Well, Sebastian, my eight year old,started summer camp today. So my morning scripture study partner is not with me(we'll be switching to evening study for summer), but I pray the Lord will minister through this anyway...grace and peace!
God's purposes for the salvation of the world are going forward and you are a part of it! This, Jesus says, is much better than the authority you have over spirits. Your names are written in heaven, this should be the cause of great celebration!
Jesus has had a clear vision of the heavenly reality that their ministry had accomplished. 'I saw the satan fall like lightning from heaven', He says. Who is this mysterious satan that Jesus is referring to? The one he overcame in a personal way in the wilderness, the one whom even his disciples were now casting down from authority and the one whom he would ultimately overcome by the cross and resurrection.
Satan means 'accuser', he is the "Director of Public Prosecutions in God's heavenly council" (Job 1v6-12; 2v1-7; Zechariah 3v1-2) This accuser, however, had gone out into the world in order to incite things for which to accuse, with his ultimate goal to even accuse God himself for making such a creation that needs saving. So of course his primary target is Israel and ultimately the Messiah, this would have been the ultimate victory, if he could trick Jesus into self destruction. Jesus, however, had beat him in the wilderness and now his disciples were destroying his works and showing him up for what he was, someone who wanted to accuse God by destroying His good creation from the inside out. So a major part of Jesus ministry was, as its written, to destroy the works of the devil. He would do this by the decisive victory won on the cross and ultimately attested to by the resurrection. This opened the Way for the redemption of the world, God's new creation in which evil and death would ultimately be removed.
Yes, indeed. Your name's have been written in heaven and you ought to rejoice with your King in this, because a New Heaven and New Earth, where Righteousness dwells is our ultimate hope, a hope that is being tasted every time a stronghold of satan is torn down, every time one sinner repents and turns back to God through His Son...the Way, the Truth and the Life, Him to whom all things have been handed over to by the Father.
So, may we go forth in the anointing of our great Lord and Savior, because He has sent us into the world just as He was sent into the world. God's future purposes for His good creation are going forward in the Messiah...these things the ancients strongly desired to see and so blessed also are your eyes if you come to see and your ears are opened to hear. Amen
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