Homilies on the Gospel of St. John and the Epistle to the Hebrews

NPNF (V1-14)St. Chrysostom275“I am so firmly confident about the things which come to pass, that I even foretell them, so far amI from fearing.” This also is the meaning of what follows.Ver. 29 . “And now I have told you before it come to pass, that when it is come to pass, yemight believe that I Am.” 2161 As though He had said, “Ye would not have known, had I not toldyou. And I should not have told you, had I not been confident.” Seest thou that the speech is oneof condescension? for when He saith, “Think ye that I cannot pray to the Father, and He shallpresently give Me more than twelve legions of Angels” ( Matt. xxvi. 53 ), He speaketh to thesecret thoughts of the hearers; since no one, even in the height of madness, would say that He wasnot able to help Himself, but needed Angels; but because they thought of Him as a man, thereforeHe spoke of “twelve legions of Angels.” Yet in truth He did but ask those who came to take Hima question, and cast them backwards. ( c. xviii. 6 .) (If any one say that the Father is greater,inasmuch as 2162 He is the cause of the Son, we will not contradict this. But this doth not by anymeans make the Son to be of a different Essence.) But what He saith, is of this kind: “As long asI am here, it is natural that you should deem that I am 2163 in danger; but when I am gone ‘there,’2164be confident that I am in safety; for Him none will be able to overcome.” All these words wereaddressed to the weakness of the disciples, for, “I Myself am confident, and care not for death.”On this account, He said, “I have told you these things before they come to pass”; “but since,” Hesaith, “ye are not yet able to receive the saying concerning them, I bring you comfort even fromthe Father, whom ye entitle great.” Having thus consoled them, He again telleth them sorrowfulthings,Ver. 30 . “Hereafter I will not talk 2165 with you.” Wherefore? “For the ruler of this worldcometh, and hath nothing in Me.”By “ruler of this world,” He meaneth the devil, calling wicked men also by the same name. Forhe ruleth not heaven and earth, since he would have been subverted, and cast down all things, buthe ruleth over those who give themselves up to him. Wherefore He calleth him, “the ruler of thedarkness of this world,” in this place again calling evil deeds, “darkness.” “What then, doth thedevil slay Thee?” By no means; “he hath nothing in Me.” “How then do they kill Thee?” BecauseI will it, and,Ver. 31 . “‘That the world may know that I love the Father.’” 2166“For being not subject,” He saith, “to death, nor a debtor to it, I endure it through My love tothe Father.” This He saith, that He may again rouse their souls, and that they may learn that notunwillingly but willingly He goeth to this thing, and that He doth it despising the devil. It was notenough for Him to have said, “Yet a little while I am with you” ( c. vii. 33 ), but He continuallyhandleth this painful subject, (with good reason,) until He should make it acceptable to them, byweaving along with it pleasant things. Wherefore at one time He saith, “I go, and I come again”;and, “That where I there ye may be also”; and, “Ye cannot follow Me now, but afterwards ye shallfollow Me”; and, “I go to the Father”; and, “The Father is greater than I”; and, “Before it come to2161The words “ that I Am ” are not read here, but in c. xiii. 19.2162καθ̓ ὃ2163Gr. “ we are. ”2164i.e. to the Father.2165“ talk much, ” N.T.2166“ And as the Father gave Me commandment, even so I do. ” N.T.415