The Crisis

John 12:31-33

Our word "crisis" is actually a Greek word. The Greek word, spelled with a ’k’ rather than a ’c’, carries all the meanings or definitions that the term does today. Those being: (1) a situation that has reached a critical phase, (2) a crucial time or state of affairs in which a significant change is impending, (3) a turning-point for better or worse, (4) a decisive moment or event. The Greek term had an additional definition not attached to our word today; that being, the rendering of a decision or verdict in a trial or great contest.

Jesus uses the Greek "krisis" in the first verse of our passage (translated ’judgment’ - KJV). To fully and accurately interpret what Jesus is relaying, we must take into consideration all of the definitions attached to the word "krisis". For, most certainly, in our passage, Jesus is speaking about a long-standing state of affairs that has reached a critical phase in which a dramatic change will take place. A major turning-point is being reached brought about by a significant event. A decisive event in which a great contest will be judiciously decided.

What is Jesus speaking of in these three verses? Jesus is revealing the overthrow of Satan as ’prince’ or ruler of this world and the re-establishment of the spiritual sovereignty of the Lord on earth through the sacrificial death of Himself, the Son of Man.

Verse 31 - "Now judgment (krisis) is upon this world; now the ruler of this world shall be cast out."

The conflict between God and Satan for spiritual dominion of this world has been long-standing. By his triumph in the garden of Eden, in getting Adam and Eve to rebel against God, Satan had won the spiritual rulership of the earth. Since the Fall, except for tiny Israel, the world had been under the tyranny of Satan...captive to his will. Mankind, under the unrestrained reign of the ’father of lies’, was spiritually deceived, blinded to the truth, and living in darkness. The gentiles were, truly, "without God" (Ephesians 2:12).

All the pagan religions were Satanic. When the various nations worshipped gods and goddesses, idols, little did they realize that they were actually serving and sacrificing to Satan’s demons (1 Cor. 10:20; Deut. 32:15-17; Ps. 106:37). Satan had the power and authority to even have his demons take possession of people, as we often see in the Gospels.

But Jesus says, in this verse, that Satan’s absolute rule over this world is about to come to an end. The world, Satan’s kingdom or dominion, is experiencing a krisis by the coming of the "Second Adam" (1 Cor. 15:45,47), the Son of Man. For, His coming, says 1 John 3:8, was "for this purpose, that He might destroy (Grk. Luo, ’undo’) the works of the Devil."

According to Revelation 20:2-3, before Satan is cast from his lofty position as the deceitful ruler of this world, he must first be bound. Jesus had already, by this time, accomplished this as is evidenced by His ability to exorcise demons (see Matt. 12:24-26,28-29; Mk:3:27). Thus, having already been bound and a good measure of his power stripped-away, Satan’s overthrow is near.

It is supreme irony that Satan’s overthrow - his being "cast out" - was achieved by an act perpetrated by the Prince of Darkness which he thought would guarantee his triumph - the death of Christ Jesus. In Luke 22:53, Jesus states that His arrest, trial, and crucifixion was manifest that the Power of Darkness was having his hour; that is to say, these things came about because God allowed Satan to do with Jesus whatever he was pleased to do. Satan didn’t comprehend that his hatred for Jesus, which led him to work through Judas and the wicked Jewish leaders in accomplishing Jesus’ betrayal and murder, actually accomplished his own destruction. But, it was prophesied that it would be so in Genesis 3:15.

Through His sacrifice, Jesus paid the price to redeem Mankind from Satan’s tyranny and slavery (1 Cor. 1:30). Through His death and resurrection, He conquered the forces of darkness (Col. 2:15; Eph. 4:8). By His willingness to submit to God’s will, even unto death, righteous Jesus earned the right to have dominion, full spiritual sovereignty on earth as in Heaven (Phil. 2:8-11; Eph. 1:20-22). Thus, Satan was cast out.

Verses 32-33 - "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself. But He was saying this to indicate the kind of death by which He was to die."

Upon the cross, Christ won our redemption. For that reason, the Cross has become - as was prophesied - the standard to which the nations are drawn (Isa. 11:10,12). It is through the preaching of the Cross - Christ crucified - that souls are reclaimed to God (2 Cor. 5:18-20).