Daily Devotions
Luke
Luke 10 : 17-24 "THEN THE SEVENTY RETURNED WITH JOY..." Luke 10:17"
Day 124 – Luke 10
Text: Luke 10 : 17-24
“THEN THE SEVENTY RETURNED WITH JOY…” Luke 10:17
Do you think that there was any JOY in being a Disciple of the Lord Jesus?
1. The Teachings of the Lord Jesus were difficult to comprehend sometimes.
2. The Demands of being a Disciple of the Lord Jesus were many and stringent.
3. The Work that the Lord Jesus had sent His Disciples to do was anything but easy!
There were few who became Disciples! These had accepted all the challenges! They were not afraid of the rigour that came with the work of being Disciples of the Lord Jesus! Bravely, they went out in obedience to the Commission given to them.
When The Seventy returned, they were filled with joy. They were flushed with joy because their Mission had been a success! They were more than eager to make their report to their Teacher!
“LORD, EVEN THE DEMONS ARE SUBJECT TO US IN YOUR NAME…” Luke 10:17
The report of the Disciples is quite significant! They noted that even “demons were subject to (them) in the Name of the Lord Jesus”! The mention of the demons must cause us to remember what the Lord Jesus warned His Disciples about the work that they were going to do. They would meet up with resistance, and nothing is more challenging than to meet up with demonic powers that would challenge their authority.
The Lord Jesus Himself was resisted by the Devil himself. The resistance can take many forms.
1. It could the form of subtle temptations!
2. It could take the form of possession!
3. It could take the form of influencing of the minds of people to resist and to reject the Gospel message!
The Disciples were armed with the authority and power of the Lord Jesus. The invocation of the Mighty Name of the Lord Jesus had procured victory! Yes, the Disciples were elated when they reported that they had a successful Mission. What stayed in their mind was the victory they had over powerful demonic forces!
“I SAW SATAN FALL LIKE LIGHTNING FROM HEAVEN…” Luke 10:18
What did the Lord Jesus mean when He said these words? Another way of translating this verse brings even greater encouragement to the heart. This verse may be rendered thus, “I was seeing Satan falling like lightning from heaven…” (Luke 10:18).
Jesus was not referring to a past event where Satan was thrown out of heaven. He was trying to tell His Disciples that even as they went out into the Harvest field, He could see the enemies gathering together to resist the Disciples!
However, the efforts of the enemies had failed against the power and authority that the Lord Jesus had given to His Disciples! He saw Satan and his demons shocked in their being defeated by the humble Disciples.
The fall of Satan was dramatically described! He had been soundly defeated! His crash was swift and loud, as lightning from heaven. This may not have been visible to the Disciples, but this spiritual picture was clear in the mind of the Lord Jesus.
He did not only send His Disciples on a Mission. He was with them. He had empowered them. He had been watching them all along! His Power and Authority ensured that they would have victory over Satan and all his demons forces!
“BEHOLD, I GIVE YOU THE AUTHORITY TO TRAMPLE ON SERPENTS AND SCORPIONS, AND OVER ALL THE POWER OF THE ENEMY…” Luke 10:19
The power and authority of the Lord Jesus was fully confirmed! There was every reason for the Disciples to have great joy in ministry.
1. Their Message was with power
2. They had authority over even powerful demons
3. All the rigours that they had endured in becoming Disciples of the Lord Jesus were well worth the trouble – if they could experience such triumph in life and ministry!
Even as they reported to their Master with great joy, their hearts must have been even more lifted up as they heard the stirring words of their Teacher. This experience of success was not just a one-off kind of experience! The kind of success that they experienced could be a permanent thing.
The Lord Jesus would give them His authority so much so that they would triumph over the power of the enemy. What would the enemy hurl against them? What kind of attacks would the enemy hurl against them? The Lord Jesus did not elaborate, except to warn them that even as serpents and scorpions can kill or sting badly, so the enemy can hurt them severely.
However, they must not be afraid, for the authority that He would give to them when they serve Him as His Disciples would be more than sufficient against the power of the enemy!
“NEVERTHELESS, DO NOT REJOICE IN THIS, THAT THE SPIRITS ARE SUBJECT TO YOU…” Luke 10:20
The Lord Jesus understood the flush of joy that filled the hearts of the 70 Disciples. They had experienced a great triumph! They had never experienced such power and authority before. They were amazed that demons would obey them when they invoked the Name of their Master, the Lord Jesus Christ!
However, the Disciples had much more to learn! Jesus had to re-direct the Disciples to focus on the true source of joy! This source of joy would never run dry.
That special source of joy is in this knowledge… that their “names were written in heaven” (Luke 10:20). What an important lesson to remember! While it is not wrong to rejoice in success in ministry, there is an even greater source of joy that must not be taken for granted. To know that our names are written in Heaven must ever be our greatest source of joy! Do you know for sure that your name is written in heaven?