April 7
JOHN 19
So they took Jesus, 17 and he went out, bearing his own cross, to the place called The Place of a Skull, which in Aramaic is called Golgotha. 18 There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, and Jesus between them. 19 Pilate also wrote an inscription and put it on the cross. It read, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” 20 Many of the Jews read this inscription, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and it was written in Aramaic, in Latin, and in Greek. 21 So the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews,’ but rather, ‘This man said, I am King of the Jews.’” 22 Pilate answered, “What I have written I have written.”– John 19:16-22
JOHN 19 KING OF THE JEWS INSCRIPTION
A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses
When Jesus was crucified on the cross
Pilate inscribed on him “King of the Jews”
It was to get back at the chief priests for their intimidation
When they wanted it changed, Pilate resisted with indignation.
In verse 20, we were told that the inscription was written in three languages namely Aramaic, Latin and Greek. According to some commentaries, these were the three great languages of the ancient world which represented three great nations: Greece, Rome and Judea, specifically Capernaum and Nazareth. It was the Greeks who taught the world beauty of form and of thought. The Romans taught the world law and government; the Hebrews taught the world religion and the worship of true God.
According to studylight.com “The consummation of all these things is seen in Jesus. In him was the supreme beauty and the highest thought of God. In him was the law of God and the kingdom of God. In him was the very image of God. All the world’s pursuits and strivings found their consummation in him. It was symbolic that the three great languages of the world should call him king.
It is interesting that it took the crucifixion of Jesus before Pilate finally had the guts to exercise his authority over the chief priests who had been bullying him to give the sentence of crucifixion to Jesus even though he couldn’t find fault in him.
REFLECTION
• Why do you think the Jewish leaders want the inscription changed?
