Oh, It is Wonderful to Be a Christian

Scripture Reading

Luke 10:17–24 NKJV

Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.” And He said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.” In that hour Jesus rejoiced in the Spirit and said, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight. All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.” Then He turned to His disciples and said privately, “Blessed are the eyes which see the things you see; for I tell you that many prophets and kings have desired to see what you see, and have not seen it, and to hear what you hear, and have not heard it.”

Jesus took the time to help his disciples process their experiences. That’s important in the discipleship process. But here, the 70 were elated at the spiritual power they wielded; Jesus helps them understand that the real joy isn’t the power rush they experienced, but in the privilege of receiving salvation in the present age.

That’s why I’ve borrowed the title of a famous hymn as the title of my message “Oh, it is Wonderful to be a Christian.” The point of this story is that the most important blessing is one you can’t see or feel - your place in heaven as a Christian.

I. Rejoice at your Name Written Down

Jesus reply, though, sounds odd at first. Is Jesus bragging? “Oh, that’s nothing, I saw Satan fall like lightening from heaven.” Depends on whether he is responding to their boasting in authority; or to his comment that their names are written in heaven.

They already know that their authority comes from Jesus, but Jesus did not tell them that included authority over demons. That’s why they are amazed.

Jesus is therefore explaining why that authority includes power over darkness. In fact, he expands this authority by telling them they cannot be hurt Isa 14:12-15

Isaiah 14:12–15 NKJV

“How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations! For you have said in your heart: ‘I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation On the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.’ Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, To the lowest depths of the Pit.

Luke 22:53 NKJV

When I was with you daily in the temple, you did not try to seize Me. But this is your hour, and the power of darkness.”

Acts 26:18 NKJV

to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.’

Ephesians 6:12 NKJV

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

Application: We have authority, not to cast out demons, but to fight spiritual battles and win again a host who are vastly smarter, stronger, and more experienced than any of us. We have that authority because we follow Jesus.

The authority to trample on snakes. You’ve probably heard of the snake handler Pentecostals - this is a perversion of what Jesus is claiming. Indeed Paul was bitten by a poisonous snake and didn’t suffer any harm. Acts 28:1-6. However, God doesn’t reward carelessness. Instead, it’s the confidence that God backs you. We can’t guarantee that persecution won’t happen. Jesus said, John 16:33

John 16:33 NKJV

These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

We can guarantee, however, that if the world does harm you, it will ultimately backfire because God will reward you.

However, don’t get too caught up in defeating the Devil; the real prize isn’t the cool stuff you get to do; the real prize is that you are a Kingdom Citizen; that your name is written in God’s book (Ex 32:33

Exodus 32:33 NKJV

And the Lord said to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot him out of My book.

Psalm 69:28 NKJV

Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, And not be written with the righteous.

Isaiah 4:3 NKJV

And it shall come to pass that he who is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem will be called holy—everyone who is recorded among the living in Jerusalem.

Philippians 4:3 NKJV

And I urge you also, true companion, help these women who labored with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the Book of Life.

Hebrews 12:23 NKJV

to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect,

Because if your name is written in heaven, you are guaranteed a spot in God’s perfect world. That isn’t something you can see or feel, since it hasn’t happened yet; but it’s way better.

II. Thank Him For Revealing the Mysteries of Salvation

How do you rejoice in the Spirit? See Mark 12:36

Mark 12:36 NKJV

For David himself said by the Holy Spirit: ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.” ’

Clearly here to “say in the Spirit” means to write Scripture. Thus, Luke is saying that this rejoicing is given as Scripture.

But it’s really a prayer, thanking God for revealing “these things” that is, the stuff about your name being written down, i.e. that God has revealed his salvation to the men before him right at that moment.

Who are the wise and the “babies”

Wise here must be worldly wise intellectuals who reject Jesus. For example, Nicodemus was a prominent Rabbi, yet completely missed the idea of being born again (John 3:10

John 3:10 NKJV

Jesus answered and said to him, “Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things?

But clearly those who do know these things aren’t literal babies; they are the men right in front of Jesus right then. Thus, the “babies” are the disciples. Just ordinary people but they follow Jesus; yet they have real knowledge of Jesus even if they don’t always get everything he says. John 6:67-71

John 6:67–71 NKJV

Then Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you also want to go away?” But Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus answered them, “Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?” He spoke of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, for it was he who would betray Him, being one of the twelve.

What are the things that God hides from the wise?

This information includes true knowledge of who the Son is; but only those who know the Son, know the Father.

This is relational knowledge; true saving faith. It isn’t related to intelligence; the “wise” are smarter than these simple fishermen; however, only Jesus’ disciples really know who Jesus is, because that requires believing him. Anyone who rejects Jesus doesn’t really know him.

But this knowledge comes by revelation; not by being smart. Thus intelligence is only necessary to a minimal degree; they know because they believe. And this knowledge is saving knowledge.

Thus, God rewards faith with knowledge. Ancient pastor Anselm thus came up with the expression, “I believe in order to understand.”

III. Recognize your Blessing because of Privileged Times.

What is it exactly that the disciples saw that “prophets and kings” did not see.

Not miracles - Disciples saw miracles, but so did the prophets. Elijah and Elisha did quite a few of them.

This was the offer of the Kingdom of God; the privilege of seeing Jesus himself.

This privilege exists even though Israel rejected her Messiah, because those very though it was rejected, because it brought the Baptist of the Spirit.

But we haven’t seen the things the disciples did; we did not see Jesus teach. So why bother telling us this? Because we live in the new age of the Coming of Jesus. We may not see the cool things the disciples saw, but we still participate in privileges that saints in other ages did not get to see.

We have much more revelation about God. It is a privilege to know him, and we know much that the Old Testament Saints did not and could not know. We understand way more of the Kingdom they looked forward to; this gives us greater hope.

We have a new institution - the church - that gives us a community in the midst of a dark world.

We have a new power - the Spirit indwells us and grants us a purpose for service in our spiritual gifts. This did not exist in the OT.

We enjoy these things, not because of anything we did, but just because we live in the church age. God progressively unfolds his plan; so those in the Kingdom will have privileges we do not enjoy, just was we enjoy privileges that even Abraham, David, and Daniel didn’t have.

That’s exactly why prophets and kings of old wanted to see these things - they knew it was a privilege, and they would have to wait to enjoy them not because of anything they did or didn’t do, but because they lived too early.