John 19:19–22

The third branch of this part of the chapter, contains the title put by Pilate upon Christs Crosse, and his declining to alter it at the Jewes desire. In all which we are not only to look upon Pilate, as following the Romane custome, in publishing the faults of condemned and execute malefactours, and as affronting the Jewes who had so impudently urged him to crucifie Christ; but we are to look to God also, who by this title would have him proclaimed the true King of Israel. Whence learn, 1. It is a good use to be made of the cutting off of delinquents, that justice be cleared, and the guilty ashamed, and that others be warned to fear; for, upon these grounds it was a commendable practice in it self, that a title was put upon the Crosse of malefactours, containing their crime, and the cause of their death, and that it was written in Hebrew, and Greek, and Latine, that all present, of different Nations and Languages, might reade and understand it. 2. Christ hath sanctified his peoples being unjustly condemned as traitours, by suffering upon that account, and by having this title written over his head, The King of the Jews. 3. Christs intended shame doth tend to the real manifestation of his glory; for, Pilate set up this title to brand him as an affecter of a worldly Kingdome; but hereby God would have it proclaimed that he is Jesus of Nazareth the King of the Jewes; That he is a King in the midst of his sufferings, That he did indeed triumph in them, spoiling Satan, and converting one of them that was crucified with him; and, That the glory of this suffering King should be conspicuous and acknowledged in all Nations, of all Languages, as this title was written in the three principal Languages. 4. Inveterate and violent enemies against Christ shall meet with perpetual reproach never to be wiped off; for, therefore doth Pilate write him the King of the Jewes, and that in three languages, that they reading it (as it is v. 20.) might reade their own reproach, in having one who was called King of their Nation, crucified, and that in Gods holy Providence, it might be their perpetual reproach to have crucified him who was indeed their King. 5. The Lord leaveth cruel persecutors to be ambitious and tender of their own credit, when he is to affront them; that as they have served themselves of their lusts and idols, so he also may serve himself of them, to make them the more sensible of their affronts: therefore it is marked, that when they read this title, the crosse being near the City, v. 20. their ambition renders the affront of this more grievous to them, and they desire to have it altered, Then said the chief Priests of the Jewes to Pilate, write not, the King of the Jewes, but that he said, I am the King of the Jewes. 6. Such as are not tender of Gods honour, and of Christ and his interest in the world, God in his justice will be little tender of them, their idols and interests, when they come to be rubbed upon; for, in this answer of Pilate, What I have written, I have written, we are not only to look to Pilate, as cleaving to their Romane customes, which did not admit that their publike Programmes or Tables should be altered after they were published; nor yet only as requiting them with inexotablenesse, who had been so inexorable to his desire of releasing Christ: But we are chiefly to look to the hand of God, who will not have their ambition satisfied, nor allow any tendernesse in the matter of their supposed credit, who had so cruelly pursued Christ to death. 7. Gods decree, concerning the Kingdome of Christ, is immutable, nor will he have the glory of it obscured or born down by any opposition; for, so much also doth this answer of Pilate point out, that as Christ was the King of the Jewes, however they fretted, so the Lord in his Providence would not have the publication thereof on the Crosse hindered by any entreaty of theirs, and therefore Pilate is over-ruled to answer, What I have written, I have written.