How does John 16:11 connect with Genesis 3:15 about Satan's defeat? Setting the Scene - The Spirit was promised to “convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment” (John 16:8). - Jesus explains that this conviction about “judgment” is “because the ruler of this world has been condemned” (John 16:11). - Long before, God declared to the serpent, “He will crush your head, and you will strike His heel” (Genesis 3:15). - These two verses bookend Scripture’s storyline: the promise of Satan’s defeat and the announcement that the decisive verdict has already been rendered. Genesis 3:15 — The First Gospel - Spoken in Eden after the fall. - “The woman’s seed” points ultimately to Christ (Galatians 4:4). - Two actions: • Satan “will strike His heel” — a real but temporary wound at the cross. • Christ “will crush your head” — a fatal, irreversible blow to Satan’s authority. John 16:11 — The Verdict Announced - Jesus speaks just hours before the cross. - “The ruler of this world” = Satan (cf. John 12:31; 14:30). - “Has been condemned” (perfect tense) signals a completed judgment already determined in heaven, about to be enacted on earth. Threading the Two Passages Together - Genesis 3:15 gives the promise; John 16:11 declares the promise fulfilled. - The cross is where the heel is bruised and the head is crushed (Colossians 2:14-15). - The Spirit’s ministry (John 16) publicizes what Genesis 3 foretold: Satan’s fate is sealed. How the Cross Fulfills the Promise 1. Legal Condemnation • Christ “became sin for us” (2 Corinthians 5:21). • By satisfying God’s justice, He removed Satan’s right to accuse (Revelation 12:10). 2. Power Broken • “Through death He might destroy the one who holds the power of death—that is, the devil” (Hebrews 2:14). 3. Public Display • “He disarmed the rulers and authorities, triumphing over them by the cross” (Colossians 2:15). The Ongoing Outworking in Believers - We share in Christ’s victory: “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet” (Romans 16:20). - Resistance is now possible: “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7). - Testimony and faith overcome: “They conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony” (Revelation 12:11). Looking Forward to the Final Crushing - The condemnation announced in John 16:11 will culminate in Satan’s eternal judgment: “The devil…was thrown into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:10). - Until that day, the Spirit continues to convict the world that the serpent’s head is already under Christ’s heel, assuring us that the first promise is as good as done. |
    |