However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven (Luke 10:20).
Jesus sent out 72 disciples, two-by-two, into the towns and cities he would soon visit. Jesus told them to heal the sick in these towns and to tell the people "the kingdom of God has come near to you" (Luke 10:9). Can you imagine what it would have been like to be one of those disciples?
They did heal the sick, and they did tell the people the kingdom was near. And when they reported back to Jesus, they told him, "Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name" (Luke 10:17). Needless to say, these 72 disciples accomplished some amazing things as they went out in the name of Christ.
They experienced great joy in those accomplishments. Who wouldn't? They were advancing Christ's work in Israel. They were making a difference. They were doing something that mattered. And, to top off their experience, they exercised authority over the demons.
This authority was impressive to them. It was the first thing they told Jesus, and you can imagine, it would have been the first thing they told their friends. But as impressive as this may have been, Jesus was quick to tell his disciples that there was something even better and more impressive; something that could give them a deeper joy.
It was simply this: "rejoice that your names are written in heaven." Our greatest joy in life is in knowing that we belong to Christ, that we are saved and our names are written in the book of life. That trumps everything else.
Being involved in the work of the Lord is richly rewarding and deeply satisfying. But there is a deeper joy to know and experience. As Jesus told his disciples, that joy is in knowing that your name is written in the book of life. It is the joy of knowing that you have been saved by grace and that you are now a child of God. Rejoice today that you have been saved completely by Jesus through his death, burial and resurrection.
In Him,
Bob Christopher