I saw Satan fall like lightening (Luke 10)

I saw Satan fall like lightening

Luke 10:1-24*

Introduction:

Since Peter’s confession, Jesus unveiled his work as the Messiah: for him to give his life as a ransom for many through his suffering, death on the cross, and resurrection. But to his followers, this way was not the way of the Messiah. There was a big gap between how Jesus would achieve his goal as the Messiah and what his followers thought the Messiah should do.

In response to this, Jesus taught this commanding truth: if anyone would come after him, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow him. That means that if anyone wants to join with the glory of Jesus’ kingship and his kingdom, then these three things are the non-negotiable requirements.

After this, Jesus helped three of his disciples to see his glory and the glory of his kingdom, even before his death. Through this, they opened their eyes to see his coming glory, beyond suffering and death. This vision puffed up their desire for power and control, but Jesus rebuked them for their unbelief and  desire to rule over others.

This is followed by three stories about would-be followers of Jesus. One wanted to follow Jesus in the hope that he could have a comfortable life in this world; he was  a fair-weather Christian. However, Jesus denied his expectations by saying that he himself had no place to lay his head. The second one wanted to bury his father before following Jesus, but Jesus told him that he should let the dead bury their own dead and must follow him instead. The man failed to realize the significance of Jesus’ journey. The third one wanted to say goodbye to his family; his strong attachment to his old life made him unfit for this journey towards the kingdom of God.

All  three of these had to deny themselves and take up their crosses in order to follow Jesus. So in these examples, what it means to deny oneself and to take up one’s cross is illustrated.

Today’s passage is about the last of the three to follow Jesus. (I arbitrarily divided ‘following Jesus” into three stages: upholding the hope of the kingdom of God, upholding the teachings/principles of the kingdom of God, and supporting the King’s work of salvation for the kingdom of God.) The first part of following Jesus is upholding the hope of the kingdom of God, i.e. to witness that Jesus is the King. It is taking a mission journey to be a witness for him.

This is also called a ‘mission journey’ that Jesus sent 72 of his disciples on. “Mission” is a big word in many minds, so people may shy away from applying it to their own lives. They think that ‘mission’ is applicable only to a particular group of people who are fully committed to a particular task for the purpose of spreading the Gospel of Jesus. In some sense this is true, but the mission journey of these 72 shares very few characteristics with the ‘missional’ ideas of today. The essence of this mission is about what it means to follow Jesus.

As we explore today’s passage, I want all of us to learn the true meaning of ‘mission’ from Jesus’ perspective.

                                                I.                It is participating in Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem (1-2)

‘After this’ notes the time after Jesus clearly delineated what kinds of people were qualified to follow him. Those who had clear hope for the kingdom of God, denied themselves, and took up their crosses were qualified to follow Jesus.

As we studied last week, those who looked for comfort with Jesus were sent home. Those  concerned about dead family members fell away from following him. Those who wanted to say goodbye were either sent home or changed their mind and committed fully to follow Jesus toward Jerusalem. Now who or what kinds of people were remained with Jesus as he made his way to Jerusalem? They were all fully committed to Jesus because of their hope for the king and kingdom. They all knew and believed that Jesus would establish God’s kingdom soon. This hope was the key feature of the faith of those who followed him. Today’s passage must be understood in relation to this stage of the journey toward Jerusalem. In between this event and Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, Luke relates many stories, many of which are not recorded in the other Gospels. These are bundled together, labeled as ‘kingdom principles’, and written as parables, simple teachings, and explanatory arguments against forces that stood against the kingdom. This was to protect those who believed and to  reject all false truths about the coming kingdom.

From this group, Jesus chose 72 and sent them out two by two. Where were they sent to? They were sent to every town and place that Jesus was about to go. As we review Jesus’ ministry in the three Gospels,  most of his work before he set out on his journey to Jerusalem was in the region of Galilee. Jesus did very little ministry in Judea and Jerusalem, but now, as he was heading toward Jerusalem, he sent 72 disciples to  almost every town on his way to Jerusalem. It meant that he was sweeping all the towns  between Samaria and Jerusalem, the entire region of Judea. Though this teaching is recorded as if Jesus did this  all in one setting,  we cannot exclude the idea that this might be the sum of the  mission journeys  during this period, since it sets the premise for the next teaching as Jesus was heading to Jerusalem.

The primary goal of this dispatch was to harvest people for the kingdom of God. In other words, they were calling for people who would believe Jesus was the coming king, and recognize that he was heading to Jerusalem to establish God’s kingdom.

This sets the scope and purpose of this mission. Though many look into this passage in search  of how to carry out a mission journey, such a limited focus will surely miss out on the true significance of this passage. It is the beginning of one’s following Jesus toward Jerusalem.

Following means to follow Jesus as he was heading to Jerusalem and there he was to be enthroned as  King and Lord; they were to stand by him through the process of his coronation ceremony. Only then could one  enjoy the kingdom and glory of the king.

It started with the journey that Jesus  sent them on. This journey continued until Jesus reached his final destination and  fully took the throne in Jerusalem.

                                                                          II.                Four essentials of the Journey

1. Through Prayer: by asking God to lead their journey

Jesus told them to pray to God the Father, who is ultimately in charge of  this mission. God is the harvester and the ultimate mover of people for the harvest; it is not the disciples or Jesus. God was working through Jesus’ disciples,  so those who were being sent must keep  in mind that God was in charge and to seek His will and  guidance from the beginning to the end.

They were told to pray that God might send  workers out into the harvest field. The goal of this mission was to harvest all that were ready for the kingdom of God.

Third, God may send workers into His harvest field. Many understood that God might send more workers because there were many to be harvested but there were few workers. This seems to be an odd explanation since God entrusted all things to Jesus’ hands. (v22). This prayer was about what God might do for the seventy-two. It is possible that God would inspire them to participate in this mission with zeal and passion.

Here Luke did not use the ordinary word for ‘send’ (ἀποστέλλω). Instead, he used a particular verb that was accompanied by a preposition (ἐκβάλῃ εἰς). This indicates a very forceful action of God. It implies that God, who knew all, might send them right into where the people were ready for harvesting. But more specifically, I believe that the prayer was for God to lead these seventy-two workers into the right place, or the place where many people were ready to be harvested, i.e. His harvest field.  Actually no one knows which towns or which part of the town was ready to receive Jesus, but God knew all and  would send these workers right into the harvest (this is a similar concept as Luke 4:26). Seventy-two was a very limited number of Jesus’ disciples, considering the number of people  they still had to harvest. The best way to make their work effective was for God to send them where they were really needed.

What does this tell us?

We need to pray to God that He may lead us as we take such a mission. When these seventy-two prayed to God in this way, what might have gone through their mind? “May God lead my way so that I may go right to those who are ready for harvest!” This was the way their hearts were readied for God’s leading during this journey.

2. Understand Jesus’ mind

Go!
“Go” is the way to follow Jesus. This is a strong imperative command. The delivery of the message was urgent because Jesus would soon pass by and they would not have a second chance to meet him. So if they failed to get this message, they would fail to join in the Kingdom that Jesus was going to establish in Jerusalem.

The urgency of this mission was also framed in the context of Jesus’ saving work, i.e. the journey from Galilee to Jerusalem where he would be enthroned as King of Israel, the Messiah. This was  a very short, one-way journey, that would take maybe weeks or at most a few months. Once Jesus passed that town, he would not come back. If seeing or meeting him was paramount for the salvation of that person, then these disciples’ mission was  imperative. Many missionaries who went ahead of us felt the same urgency.

I am sending you out like lambs among wolves.

Jesus was telling them that he was their shepherd and they were his lambs. Though they had many weaknesses and even might not be as smart and strong as wolves, Jesus would do everything for them as their shepherd. Also he  recognized that they were like lambs before the wolves; they were not equipped with the necessary knowledge, power or even human strength to fight against these wolves. Also they themselves must acknowledge that they were like lambs among wolves, because if one does not depend on Jesus’ instructions, thenthey would likely become  prey for the wolves.

As we know, many well-known preachers fall prey to the wolves of today.

Many will attempt to devour them as their prey. How would the wolves lure or attack them? What were the weaknesses or vulnerable spots of these disciples? Jesus gave them instructions so that they might not fall  prey to the wolves

Their weaknesses and  vulnerabilities were in their worries about the basic needs of life, i.e. food and lodging. Wolves love to choke lambs by grabbing them around the neck.

When we worry about what to eat and where to stay, our spirit for God’s will dies down. The worries of this life prove to be the Achilles’ heel for many who follow Jesus’ will. For those who carry on God’s mission, this is the most vulnerable spot.

What instructions did Jesus give them?

V4-7.

In these verses, Jesus describes how he would provide for the basic necessities of this journey. He would do it through the few he sent. How could they find such a person that God had already prepared? The key word is ‘peace’. Those who seek God’s peace and welcome those He sent as the source of His peace will be the ones that He prepared for the disciples. No matter how they looked, regardless of how well-off or how poor one might be, and if they were welcomed  in the name of God’s peace, then they were to stay there for their food and  lodging. It might not be a perfect or comfortable place, but the disciples must depend on God’s provision through their host. He was not to search for better service, but accept what God had provided through those who welcome Jesus: “Do not move around”. It is a clear word to curtail one’s desire to meet one’s needs according to their own taste. It was to be a  totally God-dependent life.  

           c.    How were they to carry out their mission? (8-11)

The message of the coming of the kingdom of God was to be delivered to the towns that showed true hospitality for their mission. Their hosts must be good enough to also serve them food.

They were to deliver the townspeople two things: healing for the sick and the message that the kingdom of God was coming near to them. The message is clear: “The kingdom of God has come near”. “If anyone wants to enter the kingdom of God, then you should follow the king as he is going to be enthroned and the kingdom will be established soon in Jerusalem. So you all must follow him. This healing is the proof of the coming King.” This is the implied message.

This seemed to be all that was necessary for them to do their job, but Jesus said something more about those who would reject their message. What were they to know? Why did they have to know it?

           d.    They must know the consequences of rejecting Jesus (12-16)

Jesus did not say this with a tone of instruction, but with the strong tone of curse and judgment.

If a town rejected their message, what would happen to that town?

Those towns would be like the towns that had rejected him even after so many miracles done in them.

Chorazin and Bethsaida were  towns in Galilee where Jesus did many miracles and taught  many times. But in the end, they did not believe he was the Messiah and refused to honor him as their Lord and coming king. Jesus foresaw their final fate; these two cities would face worse judgment than Sodom because they rejected him. What happened to Sodom? God rained down fire and burning sulfur on the city and all of them burned to death. When Abraham looked the next day,  only rising smoke and smoldering fires remained of the city. These two Galilean cities would fare worse than Sodom! Jesus foresaw their fate.

Capernaum was also a Galilean town. Jesus did many miracles there but they rejected him as well. When the Day of Judgment comes, they will do worse than Tyre and Sidon, two other Gentile towns. It would be a pitiful situation for a Jewish town to suffer worse than Gentiles. Rejection of the Son of God brings the worst judgment. There would be no recourse for them.

Why was Jesus telling this to his disciples? Maybe almost all of these seventy-two disciples were with Jesus when he did miracles in these cities. Though they rejected Jesus, the cities were still flourishing with all kinds of businesses. To the minds of these disciples, they looked good as if  nothing was going to happen to them. It seemed as though believing Jesus or not was not so serious, if one looked at these towns. They had no idea or understanding of God’s judgment based on the impact of rejecting Jesus! But the true reality was yet to come. Jesus knew the final fate of these cities. He told his disciples these things so that they might know how important their message would be for those to whom they were being sent. Rejection of their message would bring the same fate as Sodom or even worse. They must know God’s judgment and understand the fate of those who reject Jesus.

So what should they do?

V11. The message they were to deliver is so important. It was a matter of saving or losing lives, so he had to do it sincerely, carefully, and  with a heart of compassion for people and  a spirit of full obedience to God’s purpose.

When we do not see the consequences of our actions, we may do things casually and with a half-hearted mindset,  but when we know the consequences of our actions, we act very carefully. Unbelief is not costless. Rejection of Jesus is not costless. Unbelief and rejection of Jesus will surely bear grim consequences. Jesus gave an example of this in Sodom and some Galilean cities.

But I have a better example: when Jerusalem rejected Jesus, he prophesied their destruction.

 “Truly I tell you, all this will come on this generation. "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing.  Look, your house is left to you desolate” (Mat 23:36-37).

As Jesus prophesied, Jerusalem was thoroughly destroyed in AD 70 by the Roman army, led by General Titus. God’s judgment is real and rejection of Jesus in unbelief is not benign or harmless. It surely bears consequences; it results in eternal destruction. Though many of the people of  Bethsaida and Capernaum read the Bible, prayed three times a day, and observed all the laws of Moses,  they rejected Jesus. They would not continue to stand at the time of judgment.

What was their critical failure?

"Whoever listens to you listens to me; whoever rejects you rejects me; but whoever rejects me rejects him who sent me."

They failed to acknowledge the oneness among God, Jesus, and his disciples. Such failure would bear a grim outcome, even worse than Sodom’s final fate. The people of the world do not know, but all God’s messengers must know what it means to fail Jesus. Inaction is not benign or harmless. It is the same as rejection and shall bear God’s due judgment. We do not know how good one is unless we know how bad it would be not having one.

Remember the tone of Jesus’ words and how much time Jesus spent on the matter of judgment!

                                      III.        The result: “Even the demons submit to us in your name” (17)

The disciples’ joy: They went out and did exactly what Jesus told them to do. The mission journey was a great success. Many welcomed them and they delivered the message of the coming  kingdom. They drove out demons and experienced the overwhelming power of God. Among  all of these events, the most exciting thing was the demons’ submission to them as they called out  Jesus’ name. The power of God was in them and that power was great enough to drive out evil, demonic forces.

The chief of all demonic forces is Satan. Satan is the source of evil in this world. The world is under the authority and power of Satan. Since the fall of man, the power of Satan has been beyond our ability to handle. Men under the power of sin  cannot unshackle themselves from his power and have been enslaved by his forces of evil. For the first time in their lives, Jesus’ disciples experienced  authority over demonic powers. This lead to their exhilarating joy, and opened a new world for them. This opened a great future for them, with no more suffering from the evil forces of this world.

Jesus’ joy

Jesus saw far greater things through this event:

1. Satan fell like lightening from heaven -  Jesus saw that  Satan would finally be removed from  power. Ultimate victory over Satan was seen and assured. Jesus was heading to Jerusalem where he would be crucified. This was the work of all of Satan’s forces, but that power, the power to judge and kill, will be put down and destroyed.
2. Jesus gave them the authority to trample on snakes, scorpions and to overcome the power of the enemy. Snakes and scorpions represent  the agents that Satan uses to attack men. So no matter what shape or form that Satan’s attacks on men took, the power that Jesus gave to his disciples was strong enough to subdue them. Jesus was the only one who could  and would do this for all men. This was the reason for his coming and his suffering sacrifice. So, in Jesus’ name, this victory over demonic forces becomes possible. This power was given to those who followed Jesus as he took his journey to the cross.
3. Nothing will harm you. The fall of Satan means that there would be no  powers that could continue to oppose or challenge our walk with the Lord. From this point on, there will be a highway for them to the Lord.
4. Rejoice that your name is written in heaven. We tend to be happy when our power exceeds the power of our enemy. It is a good thing and gives us exhilarating joy. So many movies and dramas are created around this theme: victory over evil. All fictions that entertain men’s minds also include some ideas about victory of good over evil. We have been so obsessed with this victory over our enemies, for which we have striven so long, but our ultimate goal is not in defeating the enemy. “Now I, or we, can do it. We can defeat our enemies”. Though the victory that they experienced was temporal, but this victory testifies to us that God is with us and also that victory over Satan warrants our place in the kingdom of God.
   Since God  decided to be with his disciples,  the victories over upcoming struggles were certain. What does this mean? God had already counted them as His children and their place in His kingdom was secured.
   Simply speaking, when we witness about Jesus to others and they respond in faith,  it is  proof that God has counted us as His children and our lives are secured in heaven.
   There are many expressions of faith—prayer, attending worship services, giving alms to the poor and offerings, and doing good things for others. All of these acts of faith may serve as  proof of true godliness. But among all these, our witness and God’s response to it serves as  solid proof of our place in God’s kingdom. This marks the last step among the three requirements: deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Christ. If one has done all  three of these, what shall be his reward?
   Luke 9:23 – “Then he said to them all: "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me”.
   They become genuinely Jesus’ disciples and will join in his glory.
5. That is, being a witness of Jesus’ salvation and God’s use of that witness to save others. Certainty of one’s salvation is always questioned and many are unsure of whether or not they are saved. Most likely, the reason for this is because they never attempted to be a witness of Jesus’ Lordship in their lives. When one confesses that Jesus is his or her Lord, he or she is calling others  to follow Jesus also.
6. Jesus just explained what the outcome of this mission journey would mean for them. It is a new revelation not only for Jesus, but also for his disciples. For the first time, victory over Satan’s power was realized. For Jesus’ disciples, subduing  demonic forces  signified that victory had begun and that ultimate victory over satanic forces in this world was assured.
   No one saw it and no one imagined it could happen;  God not only imparted His power to His children but also revealed His plan to give  victory to His children through His son Jesus. God the Father was the ultimate deliverer of this work, and He did this in response to the request of His son Jesus with happiness and joy because His Son would bear all the burdens of men’s sin.
   God has confidence in His Son and entrusted all things, regarding the salvation of men, to him. God the Father believed in His Son’s will to obey and to give his life as a ransom for all sinners, so He was glad to do all these things on behalf of His disciples.
   Through this mission, an axis of trust among God the Father, His Son Jesus, and His disciples was formed and solidified.
7. There are many churches that put an emphasis on the first two: deny yourself and take up your cross; however, they fail to do the same for ‘follow me’ , i.e. being witnesses for Jesus the King. In such churches, many linger in either doubt regarding their salvation or uncertainty about the nature of true victory in Jesus. They have not experienced  the miracle of subduing the power of Satan in Jesus’ name. On the other hand, many churches realize that the only way to be a life-giving, or vibrant, church is to serve the mission given to them by Christ, so they put all their efforts into ‘witnessing’.

                                                  IV.        Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. (23-24)

What did the disciples see? What did God the Father reveal to them? It is Jesus’ victory over Satan’s powers. To know this is to know and  taste  salvation, and  to experience that Jesus really is  the Lord and  King. All these come through participating in the mission of Christ.

Our journey is to follow Jesus’ journey from Galilee to Jerusalem and from the  cross  to his resurrection. The first step of this journey is taking part in this mission, delivering the message of the kingdom of God. Then, long before we see  the literal kingdom of God, we taste the victory of the kingdom.

 The mission journey that his twelve disciples took was for them to experience Jesus as the King, as was the case for the mission journey taken by these 72 disciples. Jesus would achieve this revelation through his victory over the chief forces of evil, i.e. Satan and his accusations. This becomes  a vital part of one’s experience of knowing Jesus. Even we can say that, if one does not participate in such a mission, he might not have such an experience and might now know to the full extent that these seventy-two experienced. God imparted those who obeyed  Jesus’ missional command with His power and with the revelation of His utmost purpose in Christ.

Such an understanding or revelation of truth is unlikely to come to those who merely sit in their study  and think about the words of God.

Who wanted to see this amazing truth?

 “For I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what

you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it."

All men wanted to see this, but they did not see it. To whose eyes was  this amazing truth open? To the ones who denied themselves, took up their cross and followed Jesus, the Lord and King. Is Jesus calling you? Are you willing to follow Jesus? Then, take a mission journey to carry Jesus as the Lord and King. Then a new beginning will come to you and a door will be opened for you to God’s wonderful revelation to know and  be one in Christ!