THE LATER JUDEAN MINISTRY

-The Mission of the Seventy Disciples and Their Return

-Luke 10:1-24

-Special Note on the placement of events beginning with the sending out of the seventy disciples:

-“With this chapter begins the great body of material peculiar to Luke, comprising some of the

 most glorious teachings the Saviour delivered to mankind, and making this some of the most

 interesting writings in the sacred scriptures” (Coffman, 1975, pg 213).

-H. Leo Boles, in his commentary on the book of Luke (pg 214) indicated that he felt that the

 sending out of the seventy disciples probably took place while Jesus was still near Capernaum in

 Galilee, prior to His traveling to Jerusalem for the Feast of Tabernacles.  However, A.T.

 Robertson and J.W. McGarvey/Philip Pendleton place the sending out of the seventy disciples

 with the later Judean ministry.

            -At this point “…we have matters given by Luke only, which probably occurred in Judea. 

             Several of them are similar to events and discourses of the ministry in Galilee, given by

             Matthew and Mark” (Robertson, pg 120).

            -“Luke has told us of the journey through Samaria to Jerusalem, and John has told us what

             occurred at The Feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem.  We learn from John also that Jesus was

             at the Feast of Dedication (John x.22).  The first feast was in October and the latter in

             December.  Jesus evidently spent the time between these feasts in Judea, making a tour of

             that province and sending the seventy before him, thus thoroughly evangelizing it as he had

             Galilee, by sending out the twelve” (McGarvey/Pendleton, pg 472).

-So, it seems that John focused on the events of the Later Judean Ministry that specifically took

 place in Jerusalem while Luke included those things that took place in the region of Judea

 overall.

-The Sending of the Seventy - Verses 1-16

-Verse one lends support to the idea that Jesus conducted a tour of Judea between the Feast of

 Tabernacles and the Feast of Dedication.  Notice the statement, “whither he himself would

 come.”

-Jesus now sends 70 other (“other” = not including the apostles) disciples out before Him with

 instructions very similar to those given to the apostles when they were sent out during the third

 tour of Galilee (page 35 of our study).

            -These seventy disciples are now being sent forth with the same purpose and in the same

             manner as the apostles previously were.  The harvest was still plenteous and the laborers

             remained few - truly a timeless statement.  They would be lambs among wolves -

             proclaimers of the truth in a sinful world.  They were to go without taking the time to make

             provisions.  They were to accept and appreciate the things offered by those who would be

             hospitable.  They were not to seek better provisions by going “house to house.”  Instead,

             their focus/purpose in going house to house and out amongst the people was to heal the sick

             and spread the word about Jesus and His kingdom.

            -When they were rejected, they were to shake the dust of that city from off their shoes.  In

             other words they were to press onward.  Woes were once again pronounced toward the cities

             that rejected Jesus and the ones He sent.  These are not necessarily additional woes toward

             these specific cities which had been previously named during the Galilean ministry.  These

             woes were directed toward cities that rejected the disciples in the like manner as the cities

             named had previously done. 

-The Return of the Seventy - Verse 17-24

-Once again we see similarities to the process that involved the apostles with their tour of Galilee.

 Just as they were reunited to Jesus and gave a report of their actions, these 70 disciples did

 likewise.

            -“The report of the seventy is more joyful than that of the twelve, for the sayings of the latter

             on their return were overshadowed by the news of John the Baptist’s death”

             (McGarvey/Pendleton, pg 473).

            -Of special interest to these disciples, and a source of their joy, was the fact that they had the

             ability to cast out demons. 

                        -What a crushing blow this must have been to Satan!  Not only were he and his demons

                         subject to Jesus, they were now suffering defeat at the hands of Jesus’ disciples.

                        -Jesus stated, “I was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning” (vs 18, NASB).  “In

                         their successes Jesus saw Satan falling from lofty heights with the swiftness of lightning. 

                         The overthrow of Satan was then in progress - John xvi. 11; xii. 31” (ibid).

            -Jesus informed the 70 disciples that they had been given power over the enemy.  Some have

             mistakenly applied this passage to all disciples in all times and have, as a result, foolishly

             involved themselves with the handling of poisonous snakes as an exercise of religion.  Even

             though it is true that we are given the example of Paul’s protection from such a danger (Acts

             28:3-6), the context bears out that the words, “power to tread on serpents and scorpions”

             should be taken as symbolic of the works of Satan.  Again, through Jesus, victory is assured.

            -Jesus then informed these disciples that they had a much greater source of joy - the

             assurance that their names were written in heaven.

                        -There is no greater source of joy than contemplating the fact that our God in heaven is

                         willing to consider us faithful and therefore acceptable in His sight.

-In the involvement, joy and success of the disciples, Jesus rejoiced and prayed to God.

            -Let us not forget to pray in times of rejoicing also and not just in times of difficulty.

            -In Jesus’ prayer we find this fact:  Those who consider themselves to be wise and prudent in

             this world reject God’s truth while those who are spiritually humble and meek receive it.

            -Jesus had been given all authority on earth by the Father.  Those who would accept His

             identity and adhere to His teachings would have the Father revealed to them. 

-Jesus then turned to the disciples and made a statement that, when we seriously contemplate it,

 is quite fascinating.

            -These disciples were extremely fortunate to see these things!  “The Old Testament prophets

             like Isaiah, and kings like David, Hezekiah, Jehoshaphat, and Josiah longed to see the

             fulfillment of the promise in the coming Messiah, and to hear the wonderful truths he would

             reveal, but did not see the one nor hear the other.  They lived and died in the hope and faith

             that these things would be accomplished.  We live in the full light of that kingdom already

             set up, and yet how little do we realize the force of these remarkable words of Jesus! (2 Sam.

             23:5; Job 19:23,24; Isa. 52:7,1; 1 Pet 1:10)” (Boles, 1940, pg 222).

            -We should contemplate these words and be overwhelmed with the idea of how fortunate we

              truly are to be living on this side of the cross with the completed revelation of God’s truth

              readily available to us!