The Return of the Seventy
A detailed Account - Gospel of Luke • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 46:37
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What excited you, brings you joy?
What excited you, brings you joy?
What does joy mean to you?
Who brings you joy in your life? What brings you joy in your life?
“Chara” -closely related to gladness and happiness, although joy is more a state of being than an emotion; a result of choice.
Consider biblical uses of joy:
2 Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials,
or Rom5:3
3 We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance.
or 1Pet4:13
13 but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation.
Now we have looked at the decision of joy, may we look at the passage we have before us this morning and see what joy they have. We will break this in two this morning, the happy, joyful return, then the good question.
The joyful return
The joyful return
17 The seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.” 18 And He said to them, “I was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning.
19 “Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you. 20 “Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven.”
21 At that very time He rejoiced greatly in the Holy Spirit, and said, “I praise You, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants. Yes, Father, for this way was well-pleasing in Your sight.
22 “All things have been handed over 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 anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.”
23 Turning to the disciples, He said privately, “Blessed are the eyes which see the things you see, 24 for I say to you, that many prophets and kings wished to see the things which you see, and did not see them, and to hear the things which you hear, and did not hear them.”
What sticks out to you in this passage? Does your version use a word aside from joy?
Why were the demons subject to them (v.17)?
Because of the name, the power, the authority of Jesus name.
What did Jesus see, watch (v.18)?
Saw satan fall from heaven like lightening
They had authority given (v.19); but Jesus told them to rejoice in something else (v.20), what is it?
That your names are recorded in heaven
Why did Jesus stop and praise (v.21)?
That these things, these truths were revealed to them (infants) and not the wise.
How is the Father revealed (v.22)?
Through the Son if the Son wills.
According to Jesus words what did prophets and kings wish (vv.23-24)?
To see what they see, hear what they hear.
“There is a threefold joy here; Joy of service (vv.17-19); joy of salvation (10:20); and joy of sovereignty (10:21-24) (Wiersbe)
So the seventy returned from among the wolves, and not one lamb was eaten (paraphrase from Spurgeon).
Interesting fact if you look at the instructions given, there was nothing about demons spoken to the seventy as was to the twelve, yet the demons were subject.
When we walk in God’s will, He is exceedingly, abundantly more, and can do more than we think or ask.
The seventy gave all credit to Jesus, they knew it was in His name, His authority that all things were done.
We need to be careful not to get, or be, prideful. It is the name of Jesus in which man is saved.
Jesus spoke of seeing the fall of Satan, do you wonder what that means?
Was this remembering the original fall, casting out of heaven, from glorified to profane (i.e. Eze28:14-16)?
Was it in having access to heaven (Job1:12) to restricted to earth (Rev12:9)?
Was it from earth to bondage for 1000 years (Rev20:1-3)
Or from the pit to lake of fire (Rev20:10)?
Well, consider this, Satan was glorified at one time and then in an instant was cast out. Was this a warning to them about pride?
When we share the gospel, Satan has no authority, no power, he is inferior to the name of Jesus.
“So, where the gospel is preached with divine power, Satan comes down from his throne, in the human hearts and human minds, as rapidly as the lightening flash falls from heaven; and we see his kingdom shaken, then, like Jesus, we rejoice in spirit.” (Spurgeon)
Jesus saw their victories, just as He see’s ours, every victory matters, every soul matters and He rejoices in the spirit when one soul repents right along with the angels.
Satan is a persistent foe, he does not give up easily. Hence why Jesus reminded them as believers they had authority, in His name!
Jesus warned against the wrong rejoicing (works) or in His works of salvation writing their name in heaven.
I love what Wiersbe says, in summary.
“Our highest joy is not found in service or even in our salvation, but in being submitted to the sovereign will of the Heavenly Father. For it is in Him is the foundation for both service and salvation.”
It was not the wise and the learned that accepted the gospel message, it was the common, the simple folk who were trusting the word. Sinners must humble themselves before they are lifted up.
6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time,
7 casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.
These seventy, the twelve were Christ’s ambassadors going to make a way for Him. They were privileged people seeing and hearing things others wish they could see and hear. For they are a part of the work, just as you are a part of the work today.
Let’s return to joy for a moment.
Jesus rejoiced over the work of the servants
The Father delights in the weak and foolish things that confound the wise (1Cor1:27-28
27 but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, 28 and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are,
29 so that no man may boast before God.
Interesting fact that this is the only time in the gospels that it says “Jesus rejoiced.”
Jesus broke out in prayer of thanksgiving to the Father and I want to bring in a few more little things before moving on.
Jesus thanked the Father, not praising His own work
Jesus thanked the Father for His wise, sometimes unexpected plan.
Jesus thanked the Father for the fellow servants in His midst.
Jesus thanked the Father for the simplicity of His servants.
Jesus spoke of His unity with the Father
Jesus spoke of His special relationship with the Father
And, Jesus spoke of how God allows us to have some part in that special relationship.
Jesus rejoiced in unlikely people, the infants (babes) the simple who received real wisdom of God.
For the wise of the world would not go out as lambs among wolves
The simple would not change the message
They had a message, a simple message for the simple people
They did it in the name of Jesus and not their name.
They would rejoice over the work that was done in Jesus name.
(Transition) - there is still more to glean from this section.
The disciples had a unique blessing that others did not, that others wished they had over the generations. They were an actual part of the work of the Messiah.
“Jesus was the peak to which history had been climbing, the goal to which it had been marching, the dream which had ever haunted men of God.” (Barclay)
Consider what we have looked at the last two weeks, the instructions and how it can, should apply for us today.
The harvest is still great, it is a big job.
The laborers are few. We accept it that we are to be laborers in the Lord’s vineyard.
Pray to the Lord of the Harvest, we pray knowing it is His harvest and that we ask to be His tools for the harvest.
Go your way: Yep, we are called to go and preach, to teach, to share the good news. the gospel message which can save man.
Like lambs before wolves: We do the work making ourselves vulnerable, letting God be our strength and our shield.
Carry neither: We do the work without reliance upon anything except the gospel which is the power of God unto salvation.
Greet no one: We do the work not allowing anything or anyone to distract us from the work at hand.
Whatever house you enter: Trust God that God will provide what you need on the journey as laborers for the Lord’s harvest
Heal the sick: WE do the work looking to minister to the whold person with the power of God, not speaking of miracles per-se, but in serving, caring for the sick, praying for the sick for we know there is power in prayer.
Say to them: Share the gospel message that the kingdom of God has come near! It is available to them.
But whatever city: If people reject you, do not get discouraged or waste your time, move on.
He who hears you hears Me: That is it, you are not speaking of your own, your are speaking God’s word, when they reject you, they are rejecting God
Returned with joy: May we rejoice in the work God has us doing, knowing God will do more than we think or ask, we just need to participate.
Jesus rejoiced: Finally know that as we do the Lord’s work that Jesus has as much joy in the work as we do.
(DO BELOW ONLY IF TIME PERMITS)
A good question
A good question
25 And a lawyer stood up and put Him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 And He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How does it read to you?”
27 And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.” 28 And He said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this and you will live.”
29 But wishing to justify himself, he said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
What do you notice in this passage?
Why did the Lawyer (Scribe) ask the question (v.25)?
to put Him to the test
What was the question he asked (v.25)?
What shall I do to inherit eternal life?
How did Jesus answer the question (v.26)?
With a question, what does the Law say, how do you read it?
How does the scribe answer Jesus? (v.27) and Jesus response (v.28)?
Love the Lord . . .
Jesus said do this and you will live!
What was the purpose of the scribes question (v.29)?
To justify himself.
We will stop there today, and pick back up on this next week.
(Prayer) (Exit)