Homilies on the Gospel of John

“My Kingdom is not of this world.”

He leads upwards Pilate who was not a very wicked man, nor after their fashion, and desires to show that He is not a mere man, but God and the Son of God. And what says He?

“If My Kingdom were of this world, then would My servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews.”

He undoes that which Pilate for a while had feared, namely, the suspicion of seizing kingly power, “Is then His kingdom not of this world also?” Certainly it is. “How then says He it 'is not'?” Not because He does not rule here, but because He has his empire from above, and because it is not human, but far greater than this and more splendid. “If then it be greater, how was He made captive by the other?” By consenting, and giving Himself up. But He does not at present reveal this, but what says He? “If I had been of this world, 'My servants would fight, that I should not be delivered.'” Here He shows the weakness of kingship among us, that its strength lies in servants; but that which is above is sufficient for itself, needing nothing. From this the heretics taking occasion say, that He is different from the Creator. What then, when it says, “He came to His own”? What, when Himself says, “They are not of this world, as I am not of this world”? So also He says that His kingdom is not from hence, not depriving the world of His providence and superintendence, but showing, as I said, that His power was not human or perishable. What then said Pilate?