John 14:30

Hereafter I will not talk much with you. The discourse is drawing to a close. The teaching has been full and deep, touching on every dimension of the believers' life and relationship with God. But the time for this kind of intimate instruction is ending. Events are unfolding. The arrest is imminent. The disciples will need to move from being taught to being sent, from listening to acting.

The prince of this world cometh. Satan is called the prince of this world because he holds sway over the systems and desires opposed to God. He comes now to do his worst, to destroy the one who has challenged his dominion. And hath nothing in me. Here is the scandal of the cross seen from a different angle. The crucifixion appears as a victory for evil to the world, but Jesus's statement reveals the truth. Satan finds no foothold in Jesus. No lust, no fear, no craving for power or self-preservation can be exploited. Jesus walks toward the cross freely, purely, holding nothing back. The prince of this world can kill the body, but he cannot corrupt the soul. He can inflict suffering, but he cannot cause Jesus to betray his nature or his purpose. In this sense, the crucifixion is not Satan's victory but his defeat. The very evil that appears to triumph is the means by which evil is ultimately overcome.