Ver. 43. "I am come in My Father's name, and ye receive Me not; if another shall come in his own name, him will ye receive."
[2.] Seest thou that He everywhere declareth that He hath been "sent," that judgment hath been committed to Him by the Father, that He can do nothing of Himself, in order that He may cut off all excuse for their unfairness? But who is it that He here saith shall come "in his own name"? He alludeth here to Antichrist, andputteth7 an incontrovertible proof of their unfairness. "For if as loving God ye persecute Me, much more ought this to have taken place8 in the case of Antichrist. For he will neither say that he is sent by the Father, nor that he cometh according to his will, but in everything contrariwise, seizing like a tyrant what belongeth not to him, and asserting that he is the very God over all, as Paul saith, `Exalting himself above all that is called God, or that is worshiped, showing himself that he is God.' (2 Thess. ii. 4.) This is to `come in his own name.' I do not so, but am come in the Name of My Father." That they received not One who said that He was sent of God, was a sufficient proof that they loved not God; but now from the contrary of this fact, from their being about to receive Antichrist, He showeth their shamelessness.9 For when they received not One who asserteth that He was sent by God, and are about to worship one who knoweth Him not, and who saith that he is God over all, it is clear that their persecution proceeded from malice and from hating God.
Homily XLI - The Gospel According to St. John - St. John Chrysotom