The Declaration of a King

Pilate also wrote an inscription and put it on the cross. It was written, "JESUS THE NAZARENE, THE KING OF THE JEWS." Therefore many of the Jews read this inscription, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, Latin and in Greek. So the chief priests of the Jews were saying to Pilate, "Do not write, 'The King of the Jews'; but that He said, 'I am King of the Jews.'" Pilate answered, "What I have written I have written."

John 19:19-22

John records that the sign that was placed over Jesus to designate the charges against him didn’t come without controversy. The leaders were appalled about what Pilate had done. ‘He wasn’t the King, he just claimed to be’, they shouted. Now because of how it was written, in the three most common tongues of the region, everyone would think that this was true! But Pilate refused to budge. The sign over the cross would stay.

Which seemed kind of out of character for Pilate. He had shown that he was willing to placate the Jews. He had just been willing to sentence a man to death whom he found no fault in because of their pressure. That was the first time it had happened either.

When Pilate first arrived on the scene in Jerusalem he had caused a stir, when soldiers under his command brought in a sign of their own. Records aren’t clear exactly what they brought in either a golden shield, a bust or some kind of standard banner, but the Jews reacted to it all the same. The message on the items declared the Emperor as Lord and King. The Jews saw this as idolatry and a violation of the law.

At first, Pilate wasn’t going to back down, it would have been an insult to the emperor. Then a large group of Jews went to Pilate to protest his actions. Pilate was preparing to send in his troop to remove them when the Jews sat down and refused to budge. Rather than cause carnage, he relented and removed the offending standards.

I wonder if that incident was part of Pilate’s mindset when he created the sign on the cross. All the trouble that they had given him about his king, now Pilate would declare who was king of the Jews. His insult, however, had only one problem, is was absolutely true;

"Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ--this Jesus whom you crucified."

Acts 2:36

We all must make our own declaration about Jesus as well. Is he our King, the Christ, the Son of God? It that our standard? Have we made that confession? Have we held to it?

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