Today we will be reading from Luke 10:17-24:

¹⁷ The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, “Lord, in your name even the demons submit to us!” ¹⁸ He said to them, “I watched Satan fall from heaven like a flash of lightning. ¹⁹ Indeed, I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will hurt you. ²⁰ Nevertheless, do not rejoice at this, that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”

²¹ At that very hour Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. ²² All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”²³ Then turning to the disciples, Jesus said to them privately, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see! ²⁴ For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see but did not see it and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.”

Today we see the 72 (the larger amount of disciples, there is a difference between them and the 12. And then even within the 12, we see a smaller group of Peter, James, and John) return from ministry, and man, oh man, they are pumped.  

They had accomplished great things.  I mean, truly great things. They are giving testimony to God’s goodness.  They are testifying to how God has used them for great things. Amazing, awesome things have happened, and they are just amazed at it. They just can’t stop praising God and talking about it. 

Jesus rejoices with them.  He tells them how He saw great things happen; He knew God was doing wonderful things through them. But then He says this, don’t rejoice at what has happened; rejoice that your names are written in heaven. 

That’s the real victory. Not what we do for Jesus or even what Jesus does through us. What is real victory is that we are His. That we are in the palm of His hand.  Real victory is not what we do; real victory is who we are.  We are His.  We are His children.  We are the sheep of His pasture.  We are loved by an amazing awesome God.  That is the most important thing. That’s what really matters.  That is the real victory.  

Your great victory, your greatest glory for Jesus, is not what you do for Him.  

Your real victory is that you are His.  You are loved by Him.  You are called by Him.  You are His. 

Don’t just rejoice today in what you.  Rejoice in who you are.  You are His. That’s the real victory.  

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