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Humble Hero
As soon as Jesus was nailed to the cross, strong men lifted it and
thrust it violently into the place prepared for it. This caused intense
agony. Pilate then wrote an inscription in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin
and placed it on the cross above Jesus’ head. It read, “JESUS OF
NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS.” This irritated the Jews.
They had shouted, “We have no king but Caesar.” They had declared
that whoever should acknowledge any other king was a traitor. Pilate
wrote what they had expressed. No offense was mentioned, except
that Jesus was the King of the Jews, a virtual acknowledgment of
the allegiance of the Jews to Rome. It declared that whoever might
claim to be the King of Israel they would judge as worthy of death.
In order to destroy Christ, the priests had been ready to sacrifice
even their national existence.
The priests asked Pilate to change the inscription. “Do not write,
‘The King of the Jews,’ but, ‘He said, “I am the King of the Jews.”’”
But Pilate, angry with himself, replied coldly, “What I have written,
I have written.”
In the outworking of God’s plans, that inscription was to awaken
investigation of the Scriptures. People from all lands were at
Jerusalem then, and the inscription declaring Jesus the Messiah
would come to their attention. God had guided its writing.
The sufferings of Christ on the cross fulfilled prophecy.
The congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me.
They pierced My hands and My feet. ...
They divide My garments among them,
And for My clothing they cast lots.
Psalm 22:16-18
His clothing was given to the soldiers. His tunic was woven without
seam, and they said, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it, whose it
shall be.”
In another prophecy the Savior declared,
I looked for someone to take pity, but there was none;
And for comforters, but I found none.