—this man believes Christ will reign. He believes salvation is mercy, not merit He doesn’t bargain. He doesn’t promise to “try harder.” He doesn’t talk about making up for his sins. He simply casts himself on Jesus. He believes Jesus will receive him He asks because he believes Jesus is gracious. One man suffers and uses it as an excuse to curse Christ. The other man suffers and allows it to produce repentance and faith. Same cross-shaped suffering. Different heart posture. And the two criminals become representative of every person who has ever lived: we will respond to Jesus with hardened unbelief—or repentant faith. Jesus’ response: assurance, immediacy, and fellowship Now look at how Jesus answers him: “And he said to him, ‘Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.’” (Luke 23:43) Several details matter. Certainty Jesus begins with emphasis: “Truly, I say to you…” This is Jesus underlining: This is sure. Immediacy “Today…” No delay. No purgatory. No working off sin. Personal fellowship “You will be with me…” This is what makes heaven heaven: being with Jesus. Philippians 1:23 — “My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better.” John 14:3 — “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.” Revelation 21:3 — “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.” The gospel in living color This is Romans 10:13 made visible: Romans 10:13 — “For ‘everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’” The thief called. He was saved. And Jesus’ promise harmonizes perfectly with His other words: John 6:37 — “All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.” He came to Christ. Christ did not cast him out. The “deathbed conversion” question—and Matthew 20 When I became a Christian, I was raised in a works-based religion, and I had a nagging question: “What about people who live wickedly and then believe right before they die? Do they get to go to heaven like everyone else?” That question is common—especially among critics of Christianity. And the thief on the cross is the clearest biblical example: saved at the end of life, with no time left to prove anything, fix anything, or repay anything. Interestingly, Jesus also tells a parable that addresses our instinctive complaint about “fairness”: the parable of the laborers in the vineyard (Matthew 20:1–16). Some labor all day. Others work one hour. Yet the master pays them the same. The early workers complain—not because they were cheated, but because the master was generous. Jesus’ point is not that rewards are identical (Scripture teaches differing rewards), but that salvation is entirely grace—unearned favor. That parable exposes what can be hiding in our hearts: Lesson 4: God’s grace to others can expose envy in our hearts The vineyard workers weren’t angry about what they received. They received exactly what they agreed to receive. They were angry about what someone else received. In other words, grace offended their pride. As one commentary notes, Jesus describes this as an “evil eye”—a jealous, envious spirit that resents goodness shown to others. It’s the same issue in the older brother in the parable of the prodigal son: “But he answered his father, ‘Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat,...

Jesus’ compassion is never more stunning than when He is suffering. In Luke 23:27–34, on the way to the cross, Jesus speaks words we could never manufacture in our flesh: “Father, forgive them.” While the crowd mocked, while soldiers carried out their cruelty, while His strength was failing, our Savior’s heart was still turned outward—toward sinners. This passage shows us not only what Jesus endured, but what He desired: mercy for the very people who were putting Him to death. https://youtu.be/eTfFgscNmNY Table of contentsSuffering and self-focusLesson one: Even at the end of Jesus’ life, He remained compassionateLesson two: Suffering can reverse blessingsReversal #1: “Blessed are the barren…”Reversal #2: “Fall on us… cover us…”The proverb: Green wood and dry woodLesson three: Isaiah 53:12 fulfilled in Jesus’ crucifixionPart one: Jesus poured out His life for usPart two: Jesus was numbered with transgressorsPart three: Jesus interceded for transgressorsPart four: Jesus was our High Priest and sacrificeLesson four: Ignorance minimizes accountabilityWe are not ignorant, so we are accountable Suffering and self-focus I think suffering and concern for others are often inversely related: The less we suffer, the less we focus on ourselves, and the more we can focus on others. The more we suffer, the more we focus on ourselves, and the less we can focus on others. When pain is intense enough, it’s hard to speak graciously, hard to think straight, and hard to care about anyone else. We understand that. And because we understand it, we often make allowances for people who are suffering. That is what makes Jesus’ journey to the cross so surprising. If anyone ever had the “right” to be focused on Himself, it was Jesus. He had been falsely accused, beaten, and scourged. He was so exhausted and near death that the Romans compelled Simon of Cyrene to carry His cross. Yet even at the end of His life, Jesus was still concerned about others. Lesson one: Even at the end of Jesus’ life, He remained compassionate Luke writes: Luke 23:27 — A great multitude followed Him, including women mourning and lamenting. We don’t have to pin down exactly who these women were—faithful followers, outraged observers, or emotionally overwhelmed witnesses—because Luke emphasizes something more important: what Jesus said to them. Luke 23:28 — “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children.” The verse begins with a contrast (“but”). Jesus does not respond the way we would expect. We would expect Him to affirm their grief—after all, His suffering is undeserved. Instead, He redirects their weeping from Himself to the suffering that would come upon them and their children. Even in His lowest moment, Jesus is not self-absorbed. He is still compassionate. And Jesus' compassion includes a warning: He is referring to the coming destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70—something He had already foretold earlier in Luke: Luke 19:41–44 — Jesus weeps over Jerusalem and foretells its destruction. Luke 21:20–24 — Jesus describes the siege of Jerusalem that the people will experience and how terrible it will be for them. Lesson two: Suffering can reverse blessings Jesus describes a time of such horrific judgment that people will speak in shocking reversals. Reversal #1: “Blessed are the barren…” Luke 23:29 — “Blessed are the barren and the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!” That sounds almost unthinkable—because Scripture consistently presents children as blessings (Psalm 127:3–5, Exodus 23:26, Deuteronomy 7:14). And barrenness is often portrayed as grievous—sometimes even as judgment (Genesis 20:18, Hosea 9:14). So why would Jesus describe barrenness as “blessed”? Because intense suffering can invert what is normally good. In the siege and destruction of Jerusalem, pregnancy and parenthood would mean added vulnerability: more mouths to feed, more fear, more suffering to endure, more heartbreak to witness. Paul expressed a similar idea about marriage: marriage is a gift, but in extreme distress, it can add weight to an already crushing situation: 1 Corinthians 7:26 I think that in view of the present distress (referring to the persecution the Corinthians were experiencing) it is good for a person to remain as he is. 27 Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be free. Are you free from a wife? Do not seek a wife. Reversal #2: “Fall on us… cover us…” Luke 23:30 — People will say to the mountains, “Fall on us,” and to the hills, “Cover us.” This language appears as a repeated pattern in Scripture—judgment so terrifying that death feels like an escape (Hosea 10:8, Revelation 6:16). When judgment is severe enough, people don’t ask for comfort—they ask for concealment. They don’t ask for relief—they beg to be crushed. That is the horror Jesus is warning about. The proverb: Green wood and dry wood Luke 23:31 — “For if they do these things when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?” Green wood doesn’t burn easily. Dry wood burns easily. Green wood points to Jesus: innocent, undeserving of judgment. Dry wood points to sinners: guilty, deserving of judgment. It is as though Jesus says, “If Rome will do this to Me—the innocent One—what will they do to those who reject their Messiah?” And there’s a sobering layer to the image: Jerusalem and the temple were, quite literally, burned. Lesson three: Isaiah 53:12 fulfilled in Jesus’ crucifixion Luke 23:32 Two others, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. 33 And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. Luke’s language emphasizes that these men are criminals, and Jesus is placed right in the middle of them. In doing so, Luke is showing us the unfolding of Isaiah 53:12. Part one: Jesus poured out His life for us Isaiah 53:12 says He “poured out His soul to death.” That phrasing evokes the imagery of a drink offering—poured out completely. Jesus did not give part of Himself. He gave Himself entirely. This language also echoes Jesus’ words about His blood in Matthew 26:28: "This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins." Part two: Jesus was numbered with transgressors Isaiah 53:12 says He was “numbered with the transgressors.” The leaders wanted Jesus treated like the worst of the worst. In doing so, they fulfilled prophecy written centuries earlier. Jesus was not crucified because He was guilty. He was crucified as if He were guilty—for those who actually are. 2 Corinthians 5:21 God made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us. Part three: Jesus interceded for transgressors Luke 23:34 — Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” While soldiers gamble for His clothes—fulfilling Psalm 22:18—Jesus prays. And these are His first words from the cross. We might expect, “Judge them,” or “Destroy them,” or “Prove Me innocent.” Instead: “Father, forgive them.” Jesus is doing two things at once: He is practicing what He taught in Luke 6:27–28 He is fulfilling what Isaiah foretold in Isaiah 53:12 This is a window into Jesus’ disposition. Forgiveness is difficult for us; it does not come naturally. But Jesus’ posture is merciful. He does not delight in condemnation—He delights in saving. And there is something deeply convicting here: Jesus is interceding in real time—while the sin is happening. Part four: Jesus was our High Priest and sacrifice Priests did two primary things: They interceded for sinners. They offered sacrifices for sinners. On the cross, Jesus does both—simultaneously. He is the High Priest making intercession while also being the sacrifice poured out. Two verses shine even brighter in the light of Luke 23: Romans 5:8 While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Jesus was literally dying for sinners sinning against Him. It’s like another living illustration for us. Hebrews 7:25 He always lives to make intercession for His people Jesus lives to intercede, but on the cross He interceded while dying. Lesson four: Ignorance minimizes accountability Jesus says, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” This does not mean the people involved were automatically forgiven of every sin they ever committed. Forgiveness for all sins is received through repentance and faith. But Scripture does emphasize that their ignorance minimized their accountability for this particular act. 1 Corinthians 2:8 If they had understood, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. Peter says something striking to the Jews in Jerusalem: Acts 3:17 “And now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers. Paul also describes his former persecution of Christ as something he did ignorantly in unbelief: 1 Timothy 1:13 Formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, Ignorance does not make sin “good,” but it can lessen culpability. We are not ignorant, so we are accountable They were ignorant. They did not grasp that Jesus was the Son of God. They heard Him speak without recognizing they were hearing God’s words. They watched Him die without understanding for whom He was dying. But we are not ignorant. We have the Scriptures. We have the testimony of the resurrection. We have centuries of the gospel proclaimed. We know the identity of the One who hung on that cross. So the question is not, “Did we know?” The question is: What will we do with what we know? Jesus remained compassionate while suffering. He interceded while being sinned against. He prayed,...