Sermon Discussion Questions:

1. What in the world or your own life leads you to feel like "the bad guys are winning"? How does Jesus' death on the cross give you confidence that this isn't true? See Rev 12:10
2. How can Satan be 'cast out,' yet still exercise power? See Rev 12:12-13
3. Do you tend to be someone who feels sheepish about acknowledging the presence of satanic or demonic power? Why do you think that is?
4. In the sermon, Marc spoke of Satan as being expelled from heaven and exclusively to this world which is "passing away" (1 John 2:17). If that is Satan's location, where is a Christian's? See Eph 2:6. Does that alter your perspective in the "battle" against the forces of darkness? See Eph 6:11-13 and James 4:7

Sauron. Voldemort. Emperor Palpatine.

Every great story has a formidable villain. A figure who represents the malice, cruelty, and dread of evil. One reason children’s television is so painfully dull to watch is because the problems, the dilemmas…the villains are so teddy-bear-soft that it feels like nothing is at risk. Oh no! Micky Mouse can’t find his watch! Can YOU help him?

We like stories with serious bad guys in it not because we glory in evil and not because we want the bad guys to win. If a story ends with the heroes losing and evil winning, we know that is a bad story! We want a story that seriously wrestles with evil because evil exists and we long to see it resisted and defeated. Every villain ultimately points us towards the Ultimate Villain: Satan himself. And every story where evil is defeated reminds us of the One True Story, the defeat of Satan at the Hands of King Jesus.

27 “Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. 28 Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” 29 The crowd that stood there and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.” 30 Jesus answered, “This voice has come for your sake, not mine. 31 Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. 32 And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” 33 He said this to show by what kind of death he was going to die. 34 So the crowd answered him, “We have heard from the Law that the Christ remains forever. How can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?” 35 So Jesus said to them, “The light is among you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. 36 While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.” - John 12:27-36

Jesus is troubled. Earlier, as a group of Greeks approach Jesus’ disciples, something suddenly clicks in Jesus’ mind that the hour of His death has now arrived (which we will come back to at the last point) (John 12:20-23). And Jesus is anxious, “Now is my soul troubled.” Yet His fear, concern, anxiety does not lead Him to deviate from the hard path. “And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But for this purpose I have come to this hour,” (John 12:27).

Last week, we saw Jesus lay out that the blueprint of His ministry—it is resurrection shaped. Meaning, the cross comes before the crown. Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. That is Jesus’ ministry…and the life He summons us to as well. We follow Him to the cross, to the dying place, confident that we too will emerge on the other side of the resurrection. But our text today demonstrates that Jesus’ journey to the cross is wholly unlike our own.

Jesus’ death on the cross wasn’t just a model for us to follow. His death at the cross is a model for us, but only secondarily. Jesus’ death on the cross primarily accomplishes something that is utterly unique.

Let me read to you my favorite depiction of this in the Bible. It is from the book of Revelation, which relies on apocalyptic imagery—meaning, it uses a kaleidoscope of imaginative images, symbols, numbers to convey its message. It is a surrealist painting of truth, meant to jar you with provocative pictures so that it not only illuminates your reason, but populates your imagination as well. So, as I read, there will be things that you don’t understand. And because I am using this chapter in my sermon but not preaching on it directly, there will be much we simply walk past. In it we will a see a woman (representing the people of God) from whom the Messiah comes. And a terrible dragon (representing Satan) who seeks to destroy the Messiah, but is prevented from doing so as He is caught up to heaven. After this exaltation to heaven, Satan is expelled and thrown down to earth where he will attempt to destroy the Church, but will be unable to do so.

And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. 2 She was pregnant and was crying out in birth pains and the agony of giving birth. 3 And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven diadems. 4 His tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven and cast them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she bore her child he might devour it. 5 She gave birth to a male child, one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, but her child was caught up to God and to his throne, 6 and the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, in which she is to be nourished for 1,260 days.

7 Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, 8 but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. 9 And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. 10 And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. 11 And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death. 12 Therefore, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!” 13 And when the dragon saw that he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. 14 But the woman was given the two wings of the great eagle so that she might fly from the serpent into the wilderness, to the place where she is to be nourished for a time, and times, and half a time. 15 The serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, to sweep her away with a flood. 16 But the earth came to the help of the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed the river that the dragon had poured from his mouth. 17 Then the dragon became furious with the woman and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. And he stood on the sand of the sea. - Revelation 12

Dethroning of Satan

Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. - John 12:31

Who?

Someone with power/authority

• We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. - 1 John 5:19
• the prince of the power of the air- Eph 2:2
• For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. - Eph 6:12
• the god of this world - 2 Cor 4:4
• Satan’s tempting of Jesus: “To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will,” (Luke 4:6)
• But when the archangel Michael, contending with the devil, was disputing about the body of Moses, he did not presume to pronounce a blasphemous judgment, but said, “The Lord rebuke you.” - Jude 9
• Isaiah 14:12-15 and Ezekiel 28:12-17 seem to indicate that Satan was a former angel who rebelled against God.

What?

What does Satan do?

• Steals
  • In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, - 2 Cor 4:4
  • Stealing the seed of the word, parable of the sower
  • For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. 15 So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds. - 2 Cor 11:13-15
  • We endeavored the more eagerly, and with great desire, to see you face to face; because we wanted to come to you . . . but Satan hindered us. - 1 Thess 2:17-18
• Kills
  • I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no claim on me. - John 14:30
  • You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning - John 8:44
  • The dragon and beasts and revelation kill Christians
    • The devil is about to throw some of you into prison. . . . Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life - Rev 2:10
  • In Acts 10:38, Peter described Jesus as one who “went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil.”
• Destroys
  • Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. - 1 Pet 5:8
  • But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ. - 2 Cor 11:3
  • Individual example: Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and give no opportunity to the devil. - Eph 4:26-27
  • Church example: …so that we would not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs. - 2 Cor 2:11
  • “Accuser of the brethern”

Where?

Satan has been “cast out”…but from where?

• From heaven
  • Think of Job’s opening verses.
  • 18 And he said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. - Luke 10:18
  • Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, 8 but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. 9 And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. - Rev 12:7-9

When?

Now

• This can be confusing because the Bible speaks about Satan as a present enemy
  • We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. - 1 John 5:19
• Yet, also defeated
  • The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. -1 John 3:8
  • And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever. - 1 John 2:17
• Jesus says this in John 12 on the day of the triumphal entry. He is the king, the ruler of the world.
  • And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. - Rev 12:10
  • “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” - Mark 1:15

“The judgment of the world, the destruction of Satan, the exaltation of the Son of Man, the drawing of men and women from the ends of the earth—these might all be reserved for the end times. But the end times have begun already. It is not that there is nothing reserved for the consummation; rather, it is that the decisive step is about to be taken in the death/exaltation of Jesus.” Carson

How?

• …having forgiven us all our trespasses, 14 by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. 15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him. - Col 2:13-15
• And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death. - Rev 12:11

Why?

Why Does Jesus do this? So that through His death, He can draw all people to Himself

• And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” - John 12:32
  • Remember, this discourse is triggered by the Greeks seeking Jesus in vs. 20-23
• Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. 2 And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, 3 and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be released for a little while. - Rev 20:1-3
  • But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. Then indeed he may plunder his house. - Mark 3:27

Application

1. Satan is a formidable and defeated enemy. Resist him.
   1. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. - James 4:7
   2. The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. - Rom 16:20
   3. 13 And when the dragon saw that he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. 14 But the woman was given the two wings of the great eagle so that she might fly from the serpent into the wilderness, to the place where she is to be nourished for a time, and times, and half a time. 15 The serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, to sweep her away with a flood. 16 But the earth came to the help of the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed the river that the dragon had poured from his mouth. 17 Then the dragon became furious with the woman and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. And he stood on the sand of the sea. - Rev 12:13-17
2. Don’t succumb to despair.
   1. What is making you despair today? Where do you feel like the bad guys are winning?
      1. AI
      2. Politics
      3. Schools, education, liberal agenda to push LGBT agenda
      4. Economy
      5. Decline of marriage
   2. Your own sin
      1. overcome by the blood of the lamb
   3. We win! We are not Israel before Goliath is slain, we are Israel after he has been.