Luke 10:17-20

Two hundred thirty-four years ago today, the Continental Congress approved the Declaration of Independence.

On August 2, 1776 the Continental Congress signed the famous engrossed copy. John Hancock, President of the Congress, was the first to affix his signature. “There, I guess King George will be able to read that!”

Our “John Hancock” is very important.

Luke 10:17-20

If you’re reading from the KJV, you notice that Jesus sends out 70, not 72. The Greek manuscripts differ. They differ so much that we aren’t sure what was the original Greek. It doesn’t matter, for the meaning isn’t affected.

These disciples return from their commission with great joy. “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!” (v 17, ESV). Jesus: “Do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven” (v 20, ESV).

The Scriptures speak of several books God keeps in heaven.

The book of the living. Apparently, this book contains the names of everyone currently living upon the earth. “The Lord will not be willing to forgive him, but rather the anger of the Lord and his jealousy will smoke against that man, and the curses written in this book will settle upon him, and the Lord will blot out his name from under heaven” (Deut 29:20, ESV). “Let them be blotted out of the book of the living; let them not be enrolled among the righteous” (Ps 69:28, ESV).

There is a book that contains the names & deeds of all people. “The dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done” (Rev 20:12, ESV).

There is a book that contains the names of the elect. “At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book” (Dan 12:1, ESV). “All who dwell on earth will worship [the beast], everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain” (Rev 13:8, ESV).

There is a book of those faithful to the Lord. “Then those who feared the Lord spoke with one another. The Lord paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the Lord and esteemed his name” (Mal 3:16). “Yes, I ask you also, true companion, help these women, who have labored side by side with me in the gospel together with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life” (Phil 4:3, ESV).

Jesus tells these disciples not to rejoice that they have power. Why should they not rejoice over this great power?

Never before had God given such power to mortals. Demon possession was a serious disease in the first century. One demon caused a little boy to fall into fire & water (Mt 17:14-18). A man with a demon “lived among the tombs. And no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain, for he had often been bound with shackles and chains, but he wrenched the chains apart, and he broke the shackles in pieces. No one had the strength to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always crying out and cutting himself with stones” (Mk 5:3-5, ESV).

Why not rejoice that God had given this power to morals? This was the power of God!

“Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!” (v 17, ESV). Christians never had control over what gift they received. The Gospel “was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard, while God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will” (Heb 2:3-4, ESV).

What does that have to do with us on Independence Day?

How often do we boast in our riches & freedoms? We must never forget that it is God who has made our nation what it is. “The Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will” (Dan 4:25, ESV). “There is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God” (Rom 13:1, ESV).

Benjamin Franklin: “All of us who were engaged in the struggle must have observed frequent instances of superintending providence in our favor. To that kind providence we owe this happy opportunity of consulting in peace on the means of establishing our future national felicity. And have we now forgotten that powerful friend? Or do we imagine that we no longer need his assistance? I have lived, Sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth — that God governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without his aid?”

“Rejoice that your names are written in heaven” (v 20, ESV).

Why should the disciples rejoice so that their names were written in heaven?

They could control whether or not their names were written in heaven. There was nothing they could do about what gift God had given. There isn’t anything we can do about the power of the US. Our salvation rests in our own hands. “Save yourselves from this crooked generation” (Acts 2:40, ESV). “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” (Phil 2:12, ESV).

Their “John Hancock” in heaven would last throughout all eternity. The spiritual gift of healing would soon end. “As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away” (1 Cor 13:8, ESV). Our American citizenship will one day end. We might be citizens until we die. Another nation might – in God’s great sovereignty – overtake the United States. Regardless, we are citizens of heaven. “Our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body” (Phil 3:20-21, ESV).

Having our “John Hancock” in heaven will last forever. “The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels” (Rev 3:5, ESV).