Luke 10:19-24
Luke 10:19 (KJB)
Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all
the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
Jesus then goes on to tell the seventy that through the power of the Lord Jesus
Christ, the most ordinary believer has authority over the kingdom of Satan.
Jesus uses the figures of serpents and scorpions. (Psa 91:13 KJV) Thou shalt
tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample
under feet. Psalm 91:13 carries with it the same meaning that the believer,
through the power of the Lord Jesus Christ, will have power over Satan and his
kingdom. The believer can resist him which will cause him to flee. (James
4:7 KJV) Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee
from you. The power of the enemy is still secondary to the power of God and
can never surpass it. Christ broke the power of Satan at the cross. Jesus then
gives another great promise which can be understood in two ways, the first way
is that no power of Satan can ever have authority over our souls because they
are indwelled by the Holy Spirit and secondly, he cannot cause us any bodily
harm leading to death until the task God has given us in this life is completed.
Luke 10:20 (KJB)
Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but
rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.
Jesus then tells them not to rejoice in the fact that the evil spirits are
subject to them. Jesus wants to refocus their spiritual sight from the kingdom
of Satan to Heaven. Once this world is over, the believer never has to worry
about seeing Satan or his evil deeds again. Jesus wants the believer to focus on
Heaven and not the defeated foe. We should be rejoicing that we will be in
Heaven with the Lord and all the redeemed. (Rev 13:8 KJV) And all that dwell
upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of
life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. (Rev 17:8 KJV) The
beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless
pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose
names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world,
when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is. The names of all
the believers were written in the Lamb’s Book of Life from eternity.
Luke 10:21 (KJB)
In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of
heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and
hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy
sight.
Jesus then thanks His heavenly Father that these things have been hidden from
the wise and those with understanding. This is not speaking of wisdom and
understanding in the good sense but is speaking of the worldly wisdom and
understanding. Those in this world who are unsaved believe they have all wisdom
in the world and therefore condemn or reject the Gospel as foolishness. Yet God
is going to destroy the wise and prudent of this world. (1 Cor 1:19 KJV) For
it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing
the understanding of the prudent. Jesus is not reveling in the fact that
the well-educated are remaining in darkness but He rejoices in the fact that
those who are babes or are simple people have received the Gospel with great
joy. (Acts 13:48 KJV) And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and
glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life
believed. We see this principle today as many with a Ph.D. think they know
more than God and write Him off as a myth and yet the humblest person receives
the Gospel and is living in joy.
Jesus recognized the fact that the reception of the Gospel by those who hold no
high social status was pleasing to the Father. (Isa 57:15 KJV) For thus
saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I
dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble
spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the
contrite ones. Pride and arrogance do not stand in the way of the humble
but it does to those who think they are in some high elite social class. Those
who received the Gospel were not spoiled by worldly wisdom and that was pleasing
to God.
Luke 10:22 (KJB)
All things are delivered to me of my Father: and no man knoweth who the Son is,
but the Father; and who the Father is, but the Son, and he to whom the Son will
reveal him.
Here Jesus speaks about the fact that God the Father has given all things into
His hands. This would include the way of salvation and it would also mean the
cross, that He alone would bear it for the sake of the Elect. This would mean
all power was given unto Him, in all realms. (Mat 28:18 KJV) And Jesus came
and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
He has the authority to forgive sins, heal sicknesses, judge the unsaved at the
Great White Throne Judgment, and to save. Then Jesus gives us insight about
the intimacy between the Father and the Son. As finite beings, we could never
understand the true relationship that God the Father has with God the Son. Then
Jesus introduces a tremendous promise that all those who become saved through
Him will have the eternal privilege of knowing the Father. (John 14:6 KJV)
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto
the Father, but by me. No one can come to the Father except those who come
by way of Christ. No one can bypass the Son and go directly to the Father. To
know the Father, one must know the Son and there is no getting around it like
many cults and false churches teach.
Luke 10:23 (KJB)
And he turned him unto his disciples, and said privately, Blessed are the eyes
which see the things that ye see:
Then Jesus tells the disciples that they are blessed because all hardness to the
true Gospel has been removed. They are able to hear physically the Gospel and to
understand what they are hearing. They will hear more of the Gospel and they
will increase in understanding. Then their spiritual eyes have been opened and
were able to discern the great miracles which they were seeing and that resulted
in them knowing that the Lord Jesus Christ was from God and those miracles and
mighty works were ordained of God.
Luke 10:24 (KJB)
For I tell you, that many prophets and kings have desired to see those things
which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear,
and have not heard them.
Down through the ages there were many of God’s prophets and also those who were
saved who had desired to see and understand the things that the disciples were
seeing and hearing right now. The mystery of Christ was not revealed until now.
Abraham - (John 8:56 KJV) Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he
saw it, and was glad.
Jacob - (Gen 49:18 KJV) I have waited for thy salvation, O LORD.
David - (Psa 14:7 KJV) Oh that the salvation of Israel were come out of
Zion! when the LORD bringeth back the captivity of his people, Jacob shall
rejoice, and Israel shall be glad.
Isaiah and the righteous men - (Isa 25:9 KJV) And it shall be said in that
day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is
the LORD; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.