“And Pilate posted a sign on the cross that read, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” The place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign was written in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek, so that many people could read it. Then the leading priests objected and said to Pilate, “Change it from ‘The King of the Jews’ to ‘He said, I am King of the Jews.’” Pilate replied, “No, what I have written, I have written.””
John 19:19-22 NLT
Before he vanished into history, Pilate had a last shout. It was customary to say something about the person on the cross and the notice on Jesus’ cross read “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews”. And, more, it was displayed in three languages, extending its message to all the visitors in Jerusalem for the Passover festival. Pilate posted the sign and insisted it stayed on Jesus’ cross in spite of the protestations of the Jewish leaders. He knew the truth about Jesus, and the reason why the Jewish leaders wanted Him dead. But Pilate refused to change the sign and said to the leading priests, “what I have written, I have written”. The scene on that fateful day was of a Man hanging and struggling on a cross with a sign saying who He was, clear for all to read. What did the visitors to Jerusalem make of it all? There were no mass communication opportunities in those days, so the background to the crucifixion would have been whispered and discussed amongst the visitors and residents, and the Jewish leaders would have probably been rushing around promoting their official version to all who would listen.
As we pilgrims know, Jesus was indeed the King of the Jews, but in the sense that His was a spiritual Kingdom, not the one the Jews were expecting. They were desirous of a kingdom that would be strong, self-governing and free of the hated Roman occupation. They harked back to the glory days when Israel was prosperous and able to subdue any attempts by neighbouring countries to conquer it. Through their leaders, the Jews thought that they had the spiritual side of the lives sorted because they followed the law of Moses and in any case, weren’t they children of Abraham? And that was the issue. Jesus came with a message of hope and love from a Heavenly Father desirous to renew the relationship with His children.
Do we pilgrims know Jesus as the “King of the Jews”? Before a King we bow and respect, considering Him with awe and worship. But are we a little too flippant sometimes in our relationship, treating Him as a friend rather than as a King? Do we give Him the due to which He is entitled? The world was created through Jesus, as we read in John 1:2-3, “He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him“. How can we not consider Jesus with reverence?
Dear Lord Jesus. We worship You today, in reverence and awe. Amen.
Being a Pilgrim 