The inscription on the cross.
"And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross. And the writing was, Jesus of Nazareth the King of the Jews."
I. PILATE TOOK ADVANTAGE OF A ROMAN CUSTOM TO INSULT THE JEWS BY REPRESENTING THIS MALEFACTOR AS THEIR KING. It was an act of revenge for all the humiliation the Jews had inflicted upon him.
II. IT WAS WRITTEN IN THE LANGUAGES OF THE THREE PRINCIPAL PEOPLES OF THE WORLD. "Hebrew, and Greek, and Latin."
1. Hebrew was the national language of the Jews.
2. Greek was the language of common life.
3. Latin was the language of their Roman masters.
III. HOW DO WE RECONCILE THE "VARIOUS FORMS OF THE INSCRIPTION WITH THE DOCTRINE OF VERBAL INSPIRATION"
1. It is extremely probable that Pilate employed representatives of each language to draw up the title, which would therefore be variously framed according to a threefold idiom.
2. The title in John's Gospel, "Jesus the Nazarene, the King of the Jews," would be the Greek form. The title in Mark, "The King of the Jews," would be given with Roman brevity, "Rex Judaeorum." The title in Luke, "This is the King of the Jews? does not differ from that in Mark, for the introductory pronoun is Luke's own. The title in Matthew, "This is Jesus the King of the Jews," would be the Hebrew form.
IV. THE DISSATISFACTION OF THE JEWS AT THE FORM OF THE INSCRIPTION. "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."
1. The title here given to the remonstrants suggests that they were the guardians of the theocratic honor of the Jews.
2. They wished to disconnect the name of Jesus from all their ideas of Messiahship, and represent him as a usurper.
3. Or, perhaps, they were anxious to adhere to the fatal admission, "We have no king but Caesar."
V. THE INFLEXIBILITY OF PILATE. "What I have written I have written."
1. He is very resolute in his purpose now that all danger is past. Philo calls him "an inflexible man." Well had it been for him if his firmness of purpose had been manifested in the earlier hours of the day.
2. He was, after all, by his inscription, only representing the true fact unconsciously. Pilate is the herald to proclaim the Kingship of Jesus.
The parting of the raiment.
The soldiers regard Jesus as already dead, and therefore dispose of his raiment according to the usage of Roman law.
I. IT WAS A GREAT HUMILIATION TO THE VICTIM TO SEE HIS GARMENTS PARTED.
1. It implied that nothing remained for him henceforth but to die. He had done with earth.
2. It is implied that his body was exposed naked on the cross.
II. THE SOLDIERS WERE ONLY FULFILLING THE OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECY. "That the Scripture might be fulfilled, They parted my raiment among them, and for my vesture did they cast lots." Little did the rude soldiers think that they were unconsciously fulfilling the letter of ancient prophecy.