John Calvin Commentary John 14:30

"I will no more speak much with you, for the prince of the world cometh: and he hath nothing in me;" — John 14:30 (ASV)

From now on I will not talk much with you. By this statement He intended to fix the attention of the disciples on Himself and to impress His doctrine more deeply on their minds. For abundance generally lessens appetite, and we desire more eagerly what we do not possess, and delight more in enjoying what is soon to be taken from us. Therefore, to make them more desirous of hearing His doctrines, He warns them that He will very soon go away.

Although Christ does not cease to teach us throughout our entire lives, this statement can still be applied to us. For, since the course of our life is short, we ought to embrace the present opportunity.

Regarding the words, For the prince of this world cometh, He might have said directly that He would soon die and that the hour of His death was near. But He uses a circumlocution to fortify their minds beforehand, lest, terrified by such a hideous and detestable kind of death, they should faint. For what is it to believe in Him crucified, but to seek life in hell? First, He says that power will be given to Satan; and next He adds that He will go away, not because He is compelled to do so, but in order to obey the Father.

The devil is called the prince of this world, not because he has a kingdom separated from God (as the Manicheans imagined), but because, by God’s permission, he exercises his tyranny over the world. Whenever, therefore, we hear this designation applied to the devil, let us be ashamed of our miserable condition. For, whatever pride people may have, they are slaves of the devil until they are regenerated by the Spirit of Christ; for under the term world is here included the whole human race.

There is only one Deliverer who frees and rescues us from this dreadful slavery. Now, since this punishment was inflicted on account of the sin of the first man, and since it daily grows worse on account of new sins, let us learn to hate both ourselves and our sins.

While we are held captive under the dominion of Satan, this slavery still does not free us from blame, for it is voluntary. It ought also to be observed that what is done by wicked people is here ascribed to the devil; for, since they are driven by Satan, all that they do is justly considered his work.

And hath nothing in me. It is as a consequence of Adam's sin that Satan holds dominion over death. Therefore, Satan could not touch Christ, who is pure from all the pollution of sin, if Christ had not voluntarily subjected Himself.

And yet I think that these words have a wider meaning than the one in which they are usually explained. The ordinary interpretation is, “Satan hath found nothing in Christ, for there is nothing in Him that deserves death, because He is pure from every stain of sin.”

But, in my opinion, Christ asserts here not only His own purity but also His divine power, which was not subject to death. For it was proper to assure the disciples that He did not yield through weakness, lest they should think less highly of His power.

This general statement also includes the point that, in enduring death, He was not compelled by Satan. Hence we infer that He was substituted in our place when He submitted to death.