The Basis For Christian Joy – Part 1
Luke 10:17-24 (17-19)
February 3, 2019
Well you may notice by the title, that we’re going to shift gears a little.
When I originally outlined the chapter, and even as we have been reading the text each week, I have been throwing in verses 17-20 with the first part of the chapter. (and indeed they certainly fit)
We have looked at this sending of the 70 and talked about
“The Laborers in the Harvest”
I told you there would be 5 points:
1) The Sovereign Appointment (1)
2) The Spiritual Assessment (2a)
3) The Specific Assignment (2b-12)
4) The Sobering Announcement (13-16)
And then we were going to call these last 4 verses the final point.
5) The Significant Achievement
And certainly that still fits.
So if you are counting on that outline, there’s that last point.
But, as I studied this past week, I was just a little motivated
To move these 4 verses into a bit of a different section.
Now, we are still looking at the overall theme of the Necessity of Jesus.
You are going to see that the presence of Jesus
Is absolutely integral to everything we discuss here.
• You’ll see that spiritual authority is in His Name
• You’ll see that Salvation is certainly through Him
• You’ll see that Grace is from Him
• You’ll see that the Revelation is of Him
We are not abandoning that theme.
But under that heading,
Instead of placing verses 17-20 in the previous outline,
I want to sort of lump it in with the next segment
Because they also fit there in what I think is an important theme.
For the next couple of weeks I simply want to talk to you about
“The Basis For Christian Joy”
I thought John MacArthur made a good point in a commentary I read this week.
He said, “When they consider God and His attributes, most people think of characteristics like holiness, sovereignty, omniscience, omnipresence, immutability, justice, wrath, love, grace, and mercy. Rarely considered however, is God’s joy”
(MacArthur, John [The MacArthur New Testament Commentary: Luke 1-10; Moody Publishers, Chicago, IL; 2011] pg. 338)
I have to agree with that statement because I think
I am often one of those people he is talking about.
• In a world so saturated with sin
• In a world so bent on immorality
• In a world that is so increasingly becoming anti-Christ
• In a current day where people are fighting vehemently to ignore and violate God’s Laws (like homosexuality and abortion)
It is easy to ponder the holiness and wrath and justice of God.
But all of God’s attributes are so important
And so perhaps it is in these dark hours of immorality in America
That we need to remember His joy the most.
MacArthur would go on to say:
“God’s joy is the ultimate purpose for which all His attributes function; it is the all-glorious displaying of them that brings Him the fullest joy. God’s attributes ensure not only His eternal joy, but also that of all the inhabitants of heaven.”
(ibid)
In other words, all that God is and all that God does
Is ultimately for His own satisfaction and joy.
And certainly all that God is and all that God does
Is the supreme source of for the believer’s joy as well.
In a world that looks to all manner of carnal things and pleasures
As its source of joy,
It is certainly an important study
To learn what the basis for Christian joy actually is.
And the reason I have chosen to abandon the last theme a little early
And jump into a look at that joy here is BECAUSE
IN THESE VERSES WE HAVE SOMETHING UNIQUE.
Jesus is oftentimes portrayed as the Suffering Servant in Scripture.
• We see Him weep
• We see Him grieved
• We see Him angry
• We see Him frustrated
• We see Him burdened
• We even see Him distraught on the cross praying, “My God, My God, why
have You forsaken Me?”
But in all of Scripture only one time is it recorded that Jesus rejoiced.
(Granted rejoicing is alluded to in Luke 15
Where He speaks of all of heaven rejoicing when a sinner repents)
But as far as the Bible actually saying that Jesus rejoiced,
This passage provides the only time the gospels reveal that.
I think that uniqueness warrants us focusing on this.
Of course that verse is found in:
Luke 10:21 “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.”
Since this is the only record of our Lord specifically rejoicing
I think joy must become the topic of discussion.
So, I’m sorry if I messed up your previous outline a little bit,
But this morning we’re going to start a new one
And you can just put these 4 verses in both of them.
What we are going to look at “The Basis For Christian Joy”
Now certainly joy or rejoicing are not foreign thoughts for you.
In fact, we are commanded:
Romans 12:15 “Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.”
2 Corinthians 13:11 “Finally, brethren, rejoice, be made complete, be comforted, be like-minded, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.”
1 Thessalonians 5:16 “Rejoice always;”
Philippians 2:18 “You too, I urge you, rejoice in the same way and share your joy with me.”
Philippians 3:1a “Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord.”
Philippians 4:4 “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!”
And we know that this is not a circumstantial command.
We don’t just rejoice in good times.
1 Peter 4:13 “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.”
I think you get that.
• Christians are not called to be discontented, angry, bitter, moping people.
• We are people who rejoice regardless of our circumstances.
• We “consider it all joy” even when we face various trials.
And the reason we as believers can do that
Is not because we enjoy trials or suffering,
But because our joy is deeper than our circumstances.
• The basis for our joy is NOT our comfort
• The basis for our joy is NOT our extravagance
• The basis for our joy is NOT our stuff
• The basis for our joy is NOT our reputation or abilities or relationships
Indeed, if your joy is bound up in those things
You are destined to have many depressing days
The Christian joy has a far more firm foundation than that.
And in our text we have what I find to be a wonderful revelation of those joys,
And so we are going to focus on them together.
There are actually 4 here that Luke records.
#1 WE REJOICE IN SPIRITUAL AUTHORITY
Luke 10:17-19
And if you want a subtitle just write: “Which Jesus Confirmed”
Because that’s what we see here.
I would say that as far as our list of joys is concerned,
• It may seem that they are a bit out of order.
• In fact, one might assume on the list that this one goes last.
• But we study it first because it is where the 70 started.
The 70 discovered this joy and then Jesus opened their eyes to the rest.
Now, you know what we have been looking at over the past few weeks.
Jesus sent out the 70 and I think we can all agree that
The commissioning He gave them wasn’t one of ease and safety.
He told them to go, but let me remind you of SOME OF THE CONDITIONS.
• They were going to a field that was severely underworked…
• They were going to wolves though they were lambs
• They were going with no logistical preparations
• They were going with the understanding that there would be places that would not receive them or their message (and the region where Jesus just ministered was proof of that)
I don’t think it’s far-fetched to say that
These 70 might have been prepped for the worst.
But they went.
• Their mission is not recorded.
• We DON’T get stories of what it was like.
• But we DO get the debriefing as they return.
What is fascinating is that the report that is brought back to the Lord
Is a UNANIMOUS REPORT.
IT DOESN’T SAY, “some of the 70 returned with joy”
“The seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.”
• You can hear the delight in that statement.
• You can hear really even the surprise in that statement.
• It’s as though they never really expected to have the kind of authority they actually had.
It’s a “We didn’t see this coming” type of response.
“even the demons are subject to us in Your name.”
Jews certainly understood the presence of demonic oppression.
We get numerous stories in the gospel accounts
Of people being brought to Jesus with evil spirits
And it is clear that the people bringing them knew what was going on.
(They often times told Jesus, “He has a demon…”)
What is more, the Jews also understood the necessity of defeating the enemy if any manner of victory was to be obtained.
They understood there was a battle going on.
They understood it would require God’s power to overcome Satan’s.
This was one of their dilemmas with Jesus,
They just couldn’t figure how He had so much power since they were convinced He was not of God.
Matthew 12:22-24 “Then a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute was brought to Jesus, and He healed him, so that the mute man spoke and saw. All the crowds were amazed, and were saying, “This man cannot be the Son of David, can he?” But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “This man casts out demons only by Beelzebul the ruler of the demons.”
Of course Jesus just went on to explain that He was stronger than the evil one.
But even into the book of Acts we get accounts
Of people trying to figure out how to overpower evil spirits.
Acts 19:13-16 “But also some of the Jewish exorcists, who went from place to place, attempted to name over those who had the evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, “I adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preaches.” Seven sons of one Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. And the evil spirit answered and said to them, “I recognize Jesus, and I know about Paul, but who are you?” And the man, in whom was the evil spirit, leaped on them and subdued all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.”
The Jews understood that
There was a spiritual battle being fought against the devil
And that the only way anyone would receive true deliverance
Would be to overpower the devil.
But there are plenty of accounts of people who had tried and who were now at a point of desperation having faced their inability.
• We remember the Gadarene demoniac had been bound several times with chains and yet that did no good.
We remember the man who approached Jesus after His transfiguration:
Mark 9:21-22 “And He asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. “It has often thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, take pity on us and help us!”
There was an awareness but also a helplessness
In regard to demonic activity.
The enemy had proven himself to be too much for men to handle.
But these 70 returned and were amazed that “even the demons are subject to us in Your name.”
Now let’s discuss this a little.
I think the normal reading to this text would be to assume that when they return and say this they are indicating that they cast a lot of demons out of people.
That these 70 went out and were confronted with a massive number of demon-possessed people and cast out those demons.
And certainly that type of deliverance may well have occurred.
Certainly we read that Jesus did in fact give the 12 authority to do this
And it’s not far-fetched to assume that he gave the 70 this same authority.
But even in that, to limit this announcement
To just the casting out of demons
Does disservice to the point of what is happening here.
You must be aware of the reality of what Satan’s main work is.
John 10:10a “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy;”
John 8:44 “You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”
The work of Satan is a work of DESTRUCTION by means of DECEPTION.
This is how he operates.
Certainly the Bible at times reveals a physical affliction from him,
But even more than that is his SPIRITUAL AFFLICTION.
Jesus called those in John 8 children of the devil
(that is those under his control) and yet they weren’t physically afflicted.
We are aware that Satan is the “god of this world”
And the apostle John noted:
1 John 5:19 “We know that we are of God, and that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.”
There again, it’s NOT JUST demon possessed people
That lie in Satan’s grasp, it’s “the whole world”.
Paul said:
2 Corinthians 4:4 “in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”
And the main work of evangelism
Is to deliver captives from the kingdom of Satan
And see them transferred into the Kingdom of Christ.
That is evangelism.
Colossians 1:13 “For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son,”
2 Timothy 2:24-26 “The Lord’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.”
AND SO
When you read here that the 70 were rejoicing that
“the demons are subject to us in Your name”
To just read that as a reference to casting out demons
Is to miss the greater point.
They may have in fact cast out demons, but that’s not the main reality.
They are rejoicing that they saw SUCCESS IN THEIR MINISTRY.
• They saw people saved!
• They saw people leaving Satan’s kingdom and entering the Kingdom of
heaven.
• They saw Satan’s controlling power broken in people’s lives.
• They saw sinners in repentance
• They saw captives set free
Their rejoicing is far more than just seeing demons leaving people.
And, as I told you, JESUS CONFIRMED THIS
(18) “And He said to them, “I was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning.”
There has been some confusion regarding what Jesus meant here.
• Some think He is referring to the initial fall of Satan
• Some think He is referring to the future destruction of Satan
• I even heard a bizarre interpretation a few years ago which took an extreme interpretation which noted that the Hebrew word for lightning is (BARAK) and the Hebrew word for heaven or high place is (BAMA), and then put them together and noted that coming from Jesus’ lips it would have sounded like, “I was watching Satan as Barak U Bama” and thus named President Obama as the Anti-Christ
It’s been a fun verse
But the verb tense here indicates precisely what Jesus is talking about.
“I was watching” indicates an event that started in the past and continues on through the present.
And Jesus says that
He “was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning.”
If you’ve watched a thunder storm you know that lightning flashes
Are continuous and can fill the sky.
This is what Jesus is referring to.
• As these 70 went and preached the gospel Jesus could see in the spiritual realm victory after victory after victory.
• He could see Satan’s army literally losing battle after battle and stronghold after stronghold.
• He wasn’t just referring to demons being cast out, He was talking about spiritual battles for souls.
• He saw people leaving Satan’s kingdom and entering the Kingdom of heaven.
So the 70 returned and boasted of their spiritual victory from preaching in the name of Jesus and Jesus said, “I know, I saw it”
AND THUS HE CONFIRMS THAT THIS IS A REASON FOR REJOICING.
But then Jesus introduces to them
Probably MORE than they realized
And it is a basis for Christian joy.
He adds to their understanding.
(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.”
By the way “serpents and scorpions” is a reference to demonic beings.
Jesus is taking imagery from the garden.
Genesis 3:14-15 “The LORD God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, Cursed are you more than all cattle, And more than every beast of the field; On your belly you will go, And dust you will eat All the days of your life; And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel.”
We remember that reference, and here Jesus says that
I have given you that same authority to trample him under your feet too.
In fact Jesus says that
They have authority “over all the power of the enemy”
That is to say going forward, the church of Christ
Will no longer be on the weak side of the stick.
Christ has enabled His church to have more power than the enemy
And beyond that He says, “and nothing will injure you.”
Which is to add that not only will you defeat him,
But rest assured he can never defeat you.
Now that’s quite a promise isn’t it?
And let me tell you that this remains a promise for the church even today.
Can I give you the basis?
Colossians 2:13-15 “When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him.”
There Paul speaks of the salvation Christ accomplished on the cross.
• On the cross Paul says that Jesus made us alive by reason of atoning for our transgressions.
• On the cross Paul says that Jesus canceled out our debt of righteousness since He fulfilled it.
• On the cross Paul says that Jesus disarmed the rulers and authorities and triumphed over them so soundly that He made a public spectacle of them.
Jesus conquered Satan on the cross.
Peter reminds us of the exaltation of Jesus Christ:
1 Peter 3:22 “who is at the right hand of God, having gone into heaven, after angels and authorities and powers had been subjected to Him.”
Paul also speaks of this exaltation:
Ephesians 1:20-21 “which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.”
Jesus conquered the enemy.
Now what does that mean?
Does it mean he is no longer fighting? NO
1 Peter 5:8 “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”
Does it mean he never causes any problems at all for God’s people? NO
1 Thessalonians 2:18 “For we wanted to come to you — I, Paul, more than once — and yet Satan hindered us.”
2 Corinthians 12:7 “Because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me — to keep me from exalting myself!”
Clearly Satan still fights, clearly he still at times hinders, clearly he still torments.
SO WHAT DOES IT MEAN THAT JESUS DEFEATED HIM?
And what does it mean that we now trample serpents and scorpions
and nothing will injure us?
It means that though he fights and though he wars
And though he afflicts HE CANNOT WIN.
Satan’s religions like Islam, or Hinduism, or Catholicism won’t win.
Satan’s works of abortion or sexual immorality or deception won’t endure forever.
HIS DOOM IS SET.
Remember Jesus speaking to Peter?
Matthew 16:18 “I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.”
The 70 returned here blown away by the fact
That they so easily defeated the enemy
When they had never been able to do so before.
The entire Jewish battle against Satan had been a futile one.
• All of their attempts were like waves upon a rock, best illustrated by those 7
sons of Sceva who were forced to flee wounded and bleeding.
And then all of a sudden Jesus sent these 70 out
And for the first time in their life they saw victory!
Satan was losing, and they were blown away.
And Jesus says, “From now on that’s the way it will be!”
No longer can the enemy stop the advance of God’s kingdom.
• They can war
• They can fight
• They can spit and sputter
• But the enemy is defeated and he can’t stop us.
• Obviously Jesus doesn’t mean that there will never be persecution…
• Obviously Jesus doesn’t mean that there will never be any struggle…
• Obviously Jesus wasn’t speaking of financial breakthroughs and the other nonsensical type stuff we hear about in the Charismatic movement.
There is still a war.
But from the enemies perspective IT IS A LOST CAUSE.
He cannot hold one single person whom God has elected to save
And he cannot recapture one single person whom God has saved.
The church operates amidst struggle and affliction and persecution,
But the church operates in absolute and total assurance of victory.
Listen to the confidence of the early church:
Acts 2:39 “For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself.”
Do you see Peter’s confidence there?
He knew that everyone God had determined to come would come.
Didn’t Jesus say it?
John 6:37-40 “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out. “For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. “This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day. “For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.”
Jesus knew that victory was achieved.
Satan and his kingdom could not prevent
The advancement of the Kingdom of Heaven.
Listen again to the account of the early church.
Acts 13:44-49 “The next Sabbath nearly the whole city assembled to hear the word of the Lord. But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and began contradicting the things spoken by Paul, and were blaspheming. Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and said, “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken to you first; since you repudiate it and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles. “For so the Lord has commanded us, ‘I HAVE PLACED YOU AS A LIGHT FOR THE GENTILES, THAT YOU MAY BRING SALVATION TO THE END OF THE EARTH.'” When the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord; and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed. And the word of the Lord was being spread through the whole region.”
Despite the resistance, despite the blasphemy, despite the aggression we read, “and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed.”
THERE WAS NO THREAT OF DEFEAT.
Listen to Christ reassure Paul:
Acts 18:5-11 “But when Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul began devoting himself completely to the word, solemnly testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ. But when they resisted and blasphemed, he shook out his garments and said to them, “Your blood be on your own heads! I am clean. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.” Then he left there and went to the house of a man named Titius Justus, a worshiper of God, whose house was next to the synagogue. Crispus, the leader of the synagogue, believed in the Lord with all his household, and many of the Corinthians when they heard were believing and being baptized. And the Lord said to Paul in the night by a vision, “Do not be afraid any longer, but go on speaking and do not be silent; for I am with you, and no man will attack you in order to harm you, for I have many people in this city.” And he settled there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.”
There was not even the slightest risk
That Paul might be running this race in vain.
Jesus Christ had given absolute victory over the enemy.
It’s done.
And the apostles knew this.
2 Corinthians 10:3-6 “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, and we are ready to punish all disobedience, whenever your obedience is complete.”
We win.
Romans 16:20 “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.”
The enemy cannot stop the advancement of the kingdom,
• Christ has thoroughly conquered the foe.
• He triumphed over them so thoroughly that He actually made a spectacle of them.
And as He told the 70, it’s NOT JUST victory in ministry,
But it’s also supreme assurance that the enemy
Will not be able to have victory over us personally either.
Jesus said, “and nothing will injure you.”
Again, that’s NOT some reference to a life free from physical harm.
• Obviously that hasn’t been the case.
• We’ve seen the physical persecution of the church.
He is referring here to spiritual injury.
It is the danger of going into war against the enemy
If there is a chance that he might conquer you personally.
Why go fight the battle if there’s a risk
That he might reclaim you into his kingdom?
WELL, HE CAN’T.
Do you remember Jesus’ High Priestly prayer?
John 17:11-15 “I am no longer in the world; and yet they themselves are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep them in Your name, the name which You have given Me, that they may be one even as We are. “While I was with them, I was keeping them in Your name which You have given Me; and I guarded them and not one of them perished but the son of perdition, so that the Scripture would be fulfilled. “But now I come to You; and these things I speak in the world so that they may have My joy made full in themselves. “I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. “I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one.”
It’s the promise of the Lord that when we go,
Not only will the gates of hell not prevail,
But we also go as those off limits from the enemy.
2 Thessalonians 3:3 “But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one.”
1 John 4:4 “You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.”
And this is the first basis for Christian joy.
WE WIN
Do we take the gospel into a hostile world? Yes
Do we know that not all will accept us? Yes
Do we understand the realities of persecution? Yes
But we also know that NOT ONE of those things
Can stop our mission or steal our salvation.
The enemy no longer has that power.
THIS IS SPIRITUAL AUTHORITY.
Don’t confuse it with the theatrics that you see on TV with people waving their hands and flopping on the floor. That’s not at all what Jesus is talking about.
He is talking about the reality that
When we go proclaiming the truth of the Kingdom of Heaven
As Jesus commanded us to do
That the kingdom of darkness has no power to stop it.
Through or ministry of preaching the gospel
Every person whom the Lord has appointed to believe will believe
And Satan won’t be able to stop a single one.
Christ has conquered the enemy.
• His truth has broken Satan’s power of deception
• He has taken His light and dispelled Satan’s darkness
• His death has nullified Satan’s ministry of condemnation
• His resurrection has rendered powerless Satan’s power of death
And having been commissioned in His name,
We now are promised that same spiritual authority.
This is a basis for Christian Joy!
We rejoice in the victory that is certainly ours in our ministry.
Martin Luther said it best.
“And though this world with devils filled should threaten to undo us, we will not fear for God has willed, His truth to triumph through us. The prince of darkness grim, we tremble not for him, his rage we can endure, for lo his doom is sure, one little word shall fell him.”
The 70 were rejoicing in that kind of victory.
They were blown away that
Even the demons were subject to them in Jesus’ name.
And Jesus confirmed that joy and that reality.
• Rejoice in that church.
• Your labor is not in vain.
• Your mission is not in vain.
• The enemy cannot stop the Kingdom of Heaven.
Well, you can tell by your bulletin that I intended to get to verse 20 today,
But we’ll just have to save that one for next time.
