Jesus Sends Out the Seventy Two
Theme: Good News to Share
Theme Verse: "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." John 10:10b NIV
Readings: Luke 10: 1-24
Memory Verse: "He told them, 'The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.'" Luke 10:2
Just as Jesus earlier sent out the 12 disciples (who became apostles, so after Jesus talked about the cost of discipleship (Luke 9:57-62), he appointed and sent out 72 others to go to every place he was about to go. Jesus may be sending us ahead of him, to people he is about to visit. Prayer: Lord send me into your harvest fields. Help me to prepare people to receive you. Jesus wants us to go and spread his word. Word received: If you do not go, how will others hear?
Then Jesus tell them how to pray: "Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field." Then Jesus says, "Go, I AM sending you"!!!!!!! Are we prepared for God to answer our prayers through us??? Are we praying this? Look again at the Memory Verse. Prayer: Lord, it is your harvest and your harvest field, not ours; help us to go forth to labor in your harvest fields with humility. Just as John prepared the way for Jesus, so their job was also to prepare the way for the Lord.
Prayer: Lord, teach us how to pray for your harvest and how to go about interceding for it. (See Luke 11:1) Word received: I want My people to come to Me asking Me to teach them to pray. I will bless that request.
The Seventy-two would not be alone. Jesus sends them out two by two. Remember how Jesus said, "Where two or three are gathered together in My Name, there I AM in the midst of them." (Matthew 15:20) That way they would always have prayer support and the core of a church. Also as Jesus said before his ascension, "Lo, I AM with you always."
The Seventy-two receive the same kind of instructions as the Twelve did. They will need to trust God! 1.They are going out as lambs among wolves. As Jesus said in Matthew Be innocent (of wrong doing) as lambs (Innocent not naïve) , and as wary and shrewd as wolves. 2. No suitcase or backpack, no money, no extra anything! 3.Stay in the same house the whole visit and eat whatever they give you. 4.Do not greet anyone on the road. (see note) Jesus has given them a plan of how to share, where to go and what to do. Word received: I always have a plan. Ask Me and I will show you the way.
When the Seventy-two disciples are welcomed in a place, they are to heal the sick and tell them, "The Kingdom of God has come near to you." In the gospel's healings and what we call miracles, are often called "signs and wonders". A sign and even a wonder points beyond itself. It points to God's presence and power, to what kind of a kingdom it is and who Jesus is. Later Jesus told the Scribes and Pharisees that even if they didn't believe what he said, they should believe because of the works he did.
As before, if they are not welcomed, they are to leave the place--but warn them (both symbolically and literally). Here Jesus (vs 13-15) the Jewish towns of Galilee (God's people) unfavorably with the Gentile towns of Tyre and Sidon! We shouldn't take it personally or be surprised when we are rejected for proclaiming and obeying Jesus, because "he who rejects you, rejects me, and he who rejects me rejects Him who sent me." People are really rejecting Jesus and his Father who sent him!
Prayer :Lord Jesus, give us your eyes and ears to see who needs to hear about you. Then give us the boldness to step out and share.
The Seventy two returned with joy. They are so excited that even evil spirits are obeying them at the Name of Jesus. Jesus also rejoices that the Father has revealed this to simple people "babes" and hidden it from those who were "wise", those that prided themselves on their learning and thought themselves superior to the ordinary people. BUT first, Jesus warns them that they have their attention on the wrong place--it should not be on the power Jesus has given them (which is real) but on the salvation God has given them! Focus on salvation and God, not power and yourself. Jesus rejoices in the Holy Spirit about the way God has planned these things--to give gifts of healing, etc, to ordinary people and that God has done them through his Son, so that people might come to know the Father through the Son.
"In that hour Jesus rejoiced in the Spirit and said, 'I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in your sight'" (Luke 10:21) A word received: Look at the choice my father made: to reveal the gospel to the weak and the lowly. It was that way at my birth and throughout my life and it is true today. I want you to rejoice that your names are written in my Book of Life. Give thanks to God whenever we see his work.
"All things have been delivered to me by my father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal him." (Luke 10:22) Word received: I chose you before you chose me. Rejoice, I have chosen you to go and bear much fruit.
"Then he turned to his disciples and said privately, 'Blessed are the eyes which see the things you see;'" (Luke 10:23) Word received: Thank me for blessing you with sight and hearing. All around you many are stumbling in the dark. Who will go to them with the light of the gospel?
"for I tell you that many prophets and kings have desired to see what you see, and have not seen it, and to hear what you hear, and have not heard it." (Luke 10:24) Word received: Pray for my people to desire to see what I want to show them and hear what I want to say to them.
Look at Hebrews 11:13-15, 39 and 12:1-2 for those who longed to see what the disciples saw (Jesus himself, healing, evil spirits submitting, etc, but it wasn't time yet. God has visited his people. The time is fulfilled and has come near. God's timing is always perfect but if we are not listening to the Lord, we may miss it--like many of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
NOTE: "Do not greet anyone on the road." Greetings and salutations usually consisted of good wishes and solemn blessings. A common form and is certain situations the form was "Peace be unto thee and peace be to thy house." (It was NOT SHORT.) Think of the "Peace" and the response in the Sunday morning service. I think if the peace was not returned you would know it. Abraham and Lot rose to meet passing strangers and offered them hospitality. Greetings were often withheld from people of a different religion because it might lead to fellowship and blessing a bad cause. Messengers might be told not to greet anyone on the way because it was nota mere 'Hi" and a nod, but a deep obeisance or prostration. It had certain forms and would involve delay. a horseman or chariot driver would dismount. The King's business requires haste and takes top priority. There is at least one story in the Old Testament about a messenger who stopped to greet someone and got in big trouble.
Teaching Ideas for Lesson 20
Please read the Study Guide first. Go over Memory Verse to make sure the children understand it and then if they have memorized it.
Remind them their parents need to sign a report slip monthly if they have read the lessons, so they will get credit at the end of the year.
Make sure they know what happened in the story. Get them to tell you.
Basic points of the lesson for little ones:
1 .Jesus wants us to share the Good News of salvation with others.
2. If we ask Him, Jesus will show us how to pray and who to talk with. (God has a plan.)
Jesus will also give us the words to say, so we don't have to be afraid.
3. Jesus will always be with us, so we will never be alone.
4. We need to thank God and keep our attention on Him whenever we see Him work, and not on ourselves when He uses us to do something.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment