Reflective Bible Study

As we continue moving through Luke’s gospel, two episodes ago, we looked at Jesus sending out the twelve disciples on a short-term evangelistic trip. Then in our last episode, we looked at several of Jesus’ disciples failing to cast one demon out of a child when they had been successful earlier. In this episode, we circle back around and discover Jesus sends the disciples out on another mission trip.

However, while the earlier trip was limited to the small group of twelve disciples, it appears as though this second commission includes a much larger group of people that Jesus sends out. Let’s read what happened, and what Jesus shares to this group of followers as He sends them out.

Our passage is found in Luke’s gospel, chapter 10, and we will read from the Good News Translation. Starting in verse 1, Luke tells us that:

¹ After this the Lord chose another seventy-two men and sent them out two by two, to go ahead of him to every town and place where he himself was about to go.

Pausing briefly, it is interesting that in this first verse, Luke tells us that these followers were sent in a similar fashion as John the Baptist, who was sent ahead of Jesus’ arrival. These followers are given specific instructions and in many ways, what Jesus tells these followers next is a message to every single person God has called and adopted into His family. While Jesus has already come, He is coming again, and what Jesus describes here could be just as easily applied to us living and looking forward to His grand return!

Continuing in verse 2, Jesus:

 ² [He] said to them, “There is a large harvest, but few workers to gather it in. Pray to the owner of the harvest that he will send out workers to gather in his harvest. ³ Go! I am sending you like lambs among wolves. ⁴ Don’t take a purse or a beggar’s bag or shoes; don’t stop to greet anyone on the road. ⁵ Whenever you go into a house, first say, ‘Peace be with this house.’ ⁶ If someone who is peace-loving lives there, let your greeting of peace remain on that person; if not, take back your greeting of peace. ⁷ Stay in that same house, eating and drinking whatever they offer you, for workers should be given their pay. Don’t move around from one house to another. ⁸ Whenever you go into a town and are made welcome, eat what is set before you, ⁹ heal the sick in that town, and say to the people there, ‘The Kingdom of God has come near you.’ ¹⁰ But whenever you go into a town and are not welcomed, go out in the streets and say, ¹¹ ‘Even the dust from your town that sticks to our feet we wipe off against you. But remember that the Kingdom of God has come near you!’ ¹² I assure you that on the Judgment Day God will show more mercy to Sodom than to that town!

¹³ “How terrible it will be for you, Chorazin! How terrible for you too, Bethsaida! If the miracles which were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, the people there would have long ago sat down, put on sackcloth, and sprinkled ashes on themselves, to show that they had turned from their sins! ¹⁴ God will show more mercy on the Judgment Day to Tyre and Sidon than to you. ¹⁵ And as for you, Capernaum! Did you want to lift yourself up to heaven? You will be thrown down to hell!”

¹⁶ Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever listens to you listens to me; whoever rejects you rejects me; and whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me.”

With those parting words, the 72 followers are commissioned to go to the towns ahead of Jesus.

However, before reading their report back to Jesus about what they experienced, I want to draw our attention onto two big ideas.

First, included in the challenge to the disciples getting ready to head out is a warning for some of the major towns and cities in Jesus’ day that ultimately rejected Jesus’ message. Jesus draws our attention to Judgment Day and how these towns would be shown less mercy on Judgment day than He would to several notoriously evil cities in history. This frames the big context of this message and mission of these followers as preparing the way for Jesus’ arrival. These 72 followers were tasked with challenging towns, cities, and villages Jesus was planning on visiting and preparing the hearts and minds of those present to receive Jesus.

Like earlier, Jesus tells His followers they would be rejected and to simply leave the town, and not take any part of the town with them. These 72 followers were not tasked with forcing people to believe in Jesus. They were simply commissioned to share about Jesus with those who were willing to listen!

The second big idea I see in Jesus’ commission to these disciples is when He tells them in verse 16, “Whoever listens to you listens to me; whoever rejects you rejects me; and whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me.” This is a powerful statement, and I believe this is just as relevant today as it was in the first century. Just like those living in the first century were awaiting Jesus’ arrival leading up to Judgment Day, we too are awaiting Jesus’ return leading up to Judgment Day. This means that this message may be just as relevant to us as followers of Jesus looking forward to the day He returns.

Jesus tells us that those who listen to His message through us are really listening to Him, and those who reject us aren’t really rejecting us. Instead, when we face rejection, we should realize these people are really rejecting Jesus, and not just Jesus, but God as well.

In this simple statement, Jesus challenges us to not become proud about the words we speak, because we are simply a messenger for Jesus. In the same way, we should not take rejection personally, because those who reject us aren’t rejecting us as much as they are rejecting Jesus and God.

This is a powerful truth to remember, and one that hopefully will encourage you as you walk through life with Jesus!

With this said, what do Jesus’ followers report back to Him when they return?

Picking back up in verse 17, Luke tells us that:

¹⁷ The seventy-two men came back in great joy. “Lord,” they said, “even the demons obeyed us when we gave them a command in your name!”

¹⁸ Jesus answered them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. ¹⁹ Listen! I have given you authority, so that you can walk on snakes and scorpions and overcome all the power of the Enemy, and nothing will hurt you. ²⁰ But don’t be glad because the evil spirits obey you; rather be glad because your names are written in heaven.”

In this event, we discover that these followers of Jesus are given the same experience that Jesus’ twelve disciples had experienced earlier. These 72 followers are able to cast demons out with Jesus’ name, and heal people. I believe Jesus sent out this second larger group of followers because He wants us to know that amazing miracles and Jesus’ mission are not reserved for only Jesus’ closest followers. Anyone and everyone who follows Jesus can tap into the Holy Spirit’s power as they point people to Jesus.

The mission of God’s people at every point in history has been pointing people back to what God and Jesus have done for us, and pointing us to His arrival and return. The Old Testament prophets pointed people forward to Jesus’ first coming, and all of God’s messengers from the first century forward to today, point us towards Jesus’ return.

However, while this sounds amazing, Jesus wants to focus our attention back onto a big truth. While it may be exciting to have the Holy Spirit with us, we should be even more excited that when we follow God, our names are written in the Book of Life in heaven. In the big picture, it won’t matter what we have done for God. What will matter is whether our names are among those who God is planning on redeeming from sin and bringing with Him into eternity!

As we come to the end of another podcast episode, here are the challenges I will leave you with:

As I always challenge you to do, intentionally seek God first in your life and choose to trust Him with whatever the future holds. In the big picture, the only thing worth focusing on is making sure that your name is written in the Book of Life in heaven, and that happens when we accept Jesus into our hearts, minds, and lives and let Him transform us into being ambassadors and representatives for Him.

Also, continue praying and studying the Bible for yourself to learn and grow closer to God each and every day. The most important relationship we can have is a relationship with God, and because of this, don’t let anyone get stuck between you and God. Jesus wants a personal relationship with you because He loves you more than you can possibly imagine!

And as I end every set of challenges by saying in one way or another, never stop short of, back away from, chicken out of, or walk away from where God wants to lead you to in your life with Him!

As we continue forward in our journey through prophecies and connections we can find between the Old Testament and Jesus’ ministry, we come to another prophecy that’s found in the book of Isaiah, and this particular prophecy is fascinating in my mind. However, while the prophecy itself is powerful, while preparing for this podcast, I noticed an intriguing change of phrasing that most people might miss.

Also within the opening verses of this chapter, we find more than one description that is applicable to Jesus and His ministry.

With this said, let’s dive in and read our Old Testament prophecy and discover how it points forward to Jesus. This prophecy is found in the book of Isaiah, chapter 42, and we will read it using the New American Standard Bible. Starting in verse 1, Isaiah writes:

¹  “Behold, My Servant, whom I uphold;
My chosen one in whom My soul delights.
I have put My Spirit upon Him;
He will bring forth justice to the nations.
² “He will not cry out or raise His voice,
Nor make His voice heard in the street.
³ “A bruised reed He will not break
And a dimly burning wick He will not extinguish;
He will faithfully bring forth justice.
⁴ “He will not be disheartened or crushed
Until He has established justice in the earth;
And the coastlands will wait expectantly for His law.”

⁵ Thus says God the Lord,

Who created the heavens and stretched them out,
Who spread out the earth and its offspring,
Who gives breath to the people on it
And spirit to those who walk in it,
⁶ “I am the Lord, I have called You in righteousness,
I will also hold You by the hand and watch over You,
And I will appoint You as a covenant to the people,
As a light to the nations,
⁷ To open blind eyes,
To bring out prisoners from the dungeon
And those who dwell in darkness from the prison.
⁸ “I am the Lord, that is My name;
I will not give My glory to another,
Nor My praise to graven images.
⁹ “Behold, the former things have come to pass,
Now I declare new things;
Before they spring forth I proclaim them to you.”

In these opening verses to this chapter in Isaiah, we find not one but two prophetic statements about the coming Messiah. However, I suspect that we won’t have enough time to cover them both without this being a much longer than normal podcast.

However, before I shift to focus on something intriguing that I saw in the first portion of this passage, I’m sure that if you have spent any time in the gospels, you can see how the last portion of this prophecy was fulfilled in how Jesus lived His life. In the last portion of verse 6 and into verse 7, Isaiah writes:

“And I will appoint You as a covenant to the people,
As a light to the nations,
To open blind eyes,
To bring out prisoners from the dungeon
And those who dwell in darkness from the prison.”

I cannot help but see these phrases as being fulfilled in Jesus’ ministry, as Someone sent to be a light to the nations, as someone who healed the eyes of blind people, and as someone who spiritually freed people from the dungeon of sin. Jesus did several miracles within His ministry where these ideas from Isaiah’s writing are clearly fulfilled.

However, the first few verses of Isaiah’s prophecy are quoted in the book of Matthew when describing Jesus, but when we look closely at how they are quoted, there is an interesting anomaly.

Let’s read this quotation from Matthew’s gospel. This prophecy is quoted in Matthew chapter 12. This chapter begins with Jesus’ disciples picking grain from a field they were passing through one Sabbath, and it then transitions to a miracle-healing Jesus did at the synagogue, presumably that same morning. This trip to the synagogue didn’t end well, and the religious leaders leave there with the intent to make plans for how to get rid of Jesus.

Starting reading from verse 15 of Matthew chapter 12, Matthew tells us:

¹⁵ But Jesus, aware of this [specifically the intention of these leaders and their plotting against Him], withdrew from there. Many followed Him, and He healed them all, ¹⁶ and warned them not to tell who He was. ¹⁷ This was to fulfill what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet:

¹⁸ “Behold, My Servant whom I have chosen;
My Beloved in whom My soul is well-pleased;
I will put My Spirit upon Him,
And He shall proclaim justice to the Gentiles.
¹⁹ “He will not quarrel, nor cry out;
Nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets.
²⁰ “A battered reed He will not break off,
And a smoldering wick He will not put out,
Until He leads justice to victory.
²¹ “And in His name the Gentiles will hope.”

In this Old Testament quotation, the way this prophecy ends is completely different than in Isaiah’s original. While I suspect that there is some variation between the Hebrew and Greek Old Testaments, and that most of the variation we see between how these two prophecies are worded is a result of this early translation between Hebrew and Greek, I don’t know either of these original languages to be able to validate this suspicion.

However, with the way this prophecy ends, on the surface, it looks like Matthew clearly changed the phrase since it sounds like almost a completely different idea. In Isaiah’s original prophecy, the last four lines which are at the end of verse 3 through verse 4, are:

“He will faithfully bring forth justice.
He will not be disheartened or crushed
Until He has established justice in the earth;
And the coastlands will wait expectantly for His law.”

However, when Matthew quotes this idea, he summarizes Isaiah’s four phrases down to two, by saying at the end of verse 20 and into verse 21:

“Until He leads justice to victory.
And in His name the Gentiles will hope.”

While both the original and Matthew’s quotation talk about Jesus the Messiah bringing forth justice, the last phrase sounds completely different. Isaiah writes about the coastland waiting expectantly for God, or the Messiah’s law, while Matthew writes, or interprets the original to mean that in the Messiah’s name, the Gentiles will hope.

I suspect some people might find this discrepancy between the Old and New Testament as a reason to doubt, but not me. While my maps of Israel and Judah show the territory given to the nation of Israel in the Old and New Testaments as stretching to the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, from how the New Testament describes the region, I get the impression that the cities along the coast were much more secular. While not named specifically, if I remember correctly, Tyre and Sidon were both in northwestern part of Israel and along the coast, though I don’t remember if they were specifically within Israel’s borders or just outside of them. Both of these towns were known for being filled with non-Jews and for being secular. It wouldn’t surprise me if more towns along the coastline in Israel were similar.

However, not only are Gentiles roughly connected with the coastland in this adapted interpretation. Also connected are the Messiah’s name, we could understand this name to be Jesus, and His law. While I will leave it up to you whether you want to interpret the phrase “His Law” to mean Jesus’ law, the Old Testament Mosaic law, the Ten Commandments, or some other understanding, it is fascinating that Matthew takes this prophecy and connects Jesus’ name with some understanding or fulfillment of a Law. The context of this is in relation to reaching out to Gentiles living in the coastlands, not specifically on reaching those who were already converted.

Some of you might wonder why this is relevant, especially since we are living so far removed from the context of this prophecy. For me, this prophecy, and Matthew’s adaptation, are very relevant, because in these verses, I see the truth that in order to understand who Jesus is, we must look at Jesus’ life from within the context of His Law. Again, I will let you fill in whichever definition of the law you want to use, but whether you choose Jesus’ new command, His simplified two greatest commandments, the Ten Commandments, or even the whole Mosaic law, Jesus’ life only makes sense through the lens of these laws.

Elsewhere in Jesus’ ministry, He describes how He came to fulfill the law, and His fulfilling the law is different from abolishing it. I suspect Matthew understood this, and He wants those who study His gospel to pick up on the nuance that we need the Law to be able to understand Jesus.

Jesus lived the requirements of the law so that when we fail at these same requirements, we have an intercessor who understands our situation. Jesus paid the penalty for breaking the law so that we can be given the reward He deserved while He freely took the punishment we deserved. This is the gospel message. While some might extend this to mean that grace is cheap, those that do can only do so if they cheapen Jesus’ sacrifice for sin. The Law, mixed with grace led Jesus to and through death, and when we ally and align ourselves with Jesus, we have the assurance that He is able to lead us to and through death, and into an eternal life with Him.

As we come to the end of another podcast episode, here are the challenges I will leave you with:

As I always challenge you to do in one way or another, continue to seek God first in your life. Accept Jesus’ sacrifice into your heart, your mind, and your life, and intentionally ally your life with His while stepping forward towards eternity.

Also, as I regularly challenge you to do, continue to pray and study the Bible for yourself to grow closer to Jesus. Through prayer and Bible study, discover just how much Jesus loves you and what He was willing to face in order to give you the opportunity of salvation.

And as I end every set of challenges by saying in one way or another, never stop short of, back away from, chicken out of, or let Satan trick you into leaving where God wants to lead you to in your life with Him!