Rejoice in these! Lk 10.17-22
a. The Lord of the Harvest appointed and sent
out His 70 labourers into His harvest field.
- They are warned that they are sent out as
lambs among wolves.
- They are assured that all their needs as
His labourers shall be met.
- They are given instructions as to how they
are to conduct themselves as His labourers.
- They are entrusted with the necessary and
needed authority for their mission, (19a).
- They are assured of their protection and
safety from the enemy...
b. They obediently went forth in their
mission. How long they were away, we are not told. However, we know that they
were evidently pleased with their mission. v17 'Then the 70 returned with
joy...' They returned with rejoicing.
- They have good reasons to be rejoicing.
- Though they were sent out into the midst of
wolves, yet they discovered many sons of peace receiving them & the gospel
message…all their needs were abundantly met... many miracles were performed,
and 'even the demons are subject to us in Your name.' Note the word 'even'. They were amazed; no
wonder they returned rejoicing... great things were happening through them.
c. However, from the words of the Lord Jesus
Christ, we know that something is not quite right concerning their rejoicing.
put simply, it amounts to this: they are rejoicing in the effects.
- The Lord Jesus Christ has to remind them of
the root cause or the source of these effects. The Lord Jesus points them
beyond the effects, and to the Triune God... Let me direct our attention to
three matters in this regard.
1. Rejoice in the Lord who has triumphed over
Satan
a. The disciples rejoice saying, '... Lord,
even the demons are subject to us in Your name.'
- The Lord took delight in the joy of the
disciples. However, He did more than that. He purified that joy by giving them
the explanation of the amazing phenomenon experienced by them.
- The Lord said, 'I saw Satan fall like
lightning from heaven.' That explains why the demons are subject to them. Satan
is the prince and master of all the demons and evil spirits. He is the enemy of
Christ's people.
- The demons were subject to the disciples
because their master Satan has been overcome by the Lord Christ Jesus. Gen 3.15; Mt 12.27-29; Rom 16.20; Rev
20.1-3.
b. It is because the Lord Jesus Christ has overcome Satan that He has authority to give to his disciples to trample on serpents and scorpions (a figurative language referring to subordinates of Satan). 'Behold... I give you the authority... Lk 11.22; Mt 28.18-20; 2Cor 10.3-5:
c. It is because the Lord Jesus Christ has overcome Satan that He has power to overcome all the power of the enemy... and to set the captives free from all the power of the enemy. He has the power to remove spiritual death in a sinner... He has power to regenerate a spiritually dead sinner... to remove spiritual blindness and deafness, etc
d. The Lord Jesus Christ has overcome Satan that He is able to protect His disciples and all His redeemed people from all the power of the enemy... that of all He has redeemed, He shall not lose one...
2. Rejoice in the Lord who has written your
name in heaven
a. The disciples are all excited and
rejoicing in what they are enabled to do in the blessed name of the Saviour.
This is something proper and lawful... it is always good to be useful
instruments in the hands of the Lord.
- When we are channels of blessing to others,
it is good reason to rejoice in the things the Lord is working through us. Let
us always aim to be channels of blessings in the Lord's hand.
- However, we often forget something which is
of far more importance. Something which the Lord has done for us is of
infinitely more significance than what He is working through us... and
something which we must never lose sight of... it is that the Lord has written
our names in heaven. The significance of this transcend above all that the Lord
will do through us. He has done this
amazing this for us ...
b. The truth
that the names of people are written in heaven is spoken of in many places in
the Scriptures. Let me refer you to some passages:
- Dan 12.1: it speaks of 'everyone who is found
written in the book'.... who are they?
'sons of your people'... 'your people'... Who are God's people? Those
chosen by God out of the fallen and condemned race of Adam and given to Jesus
Christ to redeem... everyone of their names are found written in the book.
- Heb 12.22-23: '... the church of the
firstborn who are registered in heaven...' The Book of Life is the Register
Book... recording all the names of the elect pe
3. Rejoice in the Lord who reveals Himself to
us
a. In contrast to the disciples rejoicing, we
are also given a glimpse of the Lord Jesus' rejoicing. v21.
- In what is the Lord Jesus rejoicing? Jesus
was filled with the Holy Spirit, and lifts up His heart and voice to His
Father, and says, 'I thank Thee, Father... Lord of heaven and earth....'
- God the Father is the Lord of heaven and
earth - ie. the sovereign and the omnipotent ruler of His creation. The Holy
Spirit led Jesus to rejoice in this truth... therefore all believers indwelt by
the Holy Spirit shall also acknowledge and rejoice in the same...
b. But how could Jesus praise the Father not only for revealing to some matters touching salvation, but even concealing them from others? Yes, the Lord Jesus is praising God that He is pleased to reveal the things concerning salvation to some... and concealing them to others, that the Father does as He pleased.
- The Lord Jesus Christ is rejoicing in the
sovereignty of His Father in the salvation of sinners... God does all things according to His own good
pleasure... See Rm 9.14f. He is answerable to no one... He owes no one... and
He does no one any wrong... The Lord is just and righteous in all His ways...
- Salvation, properly understood, is truly by
grace alone. Any saving knowledge of God is not by any human effort or
cleverness or merit. No, salvation is of the Lord, from beginning to end.
- Without the new birth by the Holy Spirit we
remain in spiritual deadness.
- Without the Father drawing sinners, they
shall not come to the Saviour.
- Without the Saviour coming and seeking for
them... they shall remain lost as ever.
- But bless the Lord - rejoice with great
rejoicing... that the Lord Jesus Christ says, '... the Son wills to reveal Him,
the Father.' O what blessed truth...
There is a Saviour who wills to reveal God unto sinners, that they may come to
the Father through Him and be saved to the uttermost... Heb 7.25, Jn 14.6.
## O rejoice in the Lord Jesus Christ, who has
revealed the Father to you... Blessed are the eyes which see these things
concerning the glorious salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ...
