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Apr 07, 2026 06:00am

Walking Through Luke: Rejoicing in the Father’s Will

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What is something you like to celebrate?

Our celebrations usually center around holidays and anniversaries. Often, the two categories overlap. Independence Day and Thanksgiving, for example, are anniversaries of significant events in American history. Christmas is the day we set aside to mark the anniversary of Jesus’ birth. Easter is the anniversary of His resurrection. Our own birthdays are simply the anniversary of the day we were born.

There might be other reasons to celebrate—a promotion at work, a graduation, or milestones that mark important moments in our lives.

This year, I turned thirty. In the months leading up to it, I dreaded the day. As it drew nearer, though, I became calmer. I took stock of my life and realized how blessed I am and how good the circumstances surrounding me were as I entered the next decade. By the time my birthday month arrived, I wasn’t dreading it anymore. In fact, I was eager. When the day came, I found myself enjoying the time spent with my wife and daughters. I had a good day. I celebrated. There was no party this year, but the time with my family was enough. I’ve had a few birthday parties in the past, though, and I look back on each of them as special times spent with those I love.

One year—I must have been turning ten or eleven—I wanted my birthday party to be pirate-themed. The Pirates of the Caribbean films were popular at the time, and I wanted a pirate party. I had every detail planned, explaining a scavenger hunt I wanted to have in our house and backyard (forgetting that if I created the scavenger hunt, I would already know where everything was hidden), along with all the games and party favors I wanted. I talked about it so much that when I told one friend about it, he interrupted me and finished my sentence exactly as I was going to say it. I didn’t realize I had already told him all the details! I was just excited.

In the end, I did get a pirate party, and there was a scavenger hunt—but we had it at our church instead of at home, and my parents took creative liberties. So, I didn’t end up knowing where everything was hidden. Even so, it remains one of my favorite childhood memories.

Parties and celebrations are wonderful. They give us time to enjoy the joy of an accomplishment or anniversary without distraction or burden. And there’s nothing wrong with stepping away from trouble for a little while. If we pause and look, most of us can find something in our lives to celebrate.

In Luke 10:17–24, we find the seventy-two disciples Jesus had sent out returning to Him. This doesn’t mean they all came back at once. Most likely, they returned in groups over several days or weeks. But eventually, they gathered together—and they were excited. They celebrated the power God had given them to perform miracles, so much so that even demons submitted to their authority. Of course, that was exciting. It must have felt like they were carrying a portion of Jesus’ power with them.

Jesus responded, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.” He had authority over Satan himself, so naturally, He had the authority to give His followers power over lesser forces. He gave them authority to survive dangerous circumstances, including poisonous creatures and anything else the world—or Satan—could throw at them. To them, it must have felt like they had become invincible.

But Jesus tells them something surprising: they should not celebrate because they had authority over demons. Why not? Wasn’t that something worth celebrating? Yes—but He was redirecting their focus to what mattered most: that their names were written in heaven. Their salvation—their place in God’s kingdom—was secure. That is what matters eternally. Surviving danger and commanding demons were temporary experiences. Those abilities would not last forever, but their salvation would.

Then Jesus began rejoicing Himself, perhaps showing them the kind of praise He wanted them to have. With His heart focused on God, He praised the Father for revealing truth to His disciples. The mysteries of the Gospel had been hidden from the wise and powerful—not because God didn’t love them, but because He knew that those with childlike faith would respond. This, Jesus called God’s “gracious will.”

God could have chosen to reveal the Gospel first to the elite. Instead, He revealed it to the poor, the hurting, and the uneducated. He chose people who had nothing going for them and elevated them—not to worldly greatness, but to greatness in His kingdom. He gave them the opportunity to remain humble, to grow, and to serve.

Perhaps that’s why He chose them. They were already humble—at least more so than others. They didn’t have the built-in authority of a Pharisee, a Roman official, or a wealthy person. They didn’t need to unlearn pride; instead, they followed in faith, grateful to be chosen by God.

Jesus revealed that knowledge of the Father and the Son is something only He can give. This was their greatest blessing: that He had chosen them. In those early days, Jesus revealed Himself selectively. But now, we have even more reason to celebrate. In John 12:32, Jesus said, “And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.”

At that time, His revelation was limited—but not anymore. No one is excluded from God’s redemptive plan. He has revealed Himself to all of us through His Son, fully displayed in the Resurrection.

Jesus told them they were blessed because they witnessed what kings and prophets longed to see. Yet it was fishermen, tax collectors, and ordinary people who experienced it. They saw miracles, walked with the Messiah, and took part in His work.

And we do, too.

The story isn’t over. By His grace, we are part of it. We don’t just observe—we participate in the unfolding and future fulfillment of the kingdom of heaven.

And of all the blessings God gives us, that is what we should celebrate most.