Jesus answered,
You could have no power at all against me, except it were given you from above: therefore he that delivered me unto you has the greater sin.
Read Chapter 19
Cornelius a Lapide
AD 1637
Thou wouldest have no power against Me, unless it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered Me unto thee hath the greater sin. The best explanation of this passage is that of Jansenius, Cajetan, and Ribera. Thou couldest have no power over Me, both because I am innocent, and because I could deliver Myself, if I so willed; But My Father willed that I should submit to thee, in order to the work of redemption, and accordingly permitted thee to give way to the Jews in this matter, and to exercise thy power over Me. But this thou wouldest not have done, unless they had accused Me. Their sin is therefore greater than thine.
And the Lord in His Gospel says, in the time of His passion, "Thou couldest have no power against me unless it were given thee from above.".
In the Gospel according to John: "Jesus said, Thou couldest have no power against me, unless it were given thee from above."
He makes no clearer revelation of what He was, or whence He came, or Who was His Father. Nor, indeed, does He suffer us to waste the word of revelation, by giving it to ears that are estranged, saying: Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast your pearls before the swine. When, then, Pilate was parading before Him his official power, and, in his folly, alleging that he could wholly determine His fate according to his mere will and pleasure, He very appropriately meets him with a declaration of His own power and might, and stops him short, as it were, as he was vaunting himself with vain and empty boasting against the glory of God. For, in truth, it were no small calamity that any should suppose that Christ could be dragged, against His Will, to suffer insult; and that the malice of the Jews vanquished Him, Who was truly God, and proclaimed Sovereign of the universe by the holy and inspired writings. He has, therefore, removed this stumblingblock from our path, and cuts u...
Unless it were given, or permitted thee from above. Therefore, he that delivered me to thee, hath the greater sin. Some expound this of Judas; others, rather of the high priest Caiphas, with the Jewish council: for they could not be ignorant that Jesus was their Messias, having seen the miracles Jesus did, and knowing the predictions of the prophets. (Witham)
Lest any should think, from what our Saviour had said, that Pilate was not in fault, in this place, he here adds, that he that had delivered him up, had the greater sin: God, indeed, had permitted it; but still these instruments of his death were not without fault. (St. Chrysostom, hom. lxxxiii. in Joan.)
Christ had been delivered into the power of Pilate through envy, and Pilate was about to exercise that power through fear. But though this last motive of fear can never justify any one, who condemns the innocent, yet still it is much more pardonable than the motive of envy, which was the incentive of the Jewish multitude. (St. ...
Showing that he also was guilty of sin. Then, to pull down his pride and arrogance, He says,
You would have no power except it were given you.
Showing that this did not come to pass merely in the common order of events, but that it was accomplished mystically. Then lest, when you hear, Except it were given you, you should deem that Pilate was exempt from all blame, on this account therefore He said, Therefore he that delivered Me unto you has the greater sin. And yet if it was given, neither he nor they were liable to any charge. Thou objectest idly; for the 'given' in this place means what is 'allowed'; as though He had said, 'He has permitted these things to be, yet not for that are you clear of the wickedness.' He awed Pilate by the words, and proffered a clear defense. On which account that person sought to release Him; but they again cried out, saying,
