Tuesday morning felicitations and greetings to you, friend!
Read Luke 10:1 – 20 (again).
As we have seen during the past two studies, this passage contains the account of Jesus sending forth the seventy, following His sending out the twelve disciples as recorded in Luke 9. According to today’s scripture, the seventy were to go (vv1) “two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go.”. In other words, they were sent out ahead and commissioned to pray, preach peace, and do miracles in preparation for the actual arrival of the Messiah Himself. Does this commission sound familiar to you? This same commission is certainly timely!
So, in concluding our consideration of this passage, we will look at two overarching themes:
First, let us examine vv 16 – “He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me.” – this is Jesus speaking to the seventy after acknowledging that He (and the seventy, and each one of us) would encounter those that would reject the Gospel and remain unrepentant, despite the “mighty works” that they would see. My brother, as you carry forth the message of salvation through Our Lord Jesus, you will face rejection and opposition. But always remember – according to Jesus, that rejection is not directed at you, but is actually a rejection of both Him and The Father. Here is how the apostle Paul encourages us to share the message of Jesus in the face of rejection (Philippians 1): “Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel, and not in any way terrified by your adversaries, which is to them a proof of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that from God. For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake”.
And the second point to consider during this reading: this entire evangelical effort is being made prior to the death and resurrection of Our Lord Jesus! And the Gospel message of salvation is made that much more powerful through His resurrection – just consider the following:
Acts 4: “And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all.”
Romans 1: “separated to the gospel of God which He promised before through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures, concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.”.
I Corinthians 15: “For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures”.
I Peter 1: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,”.
My friend, when it comes to sharing the Gospel, you and I have an advantage over “the sent seventy”! In addition to prayer, and peace, and miracles, we have the fulfilled promise – the amazing and powerful and undeniable truth of the risen Christ that we can declare.
Lord, you are indeed “the way, the truth, and the life”, and You alone are the Hope that this world so desperately needs! Give me opportunities to proclaim Your gospel today! Help me to always be bold in declaring Your salvation and the power of Your resurrection in the face of rejection! Amen!