John 19:21 - Printer Friendly

ESV: So the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, "Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews,’ but rather, ‘This man said, I am King of the Jews.’"

NIV: The chief priests of the Jews protested to Pilate, "Do not write ‘The King of the Jews,’ but that this man claimed to be king of the Jews."

NASB: So the chief priests of the Jews were saying to Pilate, 'Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews’; rather, write that He said, ‘I am King of the Jews.’?'

CSB: So the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, "Don’t write, ‘The King of the Jews,’ but that he said, ‘I am the King of the Jews.’"

NLT: 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.’'

KJV: Then said the chief priests of the Jews to Pilate, Write not, The King of the Jews; but that he said, I am King of the Jews.

NKJV: Therefore the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews,’ but, ‘He said, “I am the King of the Jews.” ’ ”

Jesus' enemies do not acknowledge Him as their King, in any sense (John 5:39–40). They pressured the Roman governor to execute Jesus, in part, by declaring their loyalty to a pagan emperor (John 19:15). For that reason, they object to Pilate labelling Jesus' cross with the title "King of the Jews" (John 19:19). Crucified victims frequently had their offenses displayed as a warning to others. Jewish leaders would prefer Pilate's inscription match their own criticism of Jesus: that He is not, in fact, Israel's King.

Pilate knows Jesus is not a political threat (John 18:36–38), but he won't pass up an opportunity to insult Jewish leaders or flaunt his sense of power (John 19:22). Crucifying Jesus as "King of the Jews" sends a message about Roman dominance which fits their approach to conquered territories. People traveling in and out of the city will see this and be reminded of what happens to those who oppose the Empire.

In an ironic sense, this is the first example of Jesus being proclaimed, in writing, to the entire world. The inscription is in multiple languages (John 19:20), near a busy and diverse city, a major trading hub in a worldwide Empire. Sarcasm or not, the legitimate King is being announced to anyone who sees.

John 19:17–30 describes Jesus' unjust execution by crucifixion. The Roman governor, Pilate, ironically puts a sign on Jesus' cross proclaiming Him "King of the Jews." This angers Jewish religious leaders, but the governor refuses to take the sign down or change the wording. As Jesus calls out to John to care for His mother, Mary, soldiers gamble for what's left of His clothes. Jesus pronounces the completion of His atoning sacrifice and dies. Matthew 27:31–56, Mark 15:22–41, and Luke 23:32–49 cover this same series of events.

Pilate recognizes Jesus' innocence, but fears the mob assembled by Jewish religious leaders. He attempts to satisfy them by having Jesus viciously whipped and mocked. This only results in more cries for Jesus' death. The governor then shifts to protect his own reputation, ordering Jesus to be crucified on a charge of being "King of the Jews." John is directly present as Jesus is executed. He notes the fulfillment of several prophecies as Jesus dies. Once He is confirmed to be dead, Jesus' body is taken by two friendly members of the ruling council. They hastily bury Him in the borrowed crypt of a rich man.

When Jesus was first brought to Pilate, His innocence was obvious (John 18:36–38). However, the mob refuses to be satisfied with anything less than crucifixion. Pilate gives in to these demands. John, who is present for the entire gory spectacle, notes several instances of fulfilled prophecy (Psalm 22:18; Psalm 69:21; Exodus 12:46; Zechariah 12:10). Jesus is then buried in the borrowed tomb of a rich man (Isaiah 53:9) to complete yet another Old Testament prediction. A guard will be posted to ensure no one steals the body (Matthew 27:62–68), which will only serve to confirm that Jesus' eventual resurrection was a true miracle (John 20:1–8).

The disciple John wrote the gospel of John decades after the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke were written. The author assumes that a reader is already familiar with the content of these other works. So, John presents a different perspective, with a greater emphasis on meaning. John uses seven miracles—which he calls "signs"— to prove that Jesus is, in fact, God incarnate. Some of the most well-known verses in the Bible are found here. None is more famous than the one-sentence summary of the gospel found in John 3:16.