joy of nine9

The seventy-two disciples returned from their mission rejoicing and said to Jesus,“Lord, even the demons are subject to us because of your name.” These men were blown away by the power in the very name of Jesus and  He affirmed them, even added to their excitement by explaining  that their ability to cast out demons is evidence of more than they can imagine.  If they saw the demons as subject to them, Jesus saw Satan actually falling from heaven,  falling “lightning” fast.  The mission of the seventy-two was but a preview of what was to come because Jesus saw Satan as being defeated completely , his power and authority  overthrown once and for all.

If they destruction of Satan was good news, and cause for rejoicing, their salvation was even better news, and cause for an even deeper joy. In a very gentle way, Jesus told them that they should rejoice in their salvation.  Initially, the disciples were caught up in the fact that in Christ’s name they had power over evil but Jesus told them that they should be rejoicing in their relationship with God, rejoicing  that they now belong to God.

Then Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure. All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and no one knows who the Father is except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him”  Those whom we would have expected to recognize Jesus as Messiah (the “wise and learned”) did not (it was hidden from them), while those we would least have expected to recognize Him (“little children”) did . “Little children,” such as the disciples, were untaught and, as yet, uneducated, and yet they recognized Jesus as God’s salvation.

Finally, he turned to his disciples and said privately, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. For I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it” . This sentence always brings tears to my eyes because we too are privileged to recognize and receive Jesus as the Messiah. We can also rejoice in that the salvation that the Old Testament saints yearned to see, but did not. We too see with our eyes and to hear with our ears the fulfillment of the hope of the all the ages. Here is the reason for exuberant joy.

Ponder: Do I take my salvation for granted? Do I realize how blessed I am to have been born  after the death of Christ and in a Christian country, probably to Christian parents?

Pray: Lord shine your light on  unbelievers. Grant them eyes to see and ears to hear and give me the right words to write so I may be a flame of light that reveals you.