Rēad to Read …Again
Daily Reading: John 13-15
John 14:30
Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me.
Jesus is in the upper room with the twelve. The occasion is the Passover meal. Herein the Lord gives final instructions to His men. He says: Hereafter I will not talk much with you… For on the morrow He will be arrested, tried, falsely convicted and ultimately crucified. But on that night, in that upper room, the Lord taught much about serious issues. The next three chapters of John (15-17) there are 68 verses recorded, all but about 5 or 6 are words of the Savior. He taught much in a short time.
Most of that which the Lord said in these chapters is relatively easy to understand. Some may say it is an “easy read.” But one thing the Lord said is so small and seemingly insignificant that it is overlooked. He said clearly, …for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me. The Lord’s great antagonist will soon move against Him with a measure of success. Short lived as it may be, the prince of this world will accomplish his goal. He will kill Jesus. He has already tried multiple times, unsuccessfully. But now it is all coming together. That prince will have Judas in place, the powers that be will do his bidding, the mob, the leaders of the people, yes all the players are in place waiting to carry out their role for their leader. The serpent is about to “bruise his heel,” he’s been waiting for this moment since Genesis 3:15. The time is now, he is coming for the Saviour, the Lamb of God.
The Lord says something else in today’s verse. A profound and wonderful statement that should be understood by all. He, Jesus, said that the prince of this world, …hath nothing in me. Meaning, there is nothing in Jesus’ life, past or present, that His competition can use against Him. There was no sin there, no guilt over past wrongdoings, no access to His soul to cause Him torments, fear, or self-doubt. There was nothing in Jesus His enemy could use. He was free, totally, completely, entirely, and wholly free. He had no “unforced errors” (to use a tennis term) that would cause Him to lose a point, not one point!
How wonderful it would be if it could be, to be so free. But frankly, we will never know that state of perfect calm and assurance. Paul didn’t. For there were things in Paul’s life that the prince of this world had in him. Hence the famous writing of that great Apostle that communicated his predicament. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. There in Romans 7 Paul pours out of a sincere heart his self struggles. He was a sinner. Because of this He did not always do what He could and should.
But he, Paul, had a helper, in one verse he asks the question, one probably every child of God has visited from time to time, O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death. In the very next verse, he answered: I thank God through Christ our Lord… (Romans 7:24-25).
You too have a helper. The one who gave no ground to the enemy, the one which the enemy had nothing in Him. The Lord Jesus Christ. After all, I John 4:4 is accurate, Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. He is in you through the Spirit. And He that is in you can quench the fiery darts of the prince of this world. For that evil one had nothing in Christ, and by extension, you in Him.
Dr. William T. Howe
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