The authority which the Lord had given to the seventy disciples included the power to overcome demons who were opposing the gospel they were proclaiming. Their authority in Jesus’ name included the ability to “trample on serpents and scorpions”. As they were going about from place to place, there was a very real danger from both serpents and by scorpions. It would seem as though Satan, the enemy, was attempting to stop their mission by using serpents and scorpions to poison them. Satan in the Garden of Eden came the form of a serpent to tempt Adam and Eve. Because of the authority and power Jesus had given the 70 disciples, however, no such dangers could defeat or hinder them, so long as they were doing what Jesus had commanded them to do.
Now Jesus turns his disciples to a better joy. He says in Luke 10:20, “Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven.”
Jesus told His disciples that rather than rejoice in their power over the demons, “they should rejoice in that their names were written in heaven”. Initially, the disciples were caught up in their conflict with the spirit world, because in Christ’s name they had power over demons. Jesus told them that they instead should be rejoicing in their relationship with God. These disciples had not been recruited from the ranks of the priests and rabbis, the religious leaders of the day ---- the ones who were supposed to have a monopoly on such healing power. They came from the ranks of the common people. They were accustomed to earn their living ''by the sweat of their brow'' as the writer of Genesis describes it ---- for instance, through catching and selling fish. So what had happened on this mission was indeed a new and exciting experience for them. But Jesus gave them something more serious and important to be excited about. Having their names written in heaven is much more important than anything that could happen on earth like having power over demons.
Joy at the prospect of having power over evil spirits is nothing when compared to the certainty of knowing that you have a eternal relationship and an eternal future in heaven with God through Jesus Christ. This occurs when you put your faith and trust in Jesus for your eternal salvation. “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved”, Acts 16:31 All those who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ have their names written in the “Book of Life” which is in heaven, Revelation 20:15. This means they will never have to face the judgment of God also described in this Revelation 20.
Jesus saw the danger of the disciples placing their joy in the abilities he had given them, so he told them that their confidence should not be in what they had done, but rather in the knowledge that their names were written in heaven.
And how could they know that? Only by trusting in Jesus. This is the important issue. We humans have a tendency to put our trust in anything other than God: our deeds, our abilities, or even our spiritual gifts, as in this case. Like Abraham, (“Abraham believed God and it was credited to him for righteousness” – Romans 4:5) we have to learn to trust what God says about how we are saved. Everything will ultimately depend on it. It is not based on our good works or belonging to a church and doing good things. Salvation is from God—it is his gift apart from any merit we have. And God has given us the wonderful capacity and freedom to receive the gift of eternal life by believing in Jesus Christ. “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” Romans 6:23.
This will result in the true joy of knowing God through Jesus Christ and that we have an eternal future in heaven because God records our name in his “Book of Life” and it can never be erased.
Author: John Spence