§153. The Seventy Return: The Blessing in Disguise(Luke 10:17–24)

Introduction

1. The Seventy Commissioned and sent ahead of all cities that Lord wants to visit before his Crucifixion (Luke 10:1–12). We learned the following principles.
   1. Time available to fulfill the great commission is short, and hence niceties of life should not hinder it.

   2. Mission happens in the context of prayer and God’s sovereignty. Success of the mission is workers are raised by the ministry.

   3. The laborer is worthy of his wages; and the Lord will meet our needs.

   4. In spite of the rejection, Lord shows compassion to Israel by sending his disciples with the gospel.

2. The cities that rejected the messengers of the Lord will also be rejected by the Lord (Luke 10:13–16)
   1. Curses against these cities indicated how serious the Lord takes care of the mission of the seventy.

   2. The honor which our Lord Jesus Christ gives to his ministers is encouraging.

   3. The harshness of judgment is based upon whether or not one has been given the opportunity to repent.

3. The purpose of this portion is to show the spiritual victory over Satan won by the disciples in serving the Lord.

Exposition

17.	Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.”

1. Recall the terms of the mission was very hard. Now, the result of the mission is joy. That is the beauty of serving the Lord.

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

1. Isa 14:12. “How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations! Based on Isiah's prophecy Jews believed that the reign of Satan will end with the coming of Messiah. Jesus in a sense claiming that the rule of Messiah has arrived.

2. John 12:31. Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out. Col 2:15. Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it. Rev 20:2-3. He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; 3 and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him ...Rev 20:10. The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.. All these indicates the final victory of Jesus over Satan is certain and these words of Jesus are symbolic of the prophetic fulfilment in the end days.

19.	Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.

1. Jesus delegates his authority over Satan to us and we are assured that the schemes of Satan will not prevail against us. Note that Jesus is not expecting his disciples to handle snakes are scorpions literally, but they are symbolic of the Satan and his fallen angels. In other words, his disciples have great authority over demonic forces. Ironically, they may not have much political authority, but has tremendous spiritual authority.

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

1. The word rejoice is a command and the grammar suggests that this rejoicing has to be a ongoing one. The real and prime source of this joy is in the fact that we have eternal life.

   Darrel Block says: “Ministry with God is a privilege, and access to God’s power is exciting, but the real cause of joy is that we have true and everlasting life before God".

21.	In that hour Jesus rejoiced in the Spirit and said, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight.

1. The joy of the Lord is from inside to outside and that resulted in thanking God.

2. The knowledge of Messiah and his mission is hidden from the religious elite and the multitude and now it is revealed to these disciples who are common people.

3. The source of that joy in what God the Father is doing. The sovereign act of the Father results in great joy of the Lord. What is good in God's sight is the best in our life, irrespective of how we and the world views it.

22.	All things have been delivered 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 the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.”

1. Now the sovereign work of God the Father is not done alone but in union with the Lord Jesus. Hence, the words and mission of the Lord should be taken seriously.

23.	Then He turned to His disciples and said privately, “Blessed are the eyes which see the things you see; 24 for I tell you that many prophets and kings have desired to see what you see, and have not seen it, and to hear what you hear, and have not heard it.”

1. Blessing of these disciples is great. They should realize their privilege. They are seeing and hearing what great men of the OT like Abraham, Moses, David, etc. desired to see and hear, but couldn't.

2. This is true of us too. Apostle Peter put it nicely in his letter. 1 Pet 1:10-12. Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, 11 searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. 12 To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to us they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things which angels desire to look into.

Application

1. Joy in ministry (v17): Terms of ministry are difficult, but in the end, there is a reward - tremendous joy.

2. Authority in ministry (v18-19): Satan is a defeated enemy. Believers should not fear him, rather, exercise the spiritual authority given to us.

3. Goodness in the sovereignty (v20-21): What God is doing is the best in our life; rejoice in it.

4. Revelation through serving (v22): Ministry helps us to understand the sovereign work of the God in our life that will give real joy.

5. Cherish the salvation (v23-24): Most valuable thing of our life is the relation with the Lord. Cherish and be thankful.

About this document ...

Compiled by tfrdn7@gmail.com on 2026-09-13 22:28 for the glory of the Lord