At one point in Jesus’ ministry, he took 72 disciples and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. When they completed their assignment, they came back to Jesus to report. They were extremely excited, as we all would be, that even the demons had “to submit to us in [Jesus’] name.”
Jesus’ response was that He had given them all power to trample the power of the enemy, but if they were going to rejoice it should be rejoicing that their names were written in heaven. [Luke 10:1-20]
Then Luke reports Jesus began to pray. “At that time 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.’” [v21]
Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, praised His Father. That Greek word for “full of joy” means “to jump for joy, be exceedingly glad, and rejoice greatly.”
What made Jesus jump for joy? His Father’s pleasure in revealing great spiritual truths to those who come to Him as little children. It was not the wise, the religious counsellors, the kings, the rulers, or the priests who saw the power of the enemy submitting to the name of Jesus, it was the common, every-day people who came to Jesus and trusted Him when He sent them out “like lambs among wolves.” [vs 3]
Beloved, it may seem like we are “lambs among the wolves” and that the wolves have all the power, but when Jesus sends His lambs into the battlefield, He gives them all the power they need to trample the works of the enemy. And while we rejoice in that, our greatest rejoicing – our jumping for joy – comes because our names are written in heaven.
