John 19:19

John 19:19 says, And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross.  And the writing was, JESUS OF NAZARETH, KING OF THE JEWS. Pilate was still trying to placate the Jews and humiliate Jesus, but he published the truth.  Pilate may have also wanted to make himself look better to Caesar, but the inscription as written had no charge worthy of death.  All Pilate did was publish the truth for all to see. When the world attempts to discredit Jesus today, it can never be done with the truth.  Any attempt to discredit Jesus must be made on lies.  Pilate, with his title written above Jesus on the cross was a witness to the world of Who Jesus really is.  Nothing that was written there brought any disgrace to Jesus.  Verse twenty adds, The title then read many of the Jews, for the place where Jesus was crucified was nigh unto the city, and it was written in Hebrew,and Greek, and Latin. Jesus was not crucified in some remote location where few people would ever see Him.  Part of the purpose of a crucifixion was to put a certain fear into others, so the officials wanted it to be witnessed by many people.  Since Pilate had the title written in three of the everyday languages of that day, he became a witness to Christ not only to the Jews, but to nearly everyone else around. It is always ironic when in an attempt to discredit Jesus that people point others to Him.  Many of those passing by that day might not have known Who Jesus was had Pilate not told them.  Pilate also, by writing the title in three languages, implied that Jesus was the Savior, not only of the Jews, but of the whole world.  Pilate had acknowledged that any fault found with Jesus was with the Jews, but he proclaimed Him to the world.  Verse twenty-one continues, And the said the chief priests of the Jews unto Pilate, "Write not the King of the Jews, but that He said I am King of the Jews."  They did not want the truth published.  They were trying to discredit Jesus, and Pilate was proclaiming Him to be exactly Who He said He was.  When God's truth is proclaimed, those who teach a false religion or those who teach falsely about the One God do not like it.  Verse twenty-two concludes, Pilate answered, "What I have written, I have written."  Pilate may have wanted to put the chief priests in their place.  He had allowed the crucifixion based on their claim that Jesus was a threat to Caesar, and this would be a statement about what happened to those who opposed Caesar.  As followers of Christ, we a called on to present the truth of Who He is, no matter the situation.  His people that day failed, but His truth was still proclaimed.