“King of the Universe, but not of the world?”
Why does the Church celebrate Jesus as the King of the Universe, when Jesus asserts
that his kingdom is not of the world. This disclaimer appears in the conversation
between Jesus and Pilate, the Roman procurator, found in this Sunday’s Gospel (John
18:33-37).
St. Thomas Aquinas credits Pilate as a just judge because he proceeded cautiously, not
just accepting the accusations of the high priest. Pilate returns to the praetorium
because he had serious doubts about the charges. He wants to hear Jesus apart from
the shouts of his attackers (Commentary on the Gospel of John, 2344).
Pilate asks Jesus directly, “Are you the King of the Jews?” John hasn’t reported the
claim to kingship as one of the charges against Jesus, but Pilate surmises it. Jesus
responds with a question, whether Pilate asked this on his own or others had told him.
Thomas believes that Jesus posed this question so that “… we might know what the
Jews and Gentiles thought, and at the same time be taught about that kingdom.” In
other words, to identify the underlying issue (Commentary on the Gospel of John,
2347).
Pilate eluded the question, insisting that he was not a Jew. The charges concerned
Jesus and his own people, those who handed him over to Pilate. Thomas attends to
Pilate’s words, “your own nation”: “He says, your own nation, because, considering his
human nature, Christ was born a Jew” (Commentary on the Gospel of John, 2348).
Jesus responds, “My kingdom is not of this world” (Jn 18:36). Thomas comments that
the Manichaeans might interpret Jesus’ answer according to their teaching that
everything material is evil.
Thomas doesn’t believe their interpretation because the Scriptures assert that the world
belongs to God: “This is contrary to, ‘God is the king of all the earth’ (Ps 47:7).; and
again, ‘Whatever the Lord pleases he does, in heaven and on earth’ (Ps 134:6).
If the world belongs to God, why isn’t Jesus’ kingdom of this world? Thomas affirms:
“We should say that Christ said this for the sake of Pilate, who believed that Christ was
claiming an earthly kingdom in which he would reign in the physical way that those of
earth do, and so Christ should be punished by death for trying to reign unlawfully”
(Commentary on the Gospel of John, 2350). The Gospels are clear that Jesus avoided
those who attempted to make him a king and set him up as a rival to the Roman
occupation.
Thomas reflects that “kingdom” may mean the people who are ruled or a ruler’s
authority. According to St. Augustine, Jesus’ kingdom is not a geographical area but
people who are faithful to God “You have made them a kingdom… to our Lord” (Rev
5:10).

Thomas explains that these people are not of this world, although in the world “…
because of what they love and imitate, since they have been wrested from it by grace.
For this is how God has delivered us from the power of darkness and has brought us
into the kingdom of his love” (Commentary on the Gospel of John, 2351). The people
who “love and imitate” Jesus belong to his kingdom. Jesus has brought them “from the
power of darkness” to live in “the kingdom of his love.”
St. John Chrysostom explains the power and authority which makes Christ a king is not
of this world, that is, does not have its origin in earthly causes and human choice, but
from another source, from the Father: “His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which
shall not pass away” (Dan 7:14) (Commentary on the Gospel of John, 2351).
As Jesus is arrested, he declares that he has those who could have delivered him: “My
kingdom is not of this world, because if my kingdom were of this world, my ministers
would fight, that I might not be handed over to the Jews” (Jn 18:36).
Peter started to fight for Christ (Jn 18:10), because he forgot that Jesus was not of this
world. Angels could have rescued him from the hands of the Jews, but he chose not to
be rescued: “Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send
me more than twelve legions of angels?” (Mt 26:53). (Commentary on the Gospel of
John, 2353).
Thomas insists that Jesus’ kingdom is in the world but does not have its source in the
world: “Jesus’ kingdom is not from the world, that is, does not have its source from this
world. And yet it is here, because it is everywhere; ‘And to him was given dominion and
glory and kingdom, that all peoples, nations and languages should serve him’ (Dan
7:14)” (Commentary on the Gospel of John, 2354).
Pilate could not grasp how Jesus could be a king but he simply said, “So you are a
king?” (Jn 18:37). Jesus declared “For this I was born, that is, for this I have come into
the world to bear witness to the truth” (Jn 18:37).
Jesus’ assertion that he has “come into the world” indicates his identity, “God sent his
Son into the world” (Gal 4:4). Jesus came to bear witness. Thomas comments that this
witness is not so much to a variety of truths but to himself “who am the truth”: “Even if I
do bear witness to myself, my testimony is true” (Jn 8:14).
Thomas expands on Jesus’ words: “To the extent that I manifest myself, the Truth, to
that extent I establish my kingdom. For this cannot be done without manifesting the
truth, which can only be done fittingly by me, who am the light” (Commentary on the
Gospel of John, 2359).
Thomas draws upon two supporting passages: “The only Son, who is in the bosom of
the Father, he has made him known” (Jn 1:18); “It was declared at first by the Lord, and
it was attested to us by those who heard him, while God also bore witness by signs and
wonders and various miracles and by the gifts of the Holy Spirit” (Heb 2:3).
(Commentary on the Gospel of John, 2359).

Thomas rephrases Jesus’ words: “You ask if I am a king, and I say that I am: but I am a
king by divine power, because for this I was born, that is, born from the Father, by an
eternal birth; just as I am God from God, so I am king from a king: ‘I was appointed king
… Today I have begotten you’ (Ps 2:6-7)” (Commentary on the Gospel of John, 2360).
Thomas proceeds to speak in Jesus’ name, referring to Jesus’ “birth in time”: “It is like
saying: Although I am an eternal king, yet I have come into the world for this, to bear
witness to the truth, that is, to myself, that I am a king from God the Father”
(Commentary on the Gospel of John, 2360).
For Thomas, Jesus’ previous comparison of himself to a shepherd throws light on his
being a king: “This is so because a king is to his subjects as a shepherd to his sheep;
and just as a shepherd feeds his sheep ‑ ‘Should not shepherds feed the sheep?’ (Ez
34:2). ‑ so a king supports his subjects“(Commentary on the Gospel of John, 2361).
Jesus had previously announced, “My sheep hear my voice” (Jn 10:27). Thomas
identifies this “hearing” with those who belong to the kingdom: “Everyone who is of the
truth hears my voice, not just outwardly, but with an interior belief and love, and carrying
this out in action: ‘Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me’
(6:45). But why does a person hear my voice? Because such a one is of the truth, which
is God. (Commentary on the Gospel of John, 2361).
Thomas’ description is important: these people hear Jesus’ voice “with an interior belief
and love, and carrying this out in action.”
Thomas replies to the suggestion that, since all of us were created by God, we hear his
voice”: “We can answer this by saying that all are from God by creation, and this is one
way we are of God. But besides this, some are said to be of God because they love and
imitate him. We read before, ‘You are not of God’ (Jn 8:47)., that is, considering your
affections, but you are of God by creation. Every one hears my voice, with belief and
love, who is of the truth, that is, who has accepted the duty of loving the truth.
(Commentary on the Gospel of John, 2362). Hearing Jesus’ voice “with belief and
love… accepting the duty of loving the truth”
Thomas makes an important clarification: we do not hear Jesus’ voice because, by our
own doing, we already believe the truth: “He does not say, ‘Everyone who hears my
voice is of the truth,’ because it would follow that we are of the truth because we
believed. But actually, we believe because we are of the truth, that is, because we have
received the gift of God which enables us to believe and love the truth: ‘By grace you
have been saved through faith; and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God’ (Eph
2:8).; ‘For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only
believe in him but also suffer for his sake’ (Phil 1:29)” (Commentary on the Gospel of
John, 2363).
Pilate realizes that he cannot fathom Jesus’ meaning, so he poses a general question:
“What is truth?” Thomas thinks that Pilate was not asking for a definition of truth, but

wanted to know more about truth. Still, he doesn’t wait for Jesus’ answer. Thomas
thinks most of the people could not have understood Jesus “because they were
unbelievers” (Commentary on the Gospel of John, 2364).
Thomas affirms that there are two kinds of truth in the gospel: “One is uncreated and
making: this is Christ: ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life’ (Jn 14:6).; the other truth
is made, ‘Grace and truth came [were made] through Jesus Christ’ (Jn 1:17).
(Commentary on the Gospel of John, 2365).
Thomas concludes his comments on this passage by affirming: “Therefore, the
uncreated truth of the divine intellect is appropriated, especially referred, to the Son,
who is the very concept of the divine intellect and the Word of God” (Commentary on the
Gospel of John, 2365).

Denis Vincent Wiseman, O.P.