Real Rejoicing

The seventy-two 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 have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”

Big Idea: The Real Reason for Celebration is our Salvation

We should celebrate:

Spiritual Wins

Satan’s Loss

Our Greatest Gain

Luke 10:17 ESV

The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!”

What an exciting time this was!

The exact timeline is not Luke’s main concern. May have been several weeks

The kingdom is expanding through new souls saved by the message the disciples were delivering.

Imagine the excitement as the group reconnected and shared all the amazing things being done.

They even had cast out demons in His name

By saying “in your name”, they are acknowledging what we must; that it is his work, and all glory goes to him

Having the power and authority in Jesus’ name must have been quite an excitement for them.

We should celebrate Spiritual wins:

It is good to celebrate what the Lord is doing

It is important to remember it is His work, and we are simply priveleged to be part of it.

Anything we do in His name is for his glory, yet we can have joy in being part of it

Luke 10:18 ESV

And he said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.

Luke, Vol. 1—That You May Know the Truth Jesus’ Perspective on the Seventy’s Joy (vv. 18–20)

Jesus had seen Satan snuffed out by the powerful works of his followers!

Jon Courson:

“I saw Satan fall like lightning.” What does this mean? It could be that Jesus was giving a word of witness. That is, it could be that He was telling His disciples that, as they were ministering and sharing, the kingdom of darkness was being beaten back, light was breaking forth, and Satan was falling down. More than a cliche—, the primary meaning of binding Satan is not something we say verbally, but work we do practically. When we pronounce peace and heal the sick, when we share the gospel, help the hurting, and witness to those who are lost—that is when the Enemy is truly bound.

This is exciting! We should celebrate Satan’s loss. As we do the kingdom work, Satan is losing ground. As Christ gains ground, Satan loses it.

While this can be a motivator for us in our kingdom work, it should not be our primary driver. Rather, obedience to Christ and service to His glory ought to motivate us.

Jesus now reminds the disciples of their authority in Him:

Luke 10:19 ESV

Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you.

Behold: Take note, look, see

Nothing shall hurt you: This is not in the temporal realm. Jesus’ followers have been and will be physically and emotionally harmed by enemies of God. But nothing will cause us permanent harm, or take away what God alone has given us.

This authority extends over all the power of the enemy.

RC Sproul:

A Walk with God: Luke 51. A Time of Rejoicing (Luke 10:17–24)

Traditionally the serpent is the symbol of Satan himself. In the very first proclamation of the gospel in Genesis 3, God said that he would put enmity between the seed of the serpent and the seed of the woman: ‘He will crush your head, and you will strike his heel’ (Gen. 3:15). Most commentators see that as a cryptic reference to the coming Messiah, who would pay with his own life, but yet in so doing he would crush the head of the serpent. Now that one who will crush the head of the serpent fully and finally, grants his disciples the power to tread on the serpent and on the scorpion, and over all the power of the enemy. That is the power of the kingdom of God. There is no possible way that the enemies of the Christian faith can ever prevail over the kingdom of God.

Our greatest source of rejoicing, our salvation

Luke 10:20 ESV

Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”

The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter Nine: What in the World Does a Christian Do? (Luke 10)

The Lord cautioned them not to “go on rejoicing” over their victories but to rejoice because their names had been written in heaven. (The verb means “they have been written and they stand written.” It is a statement of assurance.

Philippians 4:3 ESV

Yes, I ask you also, true companion, help these women, who have labored side by side with me in the gospel together with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.

Revelation 20:12–15 ESV

And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

Matthew Henry: They triumphed in casting devils out of the bodies of people; but Christ sees and rejoices in the fall of the devil from the interest he has in the souls of men, which is called his power in high places, Eph. 6:12

Ephesians 6:12 ESV

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

Kent Hughes:

Luke, Vol. 1—That You May Know the Truth Closing Reflections

If we desire this joy, we must make sure we know Christ. There can be no rejoicing if our names are not written in Heaven.

We receive many gifts from Christ, yet the greatest gift, the one that should be our constant source of joy, is our salvation.

Big Idea: The Real Reason for Celebration is our Salvation

We should celebrate:

Spiritual Wins

Satan’s Loss

Our Greatest Gain

In Ephesians 1, Paul pours out praise in his great doxology there, counting many blessings that the believer partakes in, but most importantly, he caps off with:

Ephesians 1:13–14 ESV

In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.

Colossians 1:3–6 ESV

We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing—as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth,

Titus 3:3–7 ESV

For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

Related Media

Related Sermons