John 18:34-36 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Sayest thou this thing of thyself,— "Dost thou ask this question of thine own accord, because thou thinkest I have affected regal power; or dost thou ask it according to the information of the priests, who affirm that I have acknowledged myself to be a king?" Of course the omniscient God-man knew what had happened; but he spake to the governor after this manner, because, being in the palace when the priests accused him without, he had not, as man, heard what they said. Pilate answered, Am I a Jew? "Dost thou think that I am acquainted, or that I concern myself with your religious opinions, expectations, and disputes? Your own rulers have delivered you up as a seditious person; one who assumes the title of king: what have you done to merit this charge of sedition?" Jesus answered,—"Though I have acknowledged that I am a king, yet I am no raiser of sedition; for my kingdom is not of this world: had it been so, my servants would have fought. I should have endeavoured to establish myself on the throne by force of arms, and would have fought against the Jews when they came to apprehend me: but as I have done neither, it is evident that the kingdom which I claim is not of this world." It may be objected, that the number of Christ's disciples, had they all been assembled in arms, could have been no match for the Jewish and Roman power at Jerusalem: but it is to be remembered, that the populace appeared zealously on his side but a few days before; and the reason of their turning against him was, his not assuming a temporal kingdom, as they certainly expected he would have done. And we may further add, that a very small body of forces, under a leader endowed with such miraculous powers as Jesus had lately exercised, or rather under Omnipotence itself, might have been sufficient to vanquish all the Roman legions. See John 6:15.