Wednesday, January 7, 2015

Sending the Seventy, part 28: The Knowing

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. " (Luke 10:22 NASB)

Every day I think, "Wow, this is a great verse!" The next day, I look at the Scripture and think, "Wow, this is even better!" Today is one of those days when I started meditating on the verse saying, "Lord, won't you please give me something I can understand?" Before He was through, however, I was saying, "Wow, this is a awesome verse!" I think you will agree.

This business of "handing everything over" is indicated by the word paradidōmi, translated as "handed over". It might be better understood as "entrusted to me to manage and care for". God has placed Jesus in charge of everything, including us.

The next part of the verse is very encouraging. "No one knows who the Son is except the Father". The word ginōskō, translated as "knows", does not mean that only the Father knows Jesus' name or that only God the Father can recognize Him. This "knowing" is not a casual acquaintance. It is a complete understanding on a deep level. We might say, "He knows me through and through. He knows everything about me." Look at the Leanna Paraphrase and see if it helps. "No one understands me completely except the Father. No one understands the Father completely except the Son, Jesus, and anyone to whom the Son, Jesus decides to reveal the Father." Jesus totally understands the Father, of course, because they are both parts of the One Triune God. 

Jesus can "reveal" the Father to whomever He chooses. This revealing is like uncovering something that is hidden to reveal the treasure inside. In John 10, a passage about the Good Shepherd, Jesus tells us that we, too, can know the Father in the same way He does.

"I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me, even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep." (John 10:14-15 NASB)

The same word for "know" is used in both verses. ginōskō. If we belong to Jesus, if we give our hearts and lives completely to Him, we, too, can know the Father in that same way that Jesus knows Him. We will know God the Father because, as we follow the Good Shepherd, Jesus, we will begin to know Jesus. The longer, and closer, we follow Jesus, the better we will know Him, and, when we know Jesus, we know the Father. Do you want to understand God better? Then get to know Jesus.

How exciting it is that, by simply obeying our Good Shepherd, we can come to know Him inside and out, just as He knows us and, as we know Him, we will also know the Father. Our obedience is the key that unlocks the "revealing", the uncovering of the hidden depths of treasure in our Almighty God. When we understand that fact, we begin to see the great riches we gain in exchange for our efforts at obedience. What we gain is infinitely more than what we give up. Dear ones, the walk of faith and obedience is worth it, so press on. You'll be so glad you did. 

Sending the Seventy, part 27: The Hidden Things

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. " (Luke 10:21-22 NASB)

This is a beautiful picture of our Lord, who bubbles over with prayer as He is talking with His disciples. As we have seen in previous posts, the seventy disciples had gone out to the villages and towns where Jesus was headed. They had preached, healed the sick, and had an incredible experience. They returned, filled with joy and excitement over all they had seen and done. Jesus "debriefed" them, then explained that although what they had seen was very exciting, they should be even more excited about having their names recorded in heaven. 

"At that very time", Jesus was so overwhelmed with rejoicing in the Holy Spirit that He began to pray aloud. Praise for His Father poured forth. One of the things for which He praised God was that He had hidden "these things" from the wise and intelligent and revealed them to infants. What were "these things" that had been hidden? The things that were hidden were those about which He had just been speaking, including authority over the power of the enemy in the name of Jesus, spiritual protection in service, and the certainty of eternity. 

For the most part, the religious leaders of the day failed to recognize the deity of Jesus and did not acknowledge the power and authority of Jesus. For people dependent upon the law, the idea of grace was a foreign concept. The "infants", those who were not learned scholars, fluent in the law and the prophets, had grasped the truth of Jesus when those who should have recognized Him did not, and Jesus said it was "well-pleasing" in the sight of God. 

The "infants" were just common men. They weren't fancy or wealthy. They weren't wise or educated. The amazing thing is that God did this intentionally. He chose to come to the common men and women of the day, and He still does. Nothing special or fancy was required to learn the deep truths of God. All who came could know Him. All who come, even now, can know Him just as deeply, just as intimately.

Can we know the "hidden things" of God? Yes, we can. God Himself delights in revealing truth to those who will seek it. In fact, He is well-pleased when we seek and find what He has hidden just for us. If you will seek, you will find all He has set aside just for you. Even better, in the seeking and finding, you will also encounter the pleasure of God. What could be better than that? Nothing. Absolutely nothing.


Tuesday, January 6, 2015

Sending the Seventy: Part 26

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." (Luke 10:17-20 NASB) 

(Note: this post is a continuation of part 23 and part 24 and part 25. You may want to read those before continuing with this post.)

Jesus had sent the seventy disciples out to teach and heal in the villages to which He was going.  They were not to take anything with them, but were totally dependent upon the hospitality offered in the places where they served. They returned after the trip, full of enthusiasm and bubbling over with joy. "Even the demons were subject to us in Your name!" they told Him. Jesus was as kind and encouraging as a proud daddy with a toddler taking his first steps. He told them that He had seen in the spiritual realm what they had seen in the physical. 

Metaphorically speaking, He had given them authority to "tread on serpents and scorpions". We saw yesterday that this did not mean to literally walk on snakes (nor handle them) but to participate with Christ in the fatal blow to the serpent's head foretold in Genesis 3:15 (and covered in part 24) "Nothing will injure you," He told them. We saw in part 25 that those who are obedient and following Christ can take comfort in the fact that the enemy cannot "injure" them by permanently wounding their faith.

We turn now to the last portion of this passage.

Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven. Luke 10:20 NASB

We are to focus on the eternal life Christ offers and not on demon-bashing. It's a matter of perspective. The spirits are not really subject to "us". The spirits are subject to "us" only because of the name of Jesus. To have the right focus on our authority over demons, over healing, or any other kind of service, we need to keep our focus on the One who makes our service possible. Jesus Christ. 

We are not only to keep our focus on Jesus, but we are also to rejoice that our names are recorded in heaven. This, dear ones, should be a source of great joy for us, because the enemy of our soul has no power in heaven. He cannot erase our names that are recorded there, nor the name of anyone else that is already recorded in heaven. This is amazing news! When Jesus said that they could tread on the serpents and "nothing will injure you", He was not just talking about physical injury. No matter what tactic the enemy tries against our faith, he cannot change the fact that, for believers, our names are written in heaven. What a cause for rejoicing! 

As you go about your day, take heart, disciples of Christ. Your name is written in heaven. It is already written in heaven and nothing can change that fact. Rejoice in that truth. One day, as a follower of Christ, you will stand at the gates of heaven and find that your name is clearly written there. Those gates will swing open and you will enter eternity where our Savior lives and reigns forever, so rejoice now, as you await that glorious day. Rejoice!

Sunday, January 4, 2015

Sending the Seventy, part 25

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." (Luke 10:17-20 NASB) 

(Note: this post is a continuation of part 23 and part 24. You may want to read those before continuing with this post.)

If you are just joining us on this journey with the seventy, we have been studying this passage in Luke 10 for several weeks. Jesus sent seventy of his disciples to the towns and villages where He intended to go later.  They were to take nothing with them, but were dependent upon the hospitality of the villages where they would teach about Jesus and heal the sick. It must have been a hard journey, but they returned rejoicing over all they had  seen. Even the demons were subject to them in the name of Jesus.  

When they reported all that they had seen with their physical eyes to Jesus, He shared with them what He had seen in the spiritual realm. Their obedience in healing those who were beset by demons had great effect in the spiritual realm, resulting in destruction of the kingdom of the evil one. Still speaking from a spiritual sense, He told them He had given them authority to "tread on serpents and scorpions and over all power of the enemy". This was likely a reference to the fatal bruise on the head of the serpent foretold in Genesis and covered in part 24

"Nothing will injure you," Jesus told them. The word translated as "injure" comes from a root word meaning to violate justice or to deal fraudulently or deceptively.  We might interpret this to mean that nothing will deceive us. When we are obedient in following Christ, we can trust His Spirit to guide us to truth. If we follow Him, though the enemy fights against us, we will be able to resist and avoid the deception he would offer. 

These men had just completed a long and difficult journey of faith. They were not "social club church goers". These men were 100% sold out to Jesus, willing to go anywhere and do anything in obedience to Him. They were not just followers.  They were disciples. What great news it must have been that, in giving authority to do battle with the enemy, Jesus also gave them protection in the battle. Because they had a promise of protection from the enemy, they did not have to  be afraid of the battle! How often God tells us, "Fear not!" Once again, Jesus teaches them that there is no need to fear because the enemy cannot overcome their faith. 

Does this mean that there will be no physical injury? No. He had been speaking in a spiritual sense throughout this sentence, and there is no reason to think He suddenly jumped to a physical sense. When we place our trust in Jesus, He holds us secure against the wiles of the evil one, who would seek to wrench us from Christ. This fact should give us great hope for eternity and great comfort in our present life. We are safe with Jesus, no matter where He leads. Take heart, then, no matter where your obedience takes you. His Spirit is there, guiding and protecting all the way. Follow then, and fear not.  

Saturday, January 3, 2015

Sending the Seventy, part 24: Treading on Serpents and Scorpions

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." (Luke 10:17-20 NASB)
(Note: This post is a continuation of part 23, and you can read it here.) 

Our verse today is one of those that has been part of a controversy in the church because of the ones who have interpreted it, in conjunction with Mark 16, to suggest that "true believers" of Christ can handle serpents (rattlesnakes and other poisonous snakes) without harm, even when a snake bite results in envenomation.  When we look at this passage in context, however, I believe we will see it a little differently. The seventy sent-ones had just returned from their journey of sharing the good news of Jesus and healing the sick. They were filled with joy over the results of their labors and rejoiced that "even the demons are subject to us in Your name." 

They rejoiced in what they saw with their physical eyes. Jesus, however, shared and rejoiced in what He saw with His spiritual eyes. "I was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning." Immediately following that statement, He said, "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." Because Jesus was speaking in the previous sentence from a spiritual perspective, He was almost certainly continuing in a spiritual perspective. 

The word translated as "tread" is pateō, which is defined by BLB as "to advance by setting foot upon, tread upon, to encounter successfully the greatest perils from the machinations and persecutions with which Satan would fain thwart the preaching of the gospel."  The idea of "treading upon serpents" is that we would walk over the serpent successfully and walk past all the power of the enemy (Satan) as  we, through our obedient service to Christ, participate in the destruction of the kingdom of the evil one.  The "treading" does not require us to pick up a literal snake. The "treading" requires us to obey Christ in sharing the Good News of Christ to all we encounter, thus overcoming the power of that spiritual serpent, Satan, by the power of God Almighty.

The very first prophecy of the Messiah occurs in Genesis 3:15 as God cursed the serpent because of his part in the sin of Adam and Eve. These words of Jesus in Luke 10 are almost certainly a direct reference to that curse. Read it and consider.

"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." Geneses 3:15 NASB

Clearly, the heel of Christ and the head of the serpent Satan have a figurative encounter here. Although the serpent Satan will deliver a bruise to Christ's heel, it will not be a terminal wound. The heel of Christ, however, will "bruise" the head of Satan, delivering a fatal blow. (If the head is crushed, it is fatal.) 

Let's put all this rambling together. When we serve Christ in obedience as the seventy sent-ones did, we participate in destruction of the kingdom of the evil one. Christ has given his obedient followers the authority to "tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy". He has given us the authority to participate with Him in the fatal bruise on the head of the serpent Satan. If we have authority to tread "over all the power of the enemy", then there is no power of Satan that can stand against the power of the Lord Jesus Christ. No power. None whatsoever. 

Selah. Pause and consider.

If there is no power of Satan that can stand against the Kingdom of God, why do we allow him to cause such havoc in our lives? Why do we submit to the temptations he offers us? It is well past time for the body of Christ to embrace this truth. Jesus has given us all the authority we need to tread on the head of the enemy of our soul, resisting his temptations, and defeating his power in our lives. Let us embrace the truth that we can be free if we will be free, and live accordingly. 


Sending the Seventy, part 23

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." (Luke 10:17-20 NASB)

There is an unbearable sweetness in Jesus' response to the sent-ones on their return. The seventy returned to tell Jesus about their trip. It had been hard and tiring. They must have been physically exhausted. Spiritually, however, they were on a mountaintop from which they would never recover. They were bubbling over with excitement about all they had seen, all God had allowed them to accomplish in the name of Jesus. Even the demons were subject to them in Jesus' name, they told Him. Listen to this sweet thing that Jesus said to them. It's amazing!

"I was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning."

How about that?! He was telling His excited disciples, the sent-ones, that He had been keeping His eye on them, and that He knew what they had been doing. He knew that the demons had been subject to them in His name and, when that happened, He "was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning." As they brought healing from demonic influence in the life of those to whom they ministered, Satan literally lost ground in the high places. Jesus told them that, when they were ministering in His name, it was as if he could see lightning flashing all around with the fall of Satan's kingdom. Get that picture in your mind's eye. Wow. Pretty exciting, isn't it?

There's an interesting contrast between what the sent-ones saw and what Jesus saw. The sent-ones saw the lives that were changed. They saw the physical evidence of the demons leaving those who were healed. Jesus, on the other hand, saw the spiritual evidence of Satan's kingdom losing ground. What the disciples saw was very exciting, and there's no doubt about that.  We would be fortunate to see what they saw. If we could see what Jesus sees when we minister, however, how much more exciting it would be! 

"Satan falling from heaven like lightning". We can, through our obedience in sharing the good news of Jesus, be a part in that fall. We can have a part in not only extending the Kingdom of God, but also decreasing the kingdom of darkness.  Best of all? No matter how hard, how lonely, or how tiring our work, we can be assured that our Lord knows exactly what we face and that He is watching and cheering us on! 

So, weary servants, take heart. Even when your way is hard, you are never alone, never out of sight. Our Lord cares for you, and He is watching over you. He doesn't miss a thing!


Thursday, January 1, 2015

Sending the seventy, part 22:

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." (Luke 10:17-20 NASB)

The seventy sent-ones had just returned from their missionary trip, having traveled (on foot) to the towns where Jesus planned to go. They had paved the way by telling the people about Jesus and healing the sick. It was hard. It was exciting. It filled them with joy. 

When they returned, the sent-ones were bubbling over with excitement about their experience. "Even the demons are subject to us in Your name!" It was amazing to them, and it would be to us. They prayed for healing and people were healed. They prayed in the name of Jesus for demons to leave those they tormented, and the demons came out. The healing and restoration they witnessed took their breath away and thrilled them completely. 

"Even demons," they said. The most impossible thing happened through the power of the name of Jesus and they were in awe of that power. 

At the name of Jesus, even the demons fled. 

We, who are so comfortable in our padded pews with church services that are limited to a strict timetable and order of worship, may go a lifetime and never see a soul set free from demonic control at the name of Jesus. We may never see the lame walk, the blind see, the deaf hear. We may never invoke the name of Jesus with the bold faith of these seventy sent-ones, and we will be poorer for our lack of faith. There is one fact that needs to be ingrained in our minds and hearts. Our failure to see, our failure to ask, our failure to pray in no way indicates an inability on God's part to deliver, to hear, to free, or to redeem. The God who is the same yesterday, today, and forever is still able to heal, redeem, and set free. Even demons still have to obey the name of Jesus. 

As we begin this new year, let us embark on the journey of the sent-ones. This year, with nothing but the commission of Christ, let us follow in obedience and invite our Lord to do what we never dreamed was possible this year. Pray that the captives would be set free, that demons would flee, and that we, like the sent-ones, would be filled with joy by all we see God do. 
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Read last night's post, The New Zealand Badge, here. It turns out that faithfulness in working toward a little goal can achieve more than you knew was possible.