Pilate answered, What I have written I have written.
It is Pilate's refusal to change the inscription set above Jesus on the cross naming Him King of the Jews, though the priests and rulers asked him to alter it. He stood firm because he was angry at his own weakness and despised their jealousy and scheming. The title stood in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin above His head near the city as the only offense charged against Him. What they wanted was wording that He merely claimed to be king, to distance themselves from the title. By leaving it standing, the refusal exposed their rejection of a king from their own nation and their hypocrisy in professing loyalty to Caesar to destroy Him, while God's hand guided the writing so that this public naming of the Messiah would awaken thought and lead many to search the Scriptures.
Surrounding Sufferings and Setting
What has been written belongs to Jesus passing out of Pilate's court toward Calvary with the cross prepared for Barabbas laid upon His bruised and bleeding shoulders. He was weak and suffering, having taken neither food nor drink since the Passover supper, worn by the agony in Gethsemane, betrayal and desertion by the disciples, the examinations before Annas, Caiaphas, Pilate and Herod, and insult, mockery and two scourgings through the night. When the burden was laid on Him He fell fainting beneath it, taunted by the crowd while none would bear it for Him. He was then taken to the place called Calvary and there crucified outside the gate of Jerusalem where felons and murderers were executed. Dying outside the boundaries as substitute for Adam and Eve banished from Eden for transgression of the law of God, He sanctified the people with His own blood and redeemed them from the curse of the law by being made a curse for them.
The cross scene followed a night of prayer as He faced the agony of the judgment hall and the cross. In this setting He was mocked and insulted, crowned with thorns, and nailed to the cross. His sacrifice shows that the way of self-denial is not too difficult when compared with what He gave up. It belongs to the time when the Bridegroom is taken away from the disciples, as Christ approaches the cross and descends into humiliation in the hands of wicked men. His own nation clamored for His blood, Herod and his soldiers plaited the crown of thorns for His brow, He was clad in the purple robe and mocked and struck with the reed, and He was scourged as the worst of criminals while the murderous Barabbas was chosen in His place.
Lifted up on the cross and dying as a malefactor in whom their hopes of eternal life were centered, faith was tried and hope and courage failed, so that the disciples had cause to mourn and fast. It belongs to the beholding of the Son of God dying upon the cross in a terrible, trying hour of gloom and darkness. The disciples failed to endure the proving of that hour and lost their faith as they beheld it. Had they watched and received the knowledge of His sufferings and the glory that should follow, some rays of hope from that knowledge would have lighted up the darkness and sustained their faith.
Pilate's Refusal and Purpose
“What I have written I have written” is Pilate’s refusal to change the inscription above Jesus on the cross identifying Him as King of the Jews, despite the request of the priests, chief priests and rulers. He coldly and firmly stood by what he had written and insisted the words remain unchanged. He refused because he was angry with himself for his earlier weakness in yielding, and because he thoroughly despised the jealous and artful priests and rulers. Contempt for them and anger at his own former weakness made him unyielding.
The inscription he had written in three different languages — Hebrew, Greek, and Latin — was placed upon the cross above His head near the city. It read that Jesus was the King of the Jews and named no other offense, kingship being the only charge stated. The priests and chief priests asked him to change it to say only that Jesus claimed to be king, seeking by that wording to distance themselves from the title. They wanted the claim made His alone rather than left standing as a declaration concerning them.
By leaving the words standing, the refusal made conspicuous the leaders’ rejection of a king from their own nation. It exposed their hypocrisy in claiming loyalty to Caesar and Rome while sacrificing their nation’s existence to destroy Jesus. It was understood by all as a virtual public declaration that the Jews, by crying for crucifixion and disclaiming any king of their own nation in favor of Caesar, judged any man who aspired to be King of the Jews, however innocent otherwise, worthy of death. They had made allegiance to Rome their reason for condemning anyone who aspired to that kingship.
The placement was directed by God, with His hand guiding the writing as living truth providentially set to awaken thought. The public declaration of Jesus as Messiah, visible near the city to people from many lands, was meant to lead to investigation of the Old Testament Scriptures.
It is Pilate's refusal to change the inscription set above Jesus on the cross naming Him King of the Jews, though the priests and rulers asked him to alter it. He stood firm because he was angry at his own weakness and despised their jealousy and scheming. The title stood in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin above His head near the city as the only offense charged against Him. What they wanted was wording that He merely claimed to be king, to distance themselves from the title. By leaving it standing, the refusal exposed their rejection of a king from their own nation and their hypocrisy in professing loyalty to Caesar to destroy Him, while God's hand guided the writing so that this public naming of the Messiah would awaken thought and lead many to search the Scriptures.
Surrounding Sufferings and Setting
What has been written belongs to Jesus passing out of Pilate's court toward Calvary with the cross prepared for Barabbas laid upon His bruised and bleeding shoulders. He was weak and suffering, having taken neither food nor drink since the Passover supper, worn by the agony in Gethsemane, betrayal and desertion by the disciples, the examinations before Annas, Caiaphas, Pilate and Herod, and insult, mockery and two scourgings through the night. When the burden was laid on Him He fell fainting beneath it, taunted by the crowd while none would bear it for Him. He was then taken to the place called Calvary and there crucified outside the gate of Jerusalem where felons and murderers were executed. Dying outside the boundaries as substitute for Adam and Eve banished from Eden for transgression of the law of God, He sanctified the people with His own blood and redeemed them from the curse of the law by being made a curse for them.
The cross scene followed a night of prayer as He faced the agony of the judgment hall and the cross. In this setting He was mocked and insulted, crowned with thorns, and nailed to the cross. His sacrifice shows that the way of self-denial is not too difficult when compared with what He gave up. It belongs to the time when the Bridegroom is taken away from the disciples, as Christ approaches the cross and descends into humiliation in the hands of wicked men. His own nation clamored for His blood, Herod and his soldiers plaited the crown of thorns for His brow, He was clad in the purple robe and mocked and struck with the reed, and He was scourged as the worst of criminals while the murderous Barabbas was chosen in His place.
Lifted up on the cross and dying as a malefactor in whom their hopes of eternal life were centered, faith was tried and hope and courage failed, so that the disciples had cause to mourn and fast. It belongs to the beholding of the Son of God dying upon the cross in a terrible, trying hour of gloom and darkness. The disciples failed to endure the proving of that hour and lost their faith as they beheld it. Had they watched and received the knowledge of His sufferings and the glory that should follow, some rays of hope from that knowledge would have lighted up the darkness and sustained their faith.
Pilate's Refusal and Purpose
“What I have written I have written” is Pilate’s refusal to change the inscription above Jesus on the cross identifying Him as King of the Jews, despite the request of the priests, chief priests and rulers. He coldly and firmly stood by what he had written and insisted the words remain unchanged. He refused because he was angry with himself for his earlier weakness in yielding, and because he thoroughly despised the jealous and artful priests and rulers. Contempt for them and anger at his own former weakness made him unyielding.
The inscription he had written in three different languages — Hebrew, Greek, and Latin — was placed upon the cross above His head near the city. It read that Jesus was the King of the Jews and named no other offense, kingship being the only charge stated. The priests and chief priests asked him to change it to say only that Jesus claimed to be king, seeking by that wording to distance themselves from the title. They wanted the claim made His alone rather than left standing as a declaration concerning them.
By leaving the words standing, the refusal made conspicuous the leaders’ rejection of a king from their own nation. It exposed their hypocrisy in claiming loyalty to Caesar and Rome while sacrificing their nation’s existence to destroy Jesus. It was understood by all as a virtual public declaration that the Jews, by crying for crucifixion and disclaiming any king of their own nation in favor of Caesar, judged any man who aspired to be King of the Jews, however innocent otherwise, worthy of death. They had made allegiance to Rome their reason for condemning anyone who aspired to that kingship.
The placement was directed by God, with His hand guiding the writing as living truth providentially set to awaken thought. The public declaration of Jesus as Messiah, visible near the city to people from many lands, was meant to lead to investigation of the Old Testament Scriptures.