Rejoice!

Introduction

[PROP] The greatest joy in the Christian life is not to serve God but to be saved by Him.

[TRANSITION] The Christian is commanded in Scripture to express joy or rejoice.

We are to rejoice in God’s goodness.

We are to rejoice in His love.

We are to rejoice in His strength.

We are to rejoice in His Word.

We are to rejoice in His truth.

We are to rejoice in all circumstance. says...

Philippians 4:4 NASB95

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!

But all of this is only possible and only comes together in the most fundamental of all Christian rejoicing—rejoicing in the salvation that God provides for us in His Son Jesus.

[CONTEXT] In , 70 of Jesus’ disciples were sent out to heal the sick and proclaim the nearness of the Kingdom of God in Name of Jesus.

Then, as we’ve read in v. 17, the 70 return rejoicing because of the effectiveness of their mission; they can’t believe that even the demons were subject to them in Jesus’ Name!

Jesus, however, corrects their motivation for rejoicing; they should rejoice not in what they had done for Christ but in what God had done for them in Christ.

As great as it was to serve, the greater joy was in being saved.

[TRANSITION] It is a great blessing to serve the Lord Jesus in whatever way He leads—as a missionary, as a plumber, as a preacher, as a construction worker, as a deacon, as a mother, father, grandmother, grandfather, aunt, or uncle—but the blessing of serving Him in whatever capacity will always be secondary to the blessing of being saved by Him.

This morning through this passage God is calling us to rejoice in the salvation won for us in Jesus’ death and resurrection.

And I think this passage points us toward rejoicing in three particular ELEMENTS of salvation that we should rejoice in...

Major Ideas

#1: Let us rejoice in the security of our salvation (vv. 17-20)

Luke 10:17–20 NASB95

The seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.” And He said to them, “I was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning. “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. “Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven.”

Exposition

So the 70 return rejoicing, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your Name,” (v. 17).

They preached and healed in Jesus’ Name but were apparently surprised to learn that Jesus’ power worked through them so greatly they could cast out demons as well.

To cast out demons in Jesus’ Name does not mean that they used Jesus’ Name as magic words but that they were dependent on the power Jesus supplied to cast out the demons.

In v. 18, Jesus’ replied to their rejoicing with words that remind us of . There the King of Babylon is described as “fallen from heaven” and “cut down to earth” (). In his heart the King of Babylon said, “I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God...” Of course, this is more than just a description of the King of Babylon but also of Satan, the demonic power that fueled the King of Babylon.

Just as the arrogant King of Babylon was cast down by God’s power, so Satan was once cast down from Heaven by God’s power; and so here in Satan continues to be cast down by the power of Jesus as it works through His disciples. Jesus’ power is divine power. The power of Jesus is the power of God. So powerful in fact that it dispatches a power like Satan quick as lightning (v. 18).

Jesus had given His disciples authority (i.e., power) to tread on serpents and scorpions, symbols of evil. He had given them all power over the enemy. Nothing would injure them (v. 19). That was a very great promise but a the larger cause for rejoicing was the promise that their names had been written down in Heaven (v. 20).

Application

Look at the end of v. 20 and ponder the security of our salvation for a moment, “…but rejoice that your names are recorded in Heaven.”

“In Heaven” where rust and moth cannot destroy; where thieves cannot break in and steal.

Who has recorded these names in Heaven? God has.

When were these names recorded by God in Heaven? Before the foundation of the world.

How has God recorded these names? In the indelible blood of Jesus.

Illustration

Because I am a nerd, I like to write with a fountain pen rather than a regular ballpoint ink pen. I keep all these little notebooks with notes written in them, but the ink in fountain pens isn’t water proof.

We had a sheet inside the worship guide with two lists on it, one for “In Honor of...” and another for “In Memory of...” Imagine my surprise one Sunday morning—living and breathing, feeling adequately healthy—to find my name on the “in Memory of...” list. I took it as a veiled threat.

The other day I had a notebook laying on our little patio table. Cheryl dutifully watered the plants that were on the same table, but the water spilled over and got my notebook. One page filled with notes in that fountain pen ink was erased.

I know you might be thinking, “Well, just switch to a different type of ink,” but that would be too hard on me. (We’ve just decided to stop watering the plants!)

Application

But we should rejoice that our names are not written in Heaven in ink that can fade or be erased. Our names are written in the indelible ink of Christ’s blood and they will never be blotted out of the heavenly record!

All the accusations of Satan will never blot them out.

All our sins can never blot them out.

Jesus said in ...

John 10:27–28 NASB95

“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand.

Let us rejoice in this: If our names are written in Heaven, we will be saved, and we will always be saved!

This is the security in our salvation!

We may do great things in Jesus’ Name but the largest cause of our rejoicing will always be that our names are written down in Heaven. So then...

…let us think on our salvation. We cannot be moved by our salvation unless we think on our salvation.

Think of His holiness.

There is no turning, variation, or shadow due to change with Him.

He is light and in Him is no darkness at all.

He is perfectly separate from sin; unpolluted by it.

He is holy, holy, holy.

Think on your sin.

All our best efforts at righteousness before Him are as filthy rags.

Our thoughts are sinful. Our words are sinful. Our actions are sinful.

Our sinfulness flows from our hearts. We are rebellious against God from the heart.

Think on His grace.

We earned wrath. He gave salvation.

We earned separation. He gave welcome.

We signed up for Hell. He wrote our names down in Heaven.

We crucified His Son and He saved us through the crucifixion of His Son.

…let us be fueled in our service by our salvation.

“He has saved me” ought to be our motivation for serving Him everyday.

“He has saved me” ought to be our motivation for giving Him all the glory for any service we do in His Name.

Some see Jesus’ words in v. 18 as a warning against pride. The disciples come rejoicing in the amazing things they’ve done in Jesus’ Name, but Jesus warns that Satan was once wrapped in heavenly delights as well. His pride lead to His fall. Think he could be God lead to his destruction. Thinking we can be the Savior will lead to destruction for us as well.

Remembering our salvation will

…let us thank God for our salvation.

#2: Let us rejoice in the sovereignty of our salvation (vv. 21-22)

Luke 10:21–22 NASB95

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. “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.”

Exposition

Now the truth of God’s sovereignty is very much related to truth of salvation’s security. Jesus prays to the Father, “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.

“These things” refers to the revealing of salvation in Jesus, the Christ. The disciples names were recorded in Heaven so it was revealed to them that Jesus was the Christ.

Jesus praised the Father because He is the One who revealed this to the disciples who Jesus referred to as infants.

They are called infants because in their helplessness and dependence, they were without hope unless God acted to save them.

The prideful religious leaders of Jesus’ day would have been considered by most (and they would’ve surely considered themselves) wise and intelligent in the things of God. But they were actually just really arrogant and hypocritical.

Jesus ironically used the words “wise and intelligent” to refer to people who, because of their pride, are wise and intelligent enough to admit their helplessness before God.

Jesus praised the Father because the Father sovereignly revealed the salvation He offered in Jesus to the helpless and dependent because it pleased Him to do so.

God sovereignly hides His salvation and reveals His salvation as it pleases Him, and we can only say, “Blessed be His Name!”

“All things” in. 22 refers to all things. It all belongs to Jesus because the Father has given it to Him. This includes the revealing of salvation.

In v. 21, Jesus praises the Father because He reveals the Son.

This includes the revealing of salvation.

In v. 22, Jesus, the Son, reveals the Father.

Only the Father knows the Son.

Only the Son knows the Father.

Unless God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) sovereignly reveals Himself to us, we shall not know Him. We shall not be saved.

But because God has acted sovereignly toward us, we do know Him, and we shall be saved!

Application

Rejoicing is jubilation; the expression of great happiness or triumph.

We know what it is to rejoice but most often we rejoice in ourselves, in our own accomplishments or achievements.

We even do this with regard to salvation. We turn something that God completely did for us into something we did for ourselves.

We fell like the triumph belongs to us rather than to God, so we end up praising ourselves rather than God.

Illustration

Let’s say you’re Lazarus—brother of Mary and Martha; friend of Jesus—and you’ve been dead for so long that you already “stinketh” (as the KJV says).

Jesus shows up outside your burial tomb and says, “Lazarus, come forth!” You were dead, but you hear His voice and your lifeless body obey His command. You come forth, hopping, stumbling in your grave clothes, murmuring something.

People step forward to unwrap you so you can walk and talk freely.

But as soon as they set your mouth free, you say, “I did it!”

That would be ridiculous, wouldn’t it? That would be insanely prideful and insanely ungrateful to Jesus, wouldn’t it?

Application

And yet that’s what many of us think when ti comes to salvation: “I did it! I trusted Christ! I repented of my sin!”

But if you’ll stop for a moment you will realize that you trust Christ because God revealed Him to you.

Luke 10:22

Luke 10:22 NASB95

“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.”

You placed your faith in Christ because God gave you the gift of faith so that you would trust Him.

Ephesians 2:8–9 NASB95

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Why is it that you repented? Why did you lose your love for sin, your taste for the things of the world?

It was because God made you a new creation when He loved you first by setting His love on you in Christ Jesus!

Oh see and rejoice in God’s sovereign grace toward you who are in Christ Jesus!

Before you were born—having done neither good or evil—God love you!

He wrote your name in the Lamb’s book of life before the foundation of the world!

He predestined you in Christ Jesus before He ever said, “Let there be light!”

I know God’s sovereignty doesn’t delight our pride! I know it robs us of patting ourselves on the back!

But let us give God His glory by rejoicing in His full, absolute sovereignty in our salvation!

The Father reveals the Son!

The Son reveals the Father!

His sovereign grace saves us!

Blessed be the Name of the Lord!

#3: Let us rejoice in the history of our salvation (vv. 23-24)

Luke 10:23–24 NASB95

Turning to the disciples, He said privately, “Blessed are the eyes which see the things you see, 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.”

Exposition

The disciples saw with their eyes what OT saints like Abraham, Moses, David, and Isaiah could only look forward to.

In the various laws of God regarding dietary restrictions and the observance of holy days, they could see a shadow of what was required for their salvation, but the substance of those things—i.e., the fulfillment of such requirements—was only accomplished in Christ.

says...

Colossians 2:16–17 NASB95

Therefore no one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day— things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ.

In the repetitive sacrifice of bulls, birds, and goats to atone for their sins, they could only look forward to a once for all sacrifice that would forever reconcile them to God.

says...

Hebrews 10:1 NASB95

For the Law, since it has only a shadow of the good things to come and not the very form of things, can never, by the same sacrifices which they offer continually year by year, make perfect those who draw near.

Hebrews 10:4 NASB95

For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

Hebrews 10:11–14 NASB95

Every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins; but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time onward until His enemies be made a footstool for His feet. For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.

Hebrews 10:11-

Old Testament saints could only look forward to Christ, the disciples in beheld Christ in Jesus of Nazareth.

In Him they saw the fulfillment of all the Law and the Prophets.

In Him they saw the final and full atonement for sin.

These were things into which angels longed to look, and here they saw it all in Jesus Christ as He lived and taught among them.

Application

John spoke of this blessing when he wrote in ...

1 John 1:1–2 NASB95

What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life— and the life was manifested, and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us—

1 John 1:1 NASB95

What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life—

And our place in salvation history is no less blessed because the things witness by John and the other disciples have been handed down to us in the inerrant, infallible, and inspired Word of God!

Listen to ...

1 John 1:1–4 NASB95

What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life— and the life was manifested, and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us— what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ. These things we write, so that our joy may be made complete.

In the words of the Bible, we see and hear what those original disciples saw and heard. We see and hear what Moses, David, and Elijah longed to see and hear.

We see Christ Jesus!

We hear His voice!

And we follow Him!

says...

John 20:31 NASB95

but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.

Conclusion

Have you seen and heard?

Do you have life in His Name?

Has God revealed to you Jesus as Christ, your Savior?

Do you understand how blessed you are to see and hear of Jesus through the pages of God’s perfect Word?

The Bible says that we are all sinners in need of a Savior and that the only Savior is Jesus.

Are you rejoicing in the security of your salvation and in God’s sovereignty in your salvation?

He fulfilled all the Law and the Prophets. He never sinned. He gave us His righteousness and took our sins upon Himself when He gave His life for us on the cross.

He never sinned. We have been sinners from the beginning.

In His resurrection, those who trust in Him are justified before God.

He d

He was perfect in righteousness.

And those pf us who trust in Him are secure forever—names recorded in Heaven, sealed by the Holy Spirit!

The Father has revealed to us Jesus and Jesus has revealed to us the Father!

How blessed are we! So, let us rejoice!