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Commentaries
English
John
  
19Pilate also wrote a title and put it on the cross. It read, "Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews."20Many of the Jews read this title, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, in Latin, and in Greek.


The soldiers hanged Jesus between two criminals as a sign of mockery for his claim to kingship. Pilate, meanwhile, persisted in ridiculing the Jewish Council who had forced him to sentence Jesus despite his conscience. Above the head of the Crucified, Pilate placed a title repeating the Jewish accusation.
God used this title at the head of the cross to judge the Jews, for Jesus was truly their king. Jesus is genuinely the King, who comes in righteousness, love, meekness and humility. He established heaven on earth. The Jews preferred hell, rejecting their divine King driving him outside their society. He thus became the King of Nations, but do nations accept the crucified King today or do they reject the Lord of love again?