John 12:27-32 – Dine with the Victor – Bible study

John 12:27-32 Dine with the Victor It is time for the Lords Supper and my goal is only to help us to prepare ourselves to partake of it. Tonight, the Victor wants to eat with us. Would like to you to dine with the Victor? I have mentioned several times in the last few weeks that John is an unusual gospel. John did not chose to follow the pattern of the other gospel writer, at least not in the revealing the events of Jesus life. Instead, John chose to record more about what Jesus said. However, John gives us the most detailed record of Jesus last day on earth. Beginning in \#John 13:1-19:42\, I believe John recorded one twenty-four hour time period. Jesus Last Supper, His agony in the Garden, His betrayal and arrest, His trails, His crucifixion, and the preparation of His body and burial. I do not think there is anyone that knows me who does not know that I think those things happened on the Jewish Thursday. However, we are reading from John 12. While John had not honed in on the details of Jesus life like he will, I believe the words that we are reading in this text, probably happened on Wednesday before the Passover day began. 1.\#27\ Already the weight of the cross is hanging on Him. 2. \#28\ Jesus reaffirmed His desire to glorify the Father. 3. \#28\ In one of the lastand perhaps the very lasttime Jesus will willingly be gathered in a crowd, the Father glorified the Son by speaking. And as Jesus explained why God spoke, Jesus revealed something that was about to happen, not to Him, but to the devil. John 12:31 Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. 1. The prince of this world is the devil. 2. The time that Jesus was speaking of was the present or the very near present. 3. The act that He was speaking of was that the devil would be cast out of some place or some position. Most of the time when we think about the death of Jesus, we are thinking either about what was happening to Jesus or what we are gaining, but for a few moments tonight, as we prepare ourselves for the Lords Supper, lets think about what happened to the devil. I. Satans Judgments A. Satan was the first sinner; and in some ways of looking at it, Satan was the worst sinner. 1. His rebellion influenced 1/3 of the angels of heaven to rebel against God and the whole human race. 2. Yet, Satans judgment is far from complete. B. While it is hard to understand the Bible verses related to the devil, I believe Satans judgment comes in parts. 1. \#Luke 10:18\ Describes what has happened to Satan. Luke 10:17 And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name. 18 And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. a. This is Jesus speaking. b. If the verb tenses are to be accepted, Jesus was describing something that had already occurred. 2. However, John recorded Jesus speaking of another casting out that was yet to happen and seemed to be happening soon. 3. And John, in the book of Revelation, described yet another casting out that was to happen. Rev 12:7 And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, 8 And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. 9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. a. While I am confused by all of the times Satan is cast out, I do not fret over it. b. I figure one with as many privileges and powers as Satan, would probably be part of a lot of things that he could be thrown out of it. C. But I do leave these passages with two main thoughts: 1. Satans judgment comes in parts or stages. 2. According to John 12:31, one part of his judgment was to occur around the death of Jesus. II. I think several things happened to Satan at the death and resurrection of Jesus. A. At or around the death and resurrection of Jesus, the strong man got bound. Matt 12:28 But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you. 29 Or else how can one enter into a strong mans house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house. 1. The Greek word for "bind" means "bind," to be knit together, to be held in bonds, to be tied up. 2. Jesus did not just defeat Satan, either literally or figuratively, Jesus display His power over the devil that day by binding him! 3. I do not know that God the Son got a spiritual chain and wrapped Satan up in it, but Jesus did deliberately shame and put the devil on display. 4. This was actually part of what God had promised to do to the proud devil when he first rebelled against Him. a. Notice who God was talking about. Is 14:12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! [how] art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! b. Notice Lucifers pride. 13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. c. Notice Gods judgment. The judgment for pride is always the same, humiliation. 15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit. 16 They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms; 5. At or around the death and resurrection of Jesus, God bound the strong man. B. At or around the death and resurrection of Jesus, the strongs house got spoiled. Matt 12:29 Or else how can one enter into a strong mans house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house. 1. Spoiled means plundered, robbed, his goods were seized. 2. Isaiah wrote of this same defeat. Isaiah 49:24 Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or the lawful captive delivered? 25 But thus saith the LORD, Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered: for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children. 3. Jesus did not just tie the devil up. He stripped the mighty of his prey. He delivered the devils captives. 4. Jesus in another placed described the devil and his three objectives: Joh 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. a. The devils first goal is to steal, to take for himself everything he can. b. His second goal is to kill. c. And what he cannot steal and kill, he will destroy. d. Why would Satan’s first goal be to steal? a. The devil wants to be god. b. God is the Possessor of all things. c. So Satan wants to take as much as he can. (1) Human souls are indestructible. (2) In the devils mind, as long as God doesnt have them, he does. (3) So every soul he can get into hell is a victory for the devil. 5. At or around the death and resurrection of Jesus, Jesus looted the devils house. a. Jesus gave to every man the ability to be redeemed, to have his own soul purchased back. b. Now we know not every person will be saved, but those who refuse salvation are now damning themselves. c. Satan will no longer get credit for stealing them. C. At or near the resurrection, Jesus spoiled principalities. Col 2:15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it. 1. Jesus did more to embarrass the devil. 2. He took his power. a. Here the world "spoiled" means to remove, to divest wholly or completely. b. And the word for "principalities" means rank, rule, chief, or magistrate. 3. Jesus took the princes crown and then showed what He had done openly, to the public, to every angel that stayed with God and to every demon that rebelled. 4. You and I have not seen that crown yet, but we will! D. At or near the resurrection, Jesus bruised the devils head. Ge 3:15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. 1. We go all the way back to the first promise and prophecy God made after the fall, "My Seed will bruise your head!" 2. Notice that God never promised He would kill Satan. a. Satan is eternal like we are eternal, and although I am not too keen on keeping him around, God is going to do so. b. Throughout the endless ages, God will do with the devil what the Philistines did to Samson, show him off in his puny weakness! 3. This seems to be the thought of the writer of Hebrew: Heb 2:14 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; a. The word "destroy" can mean to cease, to destroy, to do away with, but it can also mean to come to no effect, to fail, to loose, to bring to nothing. b. God has in part and will in totality bring to nothing the one who had the power of death. Tonight, the Victor has invited us to a meal, to fellowship with Him, to remember His victory. Would you like to dine with the Victor tonight?