Written in Heaven

Alright, well, last Sunday we heard about how Jesus sent 72 guys on a ministry tour.

And they were to go in pairs from place to place, preaching about how the kingdom of God has come near.

And Jesus told them to heal the sick in those towns.

Well, today we pick up the story and we find out a little bit of what happened to them.

We pick up the story in Luke chapter 10.

Luke 10 · chapter mention

And we're in verse 17.

And this whole next chunk, until we get to the parable of the Good Samaritan,

is kind of a debriefing conversation that Jesus has with them after this ministry tour.

I originally had thought that we would get through all of these verses right down to 24.

But then there was just a lot in these first few verses here.

So we'll maybe take it a little slower.

So, picking it up in Luke chapter 10, verse 17.

Luke 10:17

The 72 returned with joy and said,

Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.

So they're excited.

They're rejoicing.

They went from town to town.

They did as Jesus said.

And it's almost like they're surprised that they were even able to cast out the demons.

Remember, these 72 were 72 others.

They were different guys than the 12 that Jesus sent out on the first trip.

Before this trip, they weren't able to heal people or to cast demons out of people.

But now, in Jesus' name, powerful evil spirits are obeying them when they command them to come out.

And this is the cause for this joy that they have, this excitement.

Well, from here on, this passage becomes a little more difficult to understand.

And sometimes that happens when we're reading our Bibles.

We just get to a part where it raises more questions than it seems to answer.

And that's what we get in these next few verses.

Let's look at this next thing Jesus says.

And I think we'll see that pretty quickly here.

Jesus replied to the 72.

He said,

So the disciples give their report that the demons obey them in Jesus' name.

And Jesus responds with this.

I saw Satan fall like lightning.

From heaven.

And here's where the questions start.

What does that mean?

When did Jesus see this?

Why did he fall from heaven?

And Christians have put forward numerous suggestions about what Jesus meant here.

Some suggest that Jesus is actually reflecting back on what he saw even before he came to earth.

When Satan was thrown down to the earth.

Way, way long ago.

Others suggest that when Jesus says,

I saw Satan fall like lightning.

It means that Jesus had a vision.

Similar to how the prophets had visions.

Like the apostle John.

Others try and locate this fall of Satan in the future.

And relate it to what John describes in Revelation.

Where the devil is hurled to earth.

We read about that in Revelation.

That he's seeing what will happen very soon.

And some take this quite literally to mean that while the 72 were out and about casting out demons.

Jesus actually, with his human eyes, saw Satan fall to the earth.

And it looked like a lightning bolt.

And if that's the case, we're wondering, why did he fall?

At this moment.

And why was he up in heaven in the first place?

Was he thrown down to earth by God?

Or did he come streaking down of his own initiative when he saw these disciples winning victory over his underlings?

Casting out his forces?

It kind of raises more questions than there are answers.

Jesus doesn't answer any of these questions.

One thing that seems certain, though, from these words.

Is that as these disciples go out and cast all these demons out.

Jesus seems to be saying that a decisive blow has been struck against Satan.

Up until now, it may have seemed that his rule was uncontested.

Nobody could touch these evil spirits.

We heard about how they possessed people.

The demoniac comes to mind.

And how afflicted he was by legion.

Forcing him to do terrible things.

Hurt himself.

We heard about that earlier in Luke.

But now, that rule, that control is being threatened and challenged.

As Jesus sends these guys out.

In verse 19, Jesus explains that he has given these 72 guys authority to do these things.

He says, I have given you authority.

And we shouldn't skip over those words too quickly.

Isn't it a miracle?

That Jesus is able to just give ordinary men the ability to do the same miraculous things that he does.

To cast out demons.

And to heal people.

And what surprises me about all this is that it's not primarily a matter of power.

It's not as though Jesus just gives them, you know, touches each one of them and gives them a sort of healing touch.

That now they can kind of transfer it.

And do great things.

You know, when I imagine this transfer of power, I can't help but think along the lines of electricity.

Sometimes there's, you know, you got something that's charged up.

And then something that's got no charge.

And so you connect the two and it charges up the thing that's got no charge.

Now there's power over here.

Now this thing has the power to do stuff.

But this is not like that at all.

This has more to do with authority than power.

I have given you authority to do these things.

This is more like having, and this is not a perfect example either.

But it's more like having authority to withdraw from a loaded bank account that's not your own.

You're not the owner of the account.

But if your name is on the account and you are authorized by the owner, then you can take money out of it.

And the people at the bank, they have to comply with your request to withdraw.

Because your name is authorized on the account.

Maybe there's a little bit of that happening here.

It's as though Jesus is saying, you guys are surprised that the demons listened to you.

Well, they had to.

Because I authorized you guys to give orders to them.

And they have to listen to me.

If I tell them to listen to you, they have to listen to you.

Now, the details, as Jesus explains this, again, raise more questions.

We read in verse 19,

I've given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions

and to overcome all the power of the enemy.

Nothing will harm you.

Is Jesus speaking literally or metaphorically when he talks about trampling on snakes and scorpions?

That's the main question here.

Is he talking about how they will step on actual snakes and scorpions

and even sometimes maybe be bit or stung?

How they will face all manner of physical dangers,

but miraculously they will not be harmed?

Or is this metaphor,

is Jesus referring to the demons?

Are they the snakes and the scorpions that they will trample on?

It's interesting that this language of trampling,

and even of trampling snakes and scorpions,

was used before in the Old Testament.

Psalm 91 says this in verse 9 to 13,

If you say,

Could Jesus even be alluding to these very verses?

Maybe for you, as you heard the trampling on snakes,

you even went back further than that

and thought of what God said to the serpent

all the way back in the Garden of Eden

about how his head would be crushed.

I think, personally, I lean towards the metaphorical understanding.

Not that the disciples will be able to endure snake bites

and scorpion stings without harm

because of their authority,

though there is that time where Paul was bit by a snake

and was unharmed.

But the real dangers, the greater threat,

is the spiritual forces of evil.

Their sting and their bite is far more deadly.

And the authority given by Christ, I think,

is to trample over them.

We also see that statement

right at the end.

Nothing will harm you.

And I think we need to be careful with those words

that we're reading them in the context here.

The disciples will endure many things.

Some, like Trophimus and Epaphroditus,

we read about how they get sick.

Others, like Paul, will be beaten

and stoned, even, on one occasion.

Many of them will later be killed

for their faith in Jesus.

And so this statement that nothing will harm you,

I don't think it means that you'll be invincible

as you go forward.

You won't suffer anything.

It may mean simply that the evil spirits

that you run across from now on

will not be permitted to do anything to you.

Evil men, on the other hand,

they'll still be able to oppose

and threaten and harm,

but the devil and his demons?

No.

I'm taking that away from them.

Finally, in verse 20,

Jesus sort of wraps up this conversation,

or at least the first part of it,

by pointing their attention to something

far more significant.

Verse 20, Jesus says,

however, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you,

but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.

We might read this account and go,

wow, wouldn't it be awesome to be able to just go around

and cast demons out of people

and heal people?

And it was awesome for these 72 guys.

But there's a far greater,

a far more important thing

than having authority over evil spirits

and even doing miracles.

And that's having your own name

written in heaven.

And what does that mean?

To have your name written in heaven.

Well, if you've been a Christian for a while

and have read through the Bible,

you probably know what that means.

But maybe you're here today

and you've never heard about this.

Throughout the Bible,

there are about a dozen references

to a book that God has.

Specifically,

a book in which the names of his people

are written.

We first hear about it in the days of Moses

and the Exodus.

The people of Israel sinned against the Lord.

They created this golden calf idol

and began to worship it.

And God was very upset.

And Moses kind of comes into the gap

and he tries to intercede for the people

and bargain with God in a sense,

using his own life to save them.

In Exodus 32, we read this.

Moses says to God,

But now please forgive their sin.

But if not,

then blot me out of the book

that you have written.

And the Lord replied to Moses,

Whoever has sinned against me,

I will blot out of my book.

So we hear about this book

that God has

much later on in the days of Daniel,

the prophet.

We hear mention of this book again

and names that are written in it.

Daniel's being told in a vision

about what will happen in the distant future.

And this is the words

that are being spoken to Daniel.

At that time,

Michael,

the great prince who protects your people,

will arise.

There will be a time of distress

such as has not happened

from the beginning of nations until then.

But at that time,

your people,

everyone whose name is found

written in the book,

will be delivered.

Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth

will awake,

some to everlasting life,

others to shame

and everlasting contempt.

So there, again,

there's this book

that God has

with names written in it.

And it seems connected

to who will be delivered,

who will be saved,

and to who will rise

to everlasting life,

and who will rise

to everlasting contempt.

It's mentioned again

in Philippians chapter 4,

Philippians 4:3

verse 3,

and this is just kind of

casually offhand

as Paul is speaking

to the Philippian believers

in the church.

He's talking about

disagreements that they've had.

And he says,

yes, I ask you,

my true companion,

help these women

who've been fighting

with each other

since they have contended

at my side

in the cause of the gospel,

along with Clement

and the rest of my coworkers,

whose names

are in the book of life.

Paul seems to use it

to refer to those

who have salvation

through faith

in Jesus Christ.

And then finally,

in the very last book

of the Bible,

God gives a vision

to the Apostle John

about how everything

will come to an end.

And it's a mysterious vision.

It's kind of like a dream

that's full of symbols,

and those symbols

correlate to future realities.

And in this vision,

there are about six mentions

of the book of life.

And it's called

the Lamb's book of life

because of the Lamb

in John's vision

who very obviously

represents Jesus.

He is the Lamb of God

who was slain

to atone for His people's sins.

And at the very end

of Revelation

comes the final judgment.

It talks about

the final judgment

of all the living

and the dead.

And John tells us

what he sees

in Revelation 20,

Revelation 20:12

verse 12.

He says,

I saw the dead,

great and small,

standing before the throne,

and books were opened.

Another book was opened,

which is the book of life.

The dead were judged

according to what they had done

as recorded in the books.

The sea gave up the dead

that were in it.

And death and Hades

gave up the dead

that were in them.

And each person was judged

according to what they had done.

Then death and Hades

were thrown into the lake of fire.

The lake of fire

is the second death.

Anyone whose name

was not found written

in the book of life

was thrown into

the lake of fire.

These are sobering words.

This book of life

has names in it.

And whether or not

your name is written

in the book of life

corresponds to whether

you are thrown

into the lake of fire

or not.

The implication here

in this passage

in Revelation

is that all are found guilty.

When the books

are opened up

it's seen that

we have all sinned

against God.

We are all guilty.

But those whose names

are not written

in the book of life

they get what they deserve.

And those whose names

are written

in the Lamb's book of life

are spared.

Well what happens

to them?

If we keep reading

in Revelation

the next chapter

talks about

a new heaven

and a new earth

and a new city

of Jerusalem

where God will live

with his people forever.

It reflects

those who will

the language we use

is go to heaven

or enter the kingdom.

And

it's a picture

of a glorious city

where there is

no more sadness

pain

or death

where God will live

in close relationship

with his people

forever.

And it says there

in Revelation 21

Revelation 21:27

verse 27

nothing impure

will ever enter

that city

nor will anyone

who does

what is shameful

or deceitful

but only those

whose names

are written

in the Lamb's

book of life.

And so the book

of life

is God's

register

of those

who truly

belong to him.

Those who have

faith in him.

It reflects

those who will

as I said before

go to heaven

or enter

the kingdom.

The names

there are

those who will

rise from the

dead to eternal

life with God.

The names

there are

those whose

sins have been

forgiven because

they trusted

in the Lamb

of God

who died

to atone

for them.

And so

back to

Jesus

and his

conversation

with the 72

do not

rejoice

that the

spirits

submit to

you

but rejoice

that your

names

are written

in heaven.

Far more

important

than what

these

disciples

were able

to accomplish

and the

authority

that they

had

and the

victory

that they

experienced

as they

had all

these

encounters

with the

demons

far more

important

is the

reality

of where

each

of them

stands

with God

and whether

their names

are written

in heaven

in the

book of

life.

When you

compare the

two of

those things

side by

side

the things

that they

did

versus

where they

stand

with God

one is

not worth

rejoicing

over

and one

is.

And I

think Jesus

is being a

little bit

he's using

hyperbole here

to make a

point of

course they

were right

to celebrate

that the

demons

submitted to

them in

the name

of Jesus.

But what

he's saying

is that

compared to

that

that's

not even

worth

celebrating

compared to

the reality

the more

important thing

of where

you stand

with God

and if

your name

is written

in the

book of

life

that is

true cause

for joy.

almost

nothing

is as

important

as this

and maybe

this is where

some of our

brothers and

sisters have

lost a little

bit of

perspective.

Some are

out there

saying that

real maturity

in the

Christian life

is when we

come to have

faith like

these 72

guys such

that we

can now

cast out

demons and

go out

and do

miracles and

signs and

wonders in

the name

of Jesus.

And really

what they're

doing is

they're making

the things

that we do

for Jesus

into the

great thing

and where

we stand

with Jesus

is kind

of down

here and

it's less

important.

Jesus just

flips that

whole thing

upside down.

Far more

important than

what we might

do for

Jesus is

where we

stand with

Jesus.

Whether our

names are

written in

heaven,

in his

book,

work,

that's

what's

worth

rejoicing

over.

That a

person has

just gone

and cast

out a

bunch of

demons and

healed a

bunch of

people in

Jesus'

name in

comparison,

that's not

worth rejoicing

over,

says Jesus.

And now

we see why

as we look

at that

description

in

Revelation.

Revelation

the final

outcome for

those whose

names are

written in

God's book

versus those

whose aren't

is that's

there that we

see why this

is so important.

It's the

difference between

who belongs to

God and who

does not.

It's the

difference between

who will get

what they deserve

for their sins

and who will

not.

it's the

difference between

being thrown

into the

lake of

fire and

entering into

God's

glorious

kingdom to

live with

him forever.

The big

question is,

is your

name written

in heaven?

Is your

name written

in the

book of

life?

God's

name written

if you're

unsure about

it, I

just want to

put these

words of

Jesus in

front of

you.

This is the

message Jesus

proclaimed as

he went from

place to

place.

The kingdom

of God has

come near.

Repent and

believe the

good news.

And to

repent just

means to

turn away from

our sinful

life and to

turn to

God.

God's

It's a

relational

thing.

It means to

seek forgiveness

from him.

To admit the

things we've

done wrong and

ask for him to

forgive us.

That's all it

means.

The good

news, which I

say a lot, but

you can never

really rejoice

over it enough,

is that God

sent Jesus to

take the

punishment we

deserve for

all the sins

that we've

committed to

atone for

us.

That's what

his death

on the

cross was

all about.

It was a

sacrifice of

atonement.

The good

news of

Jesus is

that if we

simply trust

him and

believe in

him, we

will be

saved.

We will be

spared on

that day when

the books are

opened.

Our names

will be in

the book of

life.

Listen to

these words of

Jesus, some

of my

favorite.

He said,

Very truly, I

tell you,

whoever hears

my word and

believes him

who sent me

has eternal

life and will

not be judged

but has

crossed over

from death

to life.

Do you hear

the words of

Jesus?

Do you

believe God

and the

words that he

speaks through

Jesus?

If so, the

promise is you

have eternal

life.

You will not

be judged.

You will not

be condemned

on that day.

Your name

will be found

in the book

on that day.

Maybe you're

here and you've

known for a

long time that

your name is

written in

the book

of life.

Sometimes we

can get

fixated on

what's going

on in

our world

or the

troubles

that are

happening in

our own

lives and

we find

ourselves

down and

discouraged.

Jesus says

that this

is a reason

for rejoicing

that our

names are

written in

heaven.

If your

name is in

God's book

we're looking

forward to

heaven.

We're looking

forward to

being with

God forever.

we're looking

forward to

walking those

streets of

gold in

that glorious

city in

that wonderful

kingdom.

That'll be

the end of

all of our

troubles.

And it's

easy to lose

sight of that

sometimes isn't

it?

One way that

we can be

reminded of the

goodness of

heaven is

just to open

our Bibles

once in a

while and

flip to those

last two

chapters of the

book.

Revelation 21

and 22 and

just read what

Jesus said it

will be like.

If you're

feeling down or

discouraged I

want to

encourage you

maybe even

this week to

just open up

to those two

chapters and

spend some time

just reading and

reflecting on

what Jesus said

heaven will be

like.

And it

really is

cause for

joy.

to know that

because our

names are

written in

the book we

will be

there.

Let's

pray.

Father in

heaven I ask

that you would

work in each

of our hearts

and that you

would press

into our

hearts this

great question

of whether

our names

are in your

book and

that you

would speak

the truth

to us.

The truth

we need to

hear.

Give us

assurance and

comfort if

they are.

And give us

an unsettled

conviction if

they're not.

And a clear

understanding of

what we need

to do to

be sure that

they are.

Help us to

view everything

going on in

our lives with

this forward

looking faith in

what you

have promised.

Thank you

that you

have a

plan.

And that

you are going

to bring it

to pass and

that there

will be a

great victory

at the very

end of our

world story no

matter what

we face

today.

I pray that

you would

encourage all

of us that

you would

fill us with

joy.

We ask this

in your

son's name.

Amen.

Amen.