John 19:17-22

John 19:17-22

Therefore they took Jesus.  And after carrying His cross He went out into the place that is called the Place of the Skull, which is being called Golgatha in Aramaic, where they crucified Him.  And with Him they crucified two others – here and here – with Jesus in the middle.  And Pilate also wrote an inscription and set it upon the cross.  And it was having been written, “Jesus the Nazarene, the King of the Jews.”  Many of the Jews read this inscription because the place where Jesus was being crucified was near.  And it was having been written in Aramaic, Latin, and Greek.  Therefore the chief priests of the Jews were saying to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The king of the Jews,’ but that this one said, ‘I am a king of the Jews.’”  Pilate replied, “What I have written, I have written.”

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

I find it interesting that the inscription was written in three languages: Aramaic, Latin, and Greek.  Aramaic was the native language of the Jews at the time of Jesus.  Latin was the language of the Roman Empire – especially in the political environment.  Greek was the language of the learned academics.  Jesus is the fulfillment of right spirituality, of right governance, and of right understanding.  Here we see a message to learn.  The truth of God’s work upon the cross is for the Jew, the Greek, and the Roman.  The truth of the cross is for the Hebrew and the Gentile of any kind.  It is for the rich, the poor, the common, or the elite. 

Is the truth of the cross for you?  What is the truth of the cross in your understanding?

Second Thought:

This is all we hear about the other criminals in John’s account.  We don’t hear them mock or repent.  Rather, we have a simple historical mention of their presence.  But it is enough for John to write with respect to Jesus fulfilling Isaiah 53:12.  Jesus was numbered among the transgressors.  He was sinless, yet counted among the sinful.  He was sacrificed, yet through His sacrifice He bore the sins of many.  His death was meant to be insignificant; it turned out to be one of the most significant events in history.  (Jesus’ birth and resurrection are also pretty significant.)

How does it make you feel inside to know that Jesus was numbered among the transgressors?  What does it mean to you that He bore the sins of many upon the cross?

Third Thought:

There is no doubt that Pilate put up this inscription to annoy the Jewish leaders that had pushed him around only a few verses prior.  What is interesting is that Pilate knows truth.  The Jewish leaders, however, are still searching through lies to incriminate Jesus.  They desire to say that Jesus said that He was a king of the Jews.  Jesus had no desire to be a political insurgent.  They desire to put the words into His mouth to justify their action.

How often have you been a victim of other people’s attribution of your actions?  Why do we as human beings often sink low enough to telling lies about other people to justify what we do?

Passage for Tomorrow: John 19:23-27