The Prince of this World

John 14:29-31.

And now I have told you before it come to pass, that, when it is come to pass, ye might believe.

Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in Me.

But that the world may know that I love the Father; and as the Father gave Me commandment, even so I do. Arise, let us go hence.

No, Satan doesn’t have horns and hooves. But he certainly faces a terrible end, and even though Jesus’ death may have seemed like a victory for Satan (“he shall bruise Thy heel), it ended in the victory of Jesus over sin and death (You will crush his head!) Genesis 3:15. Remember as you read that verse that God is speaking to Eve, and is prophesying the death and resurrection of Jesus.

Jesus told His disciples that He wanted to be sure they knew what was about to happen, so that when events unfolded, they would not be taken by surprise.

He also told them that He wouldn’t be speaking with them very much from that moment, because Satan (the Prince of the World) was coming for Him; although, he assured them, “he has nothing in Me.” That is, Satan had no hold over Jesus that the Father did not allow, and what he did have would be temporary.

Jesus also reminded the disciples that what He did, He did out of love for and obedience to the Father.

And He ended that conversation by saying, “Come on, let’s go.”

It’s nearly impossible for me to imagine what must have been in Jesus’ mind as He led His disciples out of the Upper Room to the Garden of Gethsemane, where He knew Judas would betray Him and His torment would begin.