Let’s take a quick look at John’s Gospel concerning the Crucifixion and see why the religious rulers (Chief Priests) demanded Pilate change the superscription. I mean, what was there about it, which made them shrivel back to Pilate and say, “Don’t write that! Change it now”!
John 19:14-22 (CEV) It was about noon on the day before Passover, and Pilate said to the crowd, “Look at your king!”
Joh 19:15 “Kill him! Kill him!” (Crucify Him) they yelled. “Nail him to a cross!” “So you want me to nail your king to a cross?” Pilate asked. The chief priests replied, “The Emperor (Caesar) is our king!”
The Crucifixion
Joh 19:16 Then Pilate handed Jesus over to be nailed to a cross. Jesus was taken away,
Joh 19:17 and he carried his cross to a place known as “The Skull.” In Aramaic (also Hebrew) this place is called “Golgotha.”
Joh 19:18 There Jesus was nailed to the cross, and on each side of him a man (the two thieves) was also nailed to a cross.
Joh 19:19 Pilate ordered the charge against Jesus to be written on a board and put above the cross. It read, “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.“
Joh 19:20 The words were written in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek. The place where Jesus was taken wasn’t far from the city, and many of the Jewish people read the charge against him.
Joh 19:21 So the chief priests went to Pilate and said, “Why did you write that he is King of the Jews? You should have written, ‘He claimed to be King of the Jews.’ “
Joh 19:22 But Pilate told them, “What is written will not be changed!”
Oh my friends, are you ready for this?
Here is where the Word of God is going to come alive to you! Because the accusation was written in 3 different languages. Doing it in these languages would have gotten the message out to all the people around Jerusalem at the time, in their own language.
The place was filled with Romans, Greeks, and Jews. So, Pilate covered all his bases and had it written in all 3 different languages.
So, what charge was written on the board above Jesus’ head? It was, “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.“
A lot of times when we see a picture or statue of Jesus on the cross. We will see the “Acrostic letters” from what Pilate had written.
In Latin, it looks like this, “INRI”. In Greek, it looks like this, “INBI”. But in Hebrew, it looks like this, ” יהוה “!
Oh my goodness gracious! Where did we just see this acrostic being used? It is the “Name” of the LORD as written in Hebrew. (We just finished a 4 part study from the Old Testament which showed us the power in the “Name” of the LORD and the meanings of the letters.)
So, now the chief priests are looking at the “Name” of the LORD written above Jesus’ head and they are more than freaking out!
As a result, they wanted the superscription/inscription changed because it showed their guilt in demanding the crucifixion of the LORD, “Yahweh” the Messiah!
However, Pilate said, “What is written will not be changed!”
Have you ever heard of the phrase, “A picture is worth a thousand words”?
Wow! So, there it was for all to see, read, and understand!
“Yod, Hey, Vav, Hey” The Hands of Grace, Nailed in Grace!”
Everyone, (especially those who understood Hebrew), when they walked by and looked at Jesus and read the inscription above Him. Must have also realized this statement’s truth, while staring at Him on the cross.
No wonder the Roman centurion said this in, Mat 27:54 (KJV) Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.
Oh hallelujah, my friends! Our God reigns and is worthy to be praised!
Thank You, Jesus, for everything You have done for us. As well as, for everything, You continue to do for us, each and every day!
#Yahweh #Jesus #SonOfGod #Cross #Crucifixction #WorthyToBePraised #Grace #Inscription