Read John 12:29-33. Circle the words that stand out to you. What is the Lord saying to you?
29 The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him.
30 Jesus said, “This voice was for your benefit, not mine. 31 Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out. 32 And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” 33 He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die.
Reflections on the Word
I enjoy Board games. I love Sequence and playing chess. It’s anticipating the opponents move, countering it while advancing your own strategy. Sometimes what appears to a major blunder that seems like an inevitable defeat, victory is snatch from the jaws of defeat.
Jesus is foretelling to his audience what is going happen to Him, but the meaning is unclear. “31Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out. 32And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” Inthe next verse, John explained the meaning of Jesus’ words, that Jesus being lifted up from the earth was His crucifixion on the cross.
There are more things to consider and ponder in this passage. Jesus emphasizes the adverb, “now” in verse 31. Since the time that Adam and Eve sinned, Satan had dominion over this world. But now, at this moment, Jesus states that there will be judgment on this world and the prince of this world will be driven out. Satan with this authority and power would not surrender easily. He had to be driven out, forced out, not invited out. Christ had to take the fight all the way to His death on the cross.
While I can imagine Satan and his host of demons celebrating the death of Christ for three days, Christ was the real victor. For on the third day, Christ would rise from the dead, defeating sin, death, and the Devil. But wait, Jesus also makes another startling statement that His death would enable Him to draw all people to Himself. His death became the doorway for our salvation. One would think that Jesus’ death would be end of salvation for mankind. But victory came through His death in the resurrected Jesus.
Who has all authority in heaven and earth? It’s not Satan. It’s Jesus. Christ dealt Satan a blow from which he can never recover. While the presence of sin and Satan is not quite over, Satan’s work over the world’s people is limited and will end. Satan must submit to the person and name of Jesus. Satan seeks to deceive us to think that he is the victor over us. Don’t believe Satan’s lie. He is driven out by Jesus. Jesus is the Victor. The outcome is assured because of Jesus’ resurrection from the tomb. Because Jesus lives, we live. Because Jesus rules overall, we stand beneath His banner even while being in this world.
-Kingston