WWUTT 2376 Woe to Unrepentant Cities (Luke 10:13-20)

Jesus Sends Out the Seventy-Two and Warns of Rejection

Jesus sent out his disciples with the ability to cast out demons. Nonetheless, Jesus said, do not rejoice in this that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.

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Here's your teacher, Pastor Gabe.

Thank you, Becky. In our study of the gospel, according to Luke, we've been in chapter 10, where Jesus sent out the 72, really it's the 70, and I'll explain that here in a moment. So after the 72 have gone out and done all of the amazing things that Jesus sent them out to do, casting out demons, healing the sick and so forth, and all of the towns that they entered, they report back to Jesus all that they had seen and done.

So we're going to pick up the text here with Jesus issuing woes to unrepentant cities, and then the report of the 72. So let me begin here, Luke 10, verse 13, hear the word of the Lord. Woe to you, Chorazin, woe to you, Bethsaida, for if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.

But it will be more bearable in the judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you. And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You shall be brought down to Hades. The one who hears you hears me, and the one who rejects you rejects me, and the one who rejects me rejects him who sent me.

The 72 returned with joy, saying, Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name. And he said to them, I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you.

Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven. Now going back to what we read last week about the 72, this was the lesson that we did on Wednesday.

Jesus sent out many disciples, not just the 12. We had the sending out of the 12 at the start of chapter 9. We have the sending out of the 72 at the start of chapter 10. And he sends them into all of these towns and villages to which they will go ahead of.

Him.

He is going to go into those places, but first he sends these disciples out. And there are many other disciples that follow Jesus than just the 12, as I had illustrated to you before. And he says to these disciples that when you enter a town and they don't receive you, go into the streets and say, even the dust of your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off against you.

Nevertheless, know this, that the kingdom of God has come near. And Jesus said in verse 12, I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town, because they saw these miraculous signs that verified that the message that came to them was from God.

Sodom did not see such incredible signs or miracles done in its midst. If it received any sign from heaven, it was the fire and brimstone that rained down upon.

It.

So it will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgment. It will go better for Sodom than it will for the town that rejects these disciples who come in the name of Christ. For as Jesus says in verse 16, the one who hears you hears me and the one who rejects you rejects me and the one who rejects me rejects him who sent me.

So these were going out as messengers of the son of God. And if the people did not listen, they even rejected the miracles that verified that this word came from God, the judgment would be great upon them.

So we begin this portion that we're looking at today with the woes that Jesus issues to those towns that would not believe. And then he has a message in particular for those disciples to rejoice that their names were written in heaven.

The Judgment on Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum

So let's look at the woes first here in verse 13. Woe to you, Chorazin. Woe to you, Bethsaida. And these are both towns that are on the northern end of the Sea of Galilee and about the same region as Capernaum.

For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago sitting in sackcloth and ashes. Now this is a verse I've been asked about several times before. I remember one young man saying to me, as a matter of fact, do you mean to tell me that if miracles had been done in Tyre and Sidon that they would have repented and come to.

The Lord?

Then why didn't God spare them? If he knows that their hearts would have been turned to the Lord if they just saw the right thing, then why does God keep that from them and destroy them instead? Well, a couple of responses to that.

Number one, he's God and he does what he pleases. If he wants to spare a people, then he is right for doing so. And if he wants to bring judgment upon a people, then he is right for doing so. In our church right now, we are going through Romans and in chapter three, it is said there that let God be true though every man a liar and that he would be justified in all that he does.

So if God brings judgment upon a person, they are always deserving of it. They have done wickedly. They have rebelled against God. There is no injustice in God. Even if he knew if I showed them this, they would eventually repent.

No, God is just to bring judgment on those who do wickedly and tire inside and we're certainly wicked cities. So there's that. And that's really the most reasonable explanation to understanding that passage and what Jesus is saying here.

However, I'm going to go a little bit extra and say, I really think that Jesus is just speaking hyperbolically here. I don't think he's saying that in his knowledge, which of course he possesses divine knowledge.

He is all knowing as God is all knowing. So Jesus would certainly know if the hearts of those entire inside and would have turned if miracles had been performed in their midst. He would know that about their hearts for we have it said in numerous places in the gospels that Jesus knows what's in the heart of man.

So he would have known that even about tire inside and however, again, I think Jesus is just speaking in sort of an exaggerated manner here as to as to bring the point home that you got to see miracles tire inside and didn't get to see miracles.

You saw these miraculous signs performed in your midst and you didn't believe what could be said of all these other cities that received judgment and they didn't get to see miracles like you saw. So the judgment will be will be greater upon you than it will be upon tire inside and that's evident in what Jesus is saying here in these woes that he issues to these cities.

The greater judgment is going to be upon those who saw the most and yet did not believe tire inside and didn't get to believe those things. If they saw those things, they would have repented. Again, I think Jesus is being hyperbolic there.

That's my theory, of course, conjecture on my part. But I do think that's what Jesus is implying that tire inside and still would have come into judgment. But their judgment is not going to be as great as the judgment that's going to come upon chores and in Bethsaida because they saw even greater things than tire inside and did now tire inside and again are both cities that are along the Mediterranean.

They're a little bit more to the northwest of the Sea of Galilee chores and in Bethsaida right on the northern end of the Sea of Galilee and tire inside and are further to the northwest and tire is one of those cities, by the way, that has a really fascinating prophecy attached.

To it.

It was prophesied about in Ezekiel chapters 26 through 28. I think it is in chapter 26 Ezekiel said this about the judgment that would come upon tire. They shall destroy the walls of tire and break down her towers.

I will also scrape her dust from her and make her like the top of a rock. It shall be a place for the spreading of nets in the midst of the sea for I have spoken it says the Lord and they shall lay stones and timber and dust in the midst of the water and I will make thee like the top of a rock you shall be built upon no more for I the Lord have spoken it.

Okay, there's a prophecy concerning the destruction of tire and it was just a few years after Ezekiel declared this that Nebuchadnezzar the second of Babylon brought his army to tire and laid siege to the city for 13 years, but tire withstood this attack from the Babylonian and finally the walls of the city were destroyed the Babylonian army poured in they put the remaining inhabitants of the city to the sword.

However, there were thousands of them that had fled and they actually went out into the.

Sea.

So tire was right there on the coast right along the Mediterranean these thousands that managed to escape they went out into the sea to a little island and they refounded the city of tire there. And now the city was even more fortified now, it's even more protected in before because it's out in the middle of the sea.

So what happens next? Well, the king of Babylon doesn't lay siege to the city and for hundreds of years. It actually was thought of as something like well that prophecy about tire was wrong because the city did survive look at how strong it is now.

It's even out there in the Mediterranean on an island who can get to it now who's ever going to tear down tire it's it's again a fortified city. It's got walls as as it had before but in a place where no one could get to it.

So 250 years goes by and then another conqueror comes along to take it out. This man's name was Alexander the Great and in order to get to tire he grabbed cedars from Lebanon. He took the stones and dust from the ruins of the previous tire and he had all these carried out to the water and piled up in the water so that there was a highway that was built from the mainland out into the water to get to the new tire.

And indeed Alexander and his army got there and destroyed the city in fulfillment of exactly what Ezekiel said remember it was said of their destruction. They shall lay stones and timber and your own dust in the midst of the water and I will make thee like the top of a rock.

What did Alexander do grab the stones from the previous tire it's dust timbers so on and so forth created a bridge to get his army out there so that he could lay siege to tire and destroy even the new city that had been built and sure enough that was done.

And then as God said that this would be a place for the spreading of nets you can actually go online today you can get on Google and you can Google spreading of fishing nets at tire and you can find pictures of it the ruins of tire with fishermen having spread their nets to dry them out there on the on the rocks that used to make up this great city exactly what was prophesied in Ezekiel and and these things fulfilled hundreds of years apart from one another so that it couldn't have been something that Ezekiel changed a little bit later on down the line just one of those incredible prophecies and I love coming to that one in particular when I'm showing somebody how prophecy in the Bible was fulfilled.

Even history verifies that what Ezekiel had prophesied did in fact come true. So this is the tire inside and that Jesus is referencing here and though great destruction came upon them and that destruction was prophesied about them yet it would be worse for those in chores and in Bethsaida who saw the the the miraculous works of God in their midst who even had heard the teaching of the Savior himself the Son of God had come tire inside and didn't even get to see that so the judgment will be worse for these cities that saw and yet did not believe verse 14 it will be more bearable in the judgment for tire inside.

And then for you and you Capernaum verse 15 will you be exalted to heaven. You shall be brought down to Hades. Remember that Capernaum was kind of a base of operations for Jesus. It's believed that's where Peter lived and Jesus had healed Peter's mother-in-law and so he would stay there in Peter's home and they would kind of go out from Capernaum which was referred to as a home city of Jesus.

He grew up in Nazareth lived for a time in Capernaum. So that place was where the Son of God dwelled in his earthly ministry and yet they did not believe in him and so would be brought down to Hades. Now the reference to these cities of course Chorazin Bethsaida Capernaum this is a reference to the people who lived there not speaking of them in some sort of abstract sense but those people that made up these cities that did not believe in Jesus.

And so Jesus says this next line in verse 16 is to those disciples that he had sent out the one who hears you hears me he's sending them out with his word to proclaim his power that he gave to them so that they would have authority to heal the sick and cast out demons and otherwise.

And the one who rejects you Jesus said also rejects me. And the one who rejects me rejects him who sent me. We know elsewhere that Jesus has said to his disciples remember when they hate you they hated me.

First Peter said the same thing to the church that we would be hated because the world hated him for our desire to be godly just because we wouldn't join them in their flood of debauchery they would malign us as said in first Peter chapter 4 it's because they hate God as if we're not supposed to take it personal but but it is the Lord whom they hate and so therefore it is his followers that they have also rejected.

They reject God. The one who rejects me Jesus says rejects him who sent me. In this next portion we have the 72 returning. I'm saying the 72 because the ESV still reports it being 72. But as I said on Wednesday this is actually the 70.

There are textual variants to this and it's divided among scholars as to which were the earliest even among the manuscript evidence. But 70 I have argued is the most accurate because that's a common number that comes up throughout scripture and it's often a reference to nations.

And so because and that goes back to the table of nations in Genesis 70 nations that are listed there. So where you have Jesus sending out 70 disciples to go and preach the message of the kingdom it is a representation of the 70 nations that will receive the gospel 70 being a number that represents those nations.

There's more nations than that in the earth now. But that's just what that number represents. So as he's sending them out to preach the message of the kingdom it would be to all the nations who would receive it.

Hence why there's 70. So when this when the 70 returned with joy saying lord even the demons are subject to us in your name they're rather proud of themselves and I think even amazed at what they were able to accomplish.

Indeed Jesus said to them you're going to have this authority to be able to do this. But they're still surprised at being able to cast out demons. I mean that would shock anybody. Right. If you were to pray over somebody who is demon possessed and a demon were to come out of them and there would be some sort of obvious sign that this person was under an evil power.

And now that evil power is gone. I mean that would be pretty alarming. You would recognize I suddenly have power over even spiritual forces. So here they come to Jesus and say even the demons are subject to us in your name.

And Jesus says in verse 18 I saw satan fall like lightning from heaven. Now this phrase also has a number of interpretations a lot of different arguments as to what Jesus meant by this. I saw satan fall like lightning from heaven.

What is he referring to. Is he referring to something that happened in the past. So he's making a reference to the fact that he is the one who was sent down from heaven. So he is seen before satan fall.

And if Jesus is referring to it in that sense it's almost as if to say to the disciples don't be so surprised by this. Or Jesus even to say I'm not surprised by this. I've seen satan fall like lightning from heaven.

So you come with this shock and awe. But I'm telling you I've seen greater things than this. And that would make sense. I mean you could make an argument for that being the case Jesus talking about satan having fallen at a time past because of what is said in verse 20 he says to the disciples do not rejoice in this that the spirits are subject to you but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.

The amazing thing is not that you're able to cast out demons. The amazing thing and that you give God glory and credit for is that he has saved you and has written your name in the book of life. That's what you should be rejoicing over.

So again that might be the reason why it could be a reference to Jesus having seen something in the past. Satan had already fallen like lightning. You know when he was cast out of heaven with the rest of the demons and so forth.

It could be something present. It could be something that Jesus had seen as the disciples were going out and doing this. So he was able to see something spiritual in a spiritual realm take place satan falling like lightning from heaven and lightning indicating something immediate and even loud because of the thunder that follows.

So because of the preaching of the message of the kingdom the power of satan has diminished. It's been knocked down substantially and Jesus observed that he could see that. It could still be a statement of like don't boast in your ability to have power over these demons because I've seen even greater things than this it could still be a reference to that.

But it's something that Jesus even observed in the present as the disciples had gone out and done this thing in those towns preaching the gospel and doing these mighty works. The other possibility is that Jesus is referring to something in the future because we have in revelation chapter 12 you have the the casting out of satan and he his his tail sweeps a third of the stars that would go down with him revelation 12.

For his tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven and cast them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth so that when she bore her child he might devour it.

So that could be something that is a reference to something that takes place in the future. I don't really hold that view of revelation by the way I'm just giving you all the different possibilities of what could be meant here in Luke 10 with Jesus saying I saw satan fall like lightning from heaven.

However you understand it it is clear that his power has been diminished by the work of God that is being done during this time of Jesus earthly ministry. So in verse 19 behold I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions.

And that's also figurative language so not literally serpents and scorpions but rather those things that would devour the spiritual forces in in those dark places like has said in Ephesians 6 10 be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood but against the rulers against the authorities against the cosmic powers over this present darkness against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

And so Jesus they're saying with this authority that they have to tread over serpents and scorpions is that power and authority that they have even over those spiritual powers that would devour. You have power over all the enemy and nothing shall hurt you.

Luke 10 19. Another way of saying no one will snatch you out of my hand that Jesus holds on to them and he keeps them secure and Satan can do nothing against them. God will accomplish his purpose through them.

And then finally this verse 20 that I've already quoted to you. Nevertheless do not rejoice in this that the spirits are subject to you. That's not the amazing thing. The amazing thing is that your names are written in heaven.

And so rejoice in God that he has shown mercy to you and has promised you entrance into his eternal kingdom. And so my friends the same for us of anything that happens for you today good or bad anything that happens to you over the course of your life.

The greatest thing is that through faith in Jesus Christ who died for us who rose again by faith in him. Your names are written in heaven. And that's something to rejoice in God for every day. What a great good savior we serve.

Satan has no power over us because we are upheld by the mighty and loving power of God. Heavenly Father we thank you for what we have read today. And I pray that would be an assurance for us a comforting message that Satan certainly has power and has said in first Peter chapter 5.

He he prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. But we're promised according to Romans 8 that not even these spiritual forces have any claim on us. We belong to Christ and nothing can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Let that be a hope and peace for us today as we walk in obedience unto you. Our savior who loves us. It's in Jesus name we pray. Amen.

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