Come and See What We Treasure!
The God Who Writes Your Name!
Luke 10:17-20 

† IHS †

May the grace, mercy and peace of God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ cause us to celebrate together the amazing victory of our name being written in heaven!

The Battle Isn’t the War

One of my favorite authors was a man named Alexander Kent, and his primary character for 28 books was a 19^th century British naval captain named Richard Bolitho.

In one of the early books, as he was promoted to captain, his crew, which hadn’t been in a battle in the ship’s 6-year existence, barely survived a battle with another slightly larger ship. As his men celebrated, he told his first lieutenant to stop the celebration, stating that they didn’t have a victory to celebrate, as much as they should be relieved they didn’t die that day. He would later lead them to capture a ship that was nearly 3 times their size at one of the greatest naval battles in history. Not only that—but an even larger French ship being towed by the first ship, which never fired a shot, surrendered to his as well!

That was something they should and did celebrate, a lesson learned—winning the battle isn’t winning the war!

It’s like a football game I saw recently, where the winning team had a new coach, and they were playing a average opponent, and they treated the coach like he won the super bowl…and poured 10 gallons of Gatorade over him! The last coach would have had a few quiet words with the leaders, warning them they could get blown out in the next game..

That was what it was like, for the apostles to be rejoicing that they could toss out a few demons, heal a few people and preach a good sermon or two…

You see there was a much larger war, and greater battles, and a victory that we could really celebrate…forever! That is why Jesus said, ²⁰ But don’t rejoice because evil spirits obey you; rejoice because your names are registered in heaven.”

Law and Power

When I was thinking through the passage, I was thinking I do the same thing as the 72. I take great joy at the victories that occur—victories that have significant visible impact to people, that I get to witness or be involved in…yet are only the opening battle of the war!

An example is when someone joins the church, or comes to church for the first time, or even lets us pray for them.

And we forget that from that moment on, there will be temptation and trials, they will need to be encouraged and lifted up when they fall! The little victory points to the promise of the big victory, yet we settle for the minor victory, as if that is enough.

It is like diapers, and the great joy when parents are freed from them! The parents are so excited! That’s why it is good for younger parents to have some older folk to turn to, who can say, :sure—you are good now…you survived diapers, but now you the terrible twos and threes… and then the teenage and twenties are coming!” Ask some of the older people here… there are a few battles still coming. And the war. Well…

The comfort of the word of God and the sacraments point to something much greater.

Gospel

The promise of our baptism I failed to mention earlier was that we have been given the promise of eternal life, a life without trials or tears, temptations or trauma—and the gift of the Holy Spirit who guarantees that victory.

That is the victory that Jesus is talking about, when he tells the 72, “rejoice because your names are registered in heaven.”       

The word for registered is a little more forceful in the original Greek language. It means to etch or engrave – to put a permanent mark in stone or some permanent source, not just putting ink or led to paper, papyrus or vellum.

It’s permanent – like the Hebrew word used here, “¹⁶  See, I have written (etched) your name on the palms of my hands. Isaiah 49:16a (NLT2)

A friend of mine loved that verse, as it helped him think of this idea of our names being registered engraved in heaven in a far deeper way. He connected it to the nail scars in Jesus’ hands at the cross, and therefore, the reason our names are in heaven is that is where He is.

We were united to Him in his death when we were baptized. There are a lot of ways that the Bible explains our being united to Christ, but our being sealed to Him in baptism.

Out names etched on His hands, His name sealing us, embossing His name in which we are baptized on our hearts and minds

Both indicating the nature of the relationship-an irrevocable relationship, a relationship which will extend into heaven.

This is why we rejoice—a victory like no other, for God has declared and engraved our names in heaven—we belong there…

That is why in Revelation we hear one more time of a name written,

^12b   And I will write on them the name of my God, and they will be citizens in the city of my God—the new Jerusalem that comes down from heaven from my God. And I will also write on them my new name. Revelation 3:12b (NLT2)

This is why Jesus wanted the apostles to look past the temporary victories, as powerful as they were. For this salvation, this deliverance, your name written in heaven where we shall dwell, is forever. AMEN!