Episode 127 - "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews" - John 19:16-22

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.”

The account of Jesus’ crucifixion is consistent with other historical information that exists regarding the Roman practice of crucifixion. The detail in verse 17 that Jesus went out, “bearing his own cross” was common for the condemned to carry the crossbeam to the place of crucifixion where they would be hoisted up on the vertical post and nailed to the cross. Other Gospel accounts include details that a bystander was compelled by the soldiers to ultimately carry Jesus’ cross. This was probably due to the effect on his body of the previous flogging and beating he had received. He must have been very weak from it. John does not feel compelled to include that in this account and probably wanted to highlight that Jesus did carry his own cross, being treated like other criminals, since Jesus had taught that those who wanted to be his disciples must “carry his own cross.” (Luke 14:25-35)  Jesus never required his disciples to do things he could not or would not do himself.

While some commentators make suggestions about Golgotha “looking like a skull,” the reality is that no one really knows why it was called “The Place of the Skull” or its actual location today. 

The next point that Pilate wrote an inscription, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews” is also consistent historically. It was common for the name of the condemned and the crime for which they were being executed to be written and displayed with the individual to be a testimony to others why they were being executed. It is this inscription to which I will return shortly.

In verse 20, John writes that “Many of the Jews read this inscription.” Why is that? Because it was “near the city” and it’s during the Passover Feast when people are coming from all over to celebrate this feast. 

John then points out the inscription was written in the three common languages of the day “Aramaic, Latin, and Greek.” What we see in these two points is the impeccable timing of God for the Son of Man to be lifted up like the serpent in the wilderness and for the Lamb of God to be sacrificed to take away the sins of the world. Jews and Gentiles alike would see Jesus on the cross with the message accessible to everyone that this is the King of the Jews. 

You can why this bothered the chief priests. They understood the impact this might have on people and they appealed to Pilate to change it. But, Pilate got his final revenge on them by saying, “What I have written I have written.” It has been observed that every other occurrence of the Greek word in John that is translated “written” refers to God’s word. It would seem that John mentions this to suggest that even through Pilate or one of his soldiers, God’s word was proclaiming His revelation and truth regarding Jesus. 

As I write this, we have entered Lent this past week and moving toward the Passion week, I hope you will reflect upon Jesus as “The King of the Jews.” He is the Messiah and he will return and be our eternal king. Praise the Lord!