The Superscription of His Accusation

2022-09-13

And set up over his head his accusation written, THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS. (Matthew 27:37)

And the superscription of his accusation was written over, THE KING OF THE JEWS. (Mark 15:26)

And a superscription also was written over him in letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew, THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS. (Luke 23:38)

And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross. And the writing was, JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS. (John 19:19)

The wording does not match in each of the four gospel accounts. However, putting them together, we get the whole statement:

THIS IS JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS.

What was Jesus’ crime? Nobody could posit a real charge against Him. He was the ruler, the Christ, that would deliver His people. However, nobody wanted Him. He died a tortuous and lonely death.

The religious rulers tried to get the governor to change the title to suggest that the charge was Jesus’ claim alone:

Then said the chief priests of the Jews to Pilate, Write not, The King of the Jews; but that he said, I am King of the Jews. Pilate answered, What I have written I have written. (John 19:21-22)

Perhaps Pilate did not want to change it, or perhaps he intentionally wrote it that way to bring shame to the Jews, who wanted an innocent man dead. Pilate himself was guilty in letting Jesus die because He could have let Him go, but He didn’t.

Jesus of Nazareth truly was the King of the Jews. However, it did not go far enough. He is King and Lord over all.