Matthew 27: 37; Mark 15: 26; Luke 23: 38; John 19: 19 write, over his head they put the charge against him, which read, “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.” This was written by Pilate and in John 19: 21 the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews; but, ‘his man said, I am King of the Jews.” Pilate answered, “What I have written I have written.”
Why did Pilate write the inscription?
First, Herod subtly believed that Jesus was the king of the Jews. Pilate also knew the prophecy told to Herod by the chief priests and scribes when Jesus was born. Herod said in Matthew 2: 2, “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? They answered in Matthew 2: 6, in Bethlehem of Judea from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel. Read the full account in Matthew 2: 2-6.
Second, Pilate knew that the majority of the Jews revered Jesus as their king. The people said in Matthew 21: 9 “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!” On Jesus approaching the path down from the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude again shouted in Luke 19: 38, “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven, and glory in the highest heaven!” Pilate was certainly aware of these Jewish events.
Third, Jesus himself said so in Matthew 23: 39; Luke 13: 35, for I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, “Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.” Jesus said in John 18: 36, “My kingdom is not from this world… my kingdom is not from here.” In Mark 15: 18; John 19: 3, they began saluting him, “Hail, King of the Jews!” Pilate acknowledged Jesus as such because even at the pseudo trial, Jesus acquitted himself with distinction in wisdom. Therefore, Pilate who was not a Jew had no fear about speaking the truth or entertaining any rivalry to his position.
Fourth, Herod wanted public peace. His statement meant that since the king of the Jews was to be crucified, any tumult was needless. At the time, the Jews were expecting a political Messiah to liberate them from Roman rule so Jesus was asked in Mark 14: 61, “Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?” They also asked him in John 1: 22, 25, “Who are you?” “Why then are you baptizing if you are neither the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the prophet?” However, Jesus came as a spiritual Messiah, hence he was rejected and crucified. Pilate was therefore political with his inscription.
We all have shades of Pilate’s character. We must be forthright and straight. Jesus said in Matthew 5: 37, let your word be ‘Yes, Yes’ or ‘No, No’; anything more than this comes from the evil one. James 5: 12 says let your “Yes” be yes and your “No” be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation. Do we know what scripture says about Jesus? Do we believe in biblical prophecy? Do we boldly acknowledge Jesus as king? Do we know and accept the words of Jesus about his kingship?
Was, and Is Christ Jesus a king?
Both Herod and Pilate said so and Pilate was adamant to change his position even publicly in John 19: 22, “What I have written I have written.” While Herod graced Jesus’s birth with his bold confession of Jesus as king of the Jews, Pilate on the other hand graced Jesus’ death as king of the Jews. John 8: 17 says in your law it is written that the testimony of two witnesses is valid. So before birth till date, Jesus has been king.
Jesus said in John 18: 36, “My kingdom is not from this world… my kingdom is not from here.” Only kings have kingdoms either physically or spiritually or both so Jesus was a king. If none converts like Herod and Pilate boldly said so, we must do better. It is written in 2 Corinthians 3: 12 since, then, we have such a hope, we act with great boldness. Are we bold to confess Jesus without fear? 1 John 3: 21 says beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have boldness before God.
Jesus explained that he was the Lord of David rather than a Son of David. He said in Matthew 22: 43-45; Mark 12: 37; Luke 20: 44,”How is it then that David by the Spirit calls him Lord, saying ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet’”? If David thus calls him Lord, how can he be his son?” So long before Jesus was born, David had acknowledged Jesus as his king. Jesus was king before David and will be king forever in eternity.
Jesus are the Jews?
The natural Jews were and still are God’s chosen nation and race tracing back to Abraham’s covenant with God. God said in Genesis 17: 4, “As for me, this is my covenant with you: You shall be the ancestor of a multitude of nations. (Read Genesis 17: 4-9.) God’s choice for Israel cannot be challenged and he is not answerable to any man. We can only pray that God will also choose us as his people by grace. Jesus is therefore king to all who accept him and trace their accessory to biblical truths.
God said to Abraham in Genesis 12: 3, I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” We must not fault God for choosing Israel for Job 40: 2 says, “Shall a faultfinder contend with the Almighty? God will honour his covenant to whoever remains faithful to him in observing his statutes and ordinances, Leviticus 25: 18.
Jesus however rendered the natural distinction between Jews and non Jews void based on his redeeming grace to everyone. Paul said in Romans 15: 12, “The root of Jesse shall come, the one who rises to rule the Gentiles; in him the Gentiles shall hope.” God declared that “All the Gentiles shall be blessed in Abraham”, Galatians 3: 8. Paul said in Romans 8: 15, you have received a spirit of adoption. He also said in Romans 3: 22-25, for there is no distinction, since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; they are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus whom God put forward as a sacrifice of atonement by his blood, effective through faith.
We All of us have inheritance in God through Christ Jesus. Ephesians 1: 5-6 say, he (God) destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ according to the good pleasure of his will to the praise of his glorious grace that he freely bestowed on us in his beloved. Also, Ephesians 1: 11 wrote, in Christ we have also obtained an inheritance, having been destined according to the purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to his counsel and will. Let us accept Christ Jesus as our king.
Prayer,
Dear Lord Jesus, we invite you to be our king. Let us serve you in spirit and in truth. Humble us to be obedient and subservient to you as our master. We thank you for adopting us as sons and daughters of the kingdom by grace and for giving us an inheritance in your kingdom. Maintain our relationship as you wash our sins in your blood for the salvation of our souls. We pray in your holy name, Amen!!
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