Sermon Central
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Your Adversary Fell Series
Contributed by Kent Kessler on Aug 30, 2007 (message contributor)
Summary: First of A 4 WEEK STUDY ON THE PERSON AND WORK OF SATAN AND HIS FALLEN STATUS. Wherever these themes are: ADVERSARY, PRIDE, DARKNESS, LIES, Satan is.
I SAW SATAN FALL! Series
1. YOUR ACCUSER FELL
Luke 10:17-20 (18)
The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.”
He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.
THE CONTEXT:
1) Immediate picture: 70-72 sent out to spread the message that the kingdom of God is coming to a heart near you! They come back to Jesus with this report: “Even the demons are subject to us in your name.”
2) Big picture: One kingdom is temporarily set up = Satan’s; another has come onto the scene = Jesus’.
Let’s make some observations about this
a. The 72 = “Even the demons submit to us in your name”
Even = means there was more than this that happened, but
Do you suppose the 72 ever had demons submit to them before? Before we answer, let’s consider, what are demons?
The demons = btw, was Luke a Jew or Greek? Luke was Greek, and so when he writes these words, he is speaking from a Greek perspective and for a Greek perspective.
Popular Greek belief about “demons”…
These were the creatures the disciples were saying were now submitting to them in the name of Jesus.
Submit to us = they were brought under control and subjection, but not with magical conjuring, but with one name!
In Your name = the name of Jesus!
There is a hidden story in the book of Acts about a man by the name of Sceva who had seven sons who went out in a maverick sort of way invoking the name of “Jesus whom Paul preached” on demons and seeing the spirits flee…until one day something erratic and mysterious and bad happened!
What do you think of when you hear the name, Jesus?
THE NAME OF JESUS refers to for everything which the name covers, everything the thought or feeling of which is aroused in the mind by mentioning, hearing, remembering, the name; you think of his position in the Godhead, His authority, His interests, what pleases Him, His commands, what He has done for you and how beautiful He is to you!
Which just blows my mind when I think about this, because Jesus didn’t even have to be there physically—he didn’t have to be at the same place his disciples were for there to be power and authority over these “shadows!”
Look at how Jesus responds here: Is he flattered by the story spoken here about him? Is he shocked or surprised? Not in the least! But what Luke wants teach us and his Greek audience comes to light through how Jesus responds!
b. “[Jesus] saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven”
Jesus saw (was seeing) = s
The Satan = Who is he? And why would Jesus not only see him, but be concerned about seeing him? Why is this Satan brought into the picture here? In other words, Why this reference to the Satan?
Luke has referred to this character previously as The Devil. But Luke calls him Satan four more times in the rest of his book. The name “Satan” is a Grecian-ized word of the Aramaic/Hebrew word for “adversary”.
Historically in Jewish tradition there was an anticipated “last days” conflict between God and Satan.
Fall…from heaven = if you fall, you must have been some place where you could fall. Usually we refer to falling as from being some place UP. But “UP” can mean your position physically or your position in rank. For example, “He fell from his position as being Supervisor (CEO or Pastor)” or something.
Satan was seen to fall from where? Heaven. Where is heaven? Where is it? If we were to point to where heaven is, we’d all point UP. But directionally that is all we seem to know about heaven is that it is UP.
When Jesus ascended UP past the clouds which hid him from their sight, in Acts chapter 1, the angel reported that “This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”
Heaven is where God is and from His throne is where judgments are made.
Why would the Satan be in heaven? Before we answer that question, I’d like to link in here the next part…the Satan fell… from heaven…
…Like lightning = Satan’s fall from heaven was similar to lightning flashing.
Why? What took place for this event to have happened right then and not earlier or later? Is this a visual of what took place directly with the ministry of Jesus and/or his disciples?
Or was this just a vision experience Jesus had? And if so, was it a vision of what has already happened or what is in the process of happening or of what will happen in the end time future?
