JUST JESUS: CHAPTER BY CHAPTER THRU LUKE
Go
Luke 10:1-24
#JustJesus
INTRODUCTION… 300 Scene
Imagine this fictional scene from a movie. The King of Sparta named Leonidas joins up with some allies on his march towards a fierce and expected battle. He meets the commander of some allies and says, “What a pleasant surprise.” The allied commander says, “This morning is full of surprises.” The allies feel tricked because there are only a few soldiers with the King. They brought many and he only brought a few. The allies become angry.
Leonidas asks them to join them in the coming battle. The allied commander says: “We want to join you, but you only brought a handful of soldiers against all our enemies. Was it wrong to expect Sparta’s commitment to match our own?”
King Leonidas then asks his allies what they do for a living. A potter. A sculptor. A blacksmith. Leonidas turns to his handful of soldiers and asks: “Spartans what is your profession?!” The soldiers hoot and let out a war cry with their spears and swords in the air.
The King of Sparta then says: “See old friend, I brought more soldiers than you did.”
That scene from the movie ‘300’ (2007, Warner Brothers) is most likely based on an actual historical event. Plutarch, the Greek historian and philosopher wrote some about King Leonidas… the actual historical man. The story goes that an ambassador on a diplomatic mission visited the famous city of Sparta and the famous king. Knowing that its strength was acclaimed throughout all of Greece, he had expected to see massive fortresses surrounding the town or large walls, but he found nothing of the kind. Surprised, he exclaimed to the ruler, "Sir, you have no fortifications for defense. Why is this?"
"Ah, but we are well protected," he replied. "Come with me tomorrow and I will show you the walls of Sparta." The next day he led his guest to the plain where the army was drawn up in full battle array. Pointing proudly to his soldiers who stood fearlessly in place, he said, "Behold the walls of Sparta -- 10,000 men and every man 'a brick'!" (Bell’s Commentary on the Bible).
TRANSITION
Keep that brief movie scene in mind and file it away as we look at Luke 10 this morning. Jesus, in chapter 9, begins to intensify His ministry. Jesus sends out the 12 for preaching, He gets the attention of King Herod, He feeds 5000 people miraculously which is big news, His disciple Peter confesses that Jesus is the Christ and also sees Him transfigured on a mountaintop. In chapter 9, Jesus even begins to share about His death and how the disciples will need to pick up crosses to follow Him. The cost of following Jesus can be high.
We then come to Luke 10 where Jesus sends out even more of His followers into the countryside and villages of Galilee to preach and heal and do ministry in His Name. Let’s read about the sending out of these disciples. It is a little more than I like to read usually but is worth our time.
READ Luke 10:1-24 (ESV)
After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of Him, two by two, into every town and place where He Himself was about to go. 2 And He said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore, pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. 3 Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. 4 Carry no moneybag, no knapsack, no sandals, and greet no one on the road. 5 Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house!’ 6 And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest upon him. But if not, it will return to you. 7 And remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they provide, for the laborer deserves his wages. Do not go from house to house. 8 Whenever you enter a town and they receive you, eat what is set before you. 9 Heal the sick in it and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ 10 But whenever you enter a town and they do not receive you, go into its streets and say, 11 ‘Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet we wipe off against you. Nevertheless, know this, that the kingdom of God has come near.’ 12 I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town.
13 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. 14 But it will be more bearable in the judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you. 15 And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You shall be brought down to Hades.
16 “The one who hears you hears Me, and the one who rejects you rejects Me, and the one who rejects Me rejects Him Who sent Me.”
17 The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your Name!” 18 And He said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19 Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. 20 Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”
21 In that same hour He rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was Your gracious will. 22 All things have been handed over to Me by my Father, and no one knows Who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him.”
23 Then turning to the disciples He said privately, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see! 24 For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.”
TRANSITION
What do we find in this passage? We find Jesus appointing His followers to go ahead of Him into towns and share than He is on the way. They are to share that Jesus, the embodiment of the Kingdom of God, is coming near and will arrive among them shortly. He tells them to ‘go.’
GO IN PRAYER (VERSES 1-2)
The initial instruction of Jesus to these 72 sent-out followers is to pray. He tells them in verse 2 that they are to “pray earnestly” as they are going because the journey may be difficult. They are to pray about their message. They are to pray for the people they encounter. They are to pray about the words they would share and what they remember about Jesus and their own story with Jesus. There are two significant truths in these first two verses.
First, Jesus says to go… and they go. It is a normal part of the Christian life that we go and share about Jesus. It is the Great Commission (Matthew 28) from Jesus that as we are going throughout life, we are to share about Jesus. We are not to be lazy or hesitant or have other priorities, but we are to go and share about Jesus. It is one of His most basic commands to all followers.
Second, as Jesus is sending out these followers, He tells them to pray. Everything they are about to do is not in their own strength or wit or power. They are to be prayerful and walk in the Spirit on their journey which allows them to do what God has asked them to do because they will not save anyone… Jesus does the saving. They are to submit themselves in prayer to God and seek to do His will. The Spirit will give them the words to say. That all starts with prayer.
APPLICATION
The beginning of this passage shows the followers of Jesus being obedient to His command to “go” and they are to go being prayerful and full of the Spirit. This is something we should take to heart and understand applies to us as well. We are to go. We are to share about Jesus and we do so not in our own strength or wisdom, but relying on God in prayer.
* Go and be prayerful daily about who you meet and what words you will share about Jesus
* Understand we don’t save anyone, but Jesus does all the saving, rely on Him.
GO PREPARED FOR OPPOSITION (VERSE 3)
The initial instructions of Jesus to these 72 followers is to pray, which he tells them in verse 2, but one of the reasons He tells them in verse 2 to “pray earnestly” is because in verse 3 He explains that the journey may be difficult. He mentions them being “lambs in the midst of wolves.”
Lambs and wolves are often used in the Bible in metaphorical or symbolic ways and they are often compared to one another. A lamb is used as a symbol in Genesis 21 of honesty and peace and was to be the innocent sacrifice in Genesis 22. The blood of a lamb was used to mark doors for Israel during the Exodus time (chapter 12) so that it marked them as God’s people and death passed over them. The prophets like Isaiah (5:17, 40:11) used lambs as symbols of peace and goodness. Based on all of those symbols, Jesus is called the “Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world” in John 1:29. Wolves are used as symbols of attack, hungry anger, and opportunistic evil in Genesis 49 and Jeremiah 5 and also in John 10. Even in the New Testament false teachers are called wolves in Matthew 7 and Acts 20.
What I am attempting to help you see is that this metaphor of Jesus in verse 3 is one that His followers absolutely would have understood. They would have understood that He expected some danger for them because they are good and righteous and will be sharing peace and the world is evil and terrible and full of chaos.
APPLICATION
This metaphor of Jesus to His disciples applies to us as well. We should understand that just because we are Christians following Jesus, this does not mean everything will go smoothly. Just because we are sharing a message of reconciliation with God or peace with God or a message of holy forgiveness, it may not always go well. We live in a world and among a culture and know folks that will reject and push back. Be prepared for opposition, but also understand that Jesus is with us and we are never more in God’s will than when we are on His errands.
GO DEPENDING ON ONE ANOTHER (VERSES 4-8)
Verses 4-8 as well as the first few verses of the chapter show us that Jesus expects His followers to go, but He also expects them to need each other and to rely on others. Sending messengers “two by two” was common in Jesus’ day among all kinds of people. Going with others provided companionship, protection, and the double witness prescribed in Deuteronomy 17 and 19 to establish the truthfulness of something.
The seventy-two were to go everywhere Jesus was about to go. They were to go and find places where they could stay later or people who wanted to hear more about Jesus and from Jesus when He arrived. They were to travel light and stay on mission. Stay on mission. There might be distractions as they travel or homes that are not welcoming, but they are not to be distracted by those things. They are to stay on mission. Stay on mission. Stay on mission. Stay on mission.
APPLICATION
The mission of Cincinnati Christian Church is to “Help People Find and Follow Jesus.” That is what we do. That is who we are. May we ever be focused on that. May our worship services push us to God and shove the world out. May you invite people here on a regular basis and share about Jesus in all the places you go away from here. May we spend our money, make a great effort, spend our time, and generate opportunities for God’s Kingdom in Eastern Greene County!
* Pray for our church that we stay on mission and not be distracted.
* Pray over our offerings that they match the needs that we have to reach out.
* Pray for yourself that you are less distracted and keep Jesus as #1 priority.
ABOUT JESUS
I would like to share something about Jesus before we move on to verse 9 and the rest of the passage. I want you to notice that Jesus Christ is a sending Christ. Jesus is not a ‘couch potato Messiah’ or a ‘stat-at-home Savior.’ Jesus says go… a lot. God did not send His Son to offer life and forgiveness and reconciliation and a clean slate so we could keep it to ourselves and be spiritually lazy. The Christian walk is a sharing walk. One that seeks others to join. Jesus says go… a lot.
Read MATTHEW 10:7 (ESV)
And proclaim as you go, saying, ‘The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.’
Read MATTHEW 10:16 (ESV)
Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.
Read MATTHEW 10:27 (ESV)
What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops.
Read MATTHEW 28:19 (ESV)
Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
Read MARK 16:15 (ESV)
And He said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.”
GO AND GIVE (VERSE 9)
In verse 9, Jesus gives the 72 even more instructions and encouragement. He says, “Heal the sick in it and say to them, ‘The Kingdom of God has come near to you’” (verse 9). I can’t help but see that even though the followers of Jesus were not taking moneybags or knapsacks or extra clothing; they were not empty-handed or empty of heart. They were full of a particular message.
As the disciples were traveling, they were to give what Jesus had given them. Specifically, in verse 9 Jesus highlights for them particularly that they were to heal the sick and connect the Kingdom of God directly to the healing. This is quite a ministry and task that they were given. They were to give away health and they were to give away the message that the Kingdom of God has come near.
APPLICATION
The charge to those followers of Jesus is the same to us. We are also to give and to share that the Kingdom of God has come near. Jesus has come. Jesus has finished the work of salvation. Jesus has come and brought life to the full and we should give away the message about the Kingdom of God. Our mission and their mission is the same.
* Do you give out the message that the Kingdom of God has come near?
* Do you give tithes and offerings regularly so that the message goes out?
* Do you give out and share regularly what Jesus has done for you?
TRANSITION
Luke 10:1-24 is a significant passage where Jesus sends out 72 of His followers to teach and preach and heal and give away all that He has been doing among them. Jesus does not sugar-coat anything for these followers and in the largest section in this passage, verses 10-16, Jesus warns His followers that it may not all go well for them.
GO KNOWING NOT ALL WILL ACCEPT (VERSES 10-16)
Jesus is truthful with His disciples in that as they are going, not everyone will accept the message they share. The basic message of the followers of Jesus is that the Kingdom of God has come near. The Kingdom of God has arrived! Jesus the Messiah has arrived and He is the way and the truth and the life and no one comes to the Father except through Him. That is a significant message!
Jesus also does something important in this passage that we do not always talk about. Jesus gives His disciples then and disciples now permission to move on. He tells His followers to go in prayer and depend on one another and give and share about the Kingdom of God, but in view that not everyone listens or accepts or believes, it is permissible to move on. It is permissible, to use Jesus’ words in verse 11, to shake the dust off your feet and move on. I personally believe it depends on us in prayer as to when that happens because it is not cut and dried or simple. There may indeed be folks we never shake from and always pursue because of our love for God and our love for them.
Jesus is not always accepted. He was not always accepted then and it is not always accepted now. Some may feel like they don’t want to be part of the Kingdom of God or don’t feel they need to because they are basically a good person. Some others may feel like Jesus and God and all that is hard to believe and they just don’t believe it is true. Some may feel like the Kingdom of God is for good people and they are not and so it’s not for them and they are excluded. Others feel like the Kingdom is restrictive and has old-fashioned rules and God’s way is too restraining on how they want to live their lives. The way of Jesus is not always accepted. The way of Jesus was not always accepted then and it is not always accepted now.
APPLICATION
* We can be encouraged to share about Christ as often and as much as we can
* We need not be discouraged when folks don’t listen or believe
* We can be encouraged that we may share and someone else may see the end result
* We need not be discouraged to move on and leave the non-accepting person be
GO AND HAVE JOY (VERSES 17-24)
The passage finishes in verses 17-21 beginning with the words “the seventy-two returned with joy” (verse 17). The 72 went out and spread the word and shared testimony and healed and drove out demons and shook the foundations of the chaos that gripped our world. This brought them joy. The joy was good. Jesus warned them not to get full of themselves, but to rejoice in the spiritual victories they witnessed.
Folks often interpret Jesus’ words about Satan in verse 18 to refer to Satan’s original fall from Heaven. The context of the passage and the verb tense Jesus uses does not support this. Jesus describes His spiritual vision as the followers went out and prayed and shared and drove out demons. He in those days saw the kingdom of Satan chip away piece by piece as they shared the message. The picture here is of Jesus rejoicing as He observed Satan’s kingdom being destroyed one rescued soul at a time through all of His follower’s obedient efforts. Every time one lost is found Satan’s domain shrinks. This brought Jesus joy (verse 21) and it should bring us joy as well.
APPLICATION
The joy of those followers of Jesus is the same for us.
* May we have joy when someone is healed from sin and turns to God
* May we hold onto the promises of Jesus that bring us joy
* May we have joy that spiritual truths are known to us and we can share them
* May we have joy that our names are written in Heaven
SUMMARY
The beginning of Luke 10 is the record of Jesus sending out His followers to prepare the way for Him in some future ministry. They were to:
Go in prayer (verses 1-2)
Go prepared for opposition (verse 3)
Go depending on one another (verses 4-8)
Go and give (verse 9)
Go knowing not all will accept (verses 10-16)
Go and have joy (verses 17-24)
CONCLUSION
For some reason, when I read Luke 10 the movie scene that I described at the beginning of our time plays out in my mind. I know it is fiction, but the scene is memorable.
Jesus sends out His disciples into the area of Galilee and they are to preach, heal, spread the message of Jesus, drive out demons, and make an overall dent in the world of evil and sin and guilt and shame. They would fight against chaos. That is where the movie scene comes into play.
I imagine, and this is all in my imagination, that the Devil comes to Jesus with hordes of evil spirits behind him and scoffs at Jesus that He only has 72 measly disciples. Satan is assured that he will win over the Nazarene. Jesus then knowingly asks the demons what they do for a living. A tempter. A liar. A cheater. Jesus turns to His followers and says: “Disciples, what is your profession?!” The disciples shout with praise. The King of Kings then says: “See Father of Lies, I brought more soldiers than you did.”
PRAYER
INVITATION
It occurs to me that not everyone listening to me is a believer in Christ. Not everyone has accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior. We have talked some about not accepting Jesus this morning. If you come every week and you don’t really believe, I invite you to sit down for a chat and we can discuss your important beliefs or thoughts as to why you don’t need Jesus. Please, let’s get together.
