Matthew 27:37Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

15:26): And the writing of His guilt was written: King of the Jews, while Luke notes (Lk. 23:38): And the writing was also written over Him in Hellenic and Roman and Hebrew letters: This is the King of the Jews. It was inscribed in three languages because of the considerable Greek and Roman presence in the city at that time. John recounts (John 19:19-22): But Pilate wrote the title and put it on the cross. It read: Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews. This title was notably recognized by many Jews since the location of the crucifixion was near the city, and it was inscribed in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin. The religious leaders of Judea urged Pilate, saying, "Do not write, ‘King of the Jews,’ but rather, ‘He said, I am King of the Jews.’" However, Pilate replied, “What I have written, I have written,” indicating his refusal to alter the inscription. Clearly, by divine arrangement, this title was affixed solely to the cross of Jesus Christ. As all three crosses stood close together at that time, the genuine Cross of the Lord was later identified primarily by its inscription.

Did the Jews acknowledge Him as their King only to betray Him to His adversaries, or did they deliver Him into the hands of legitimate authority without recognizing Him as sovereign? This uncertainty was both intentional and deeply troubling for the Sanhedrin. Furthermore, the Gospel writer notes that the inscription was affixed to the cross on a distinct placard. This detail is significant, as historical accounts indicate that during the time of the devout Helen, the inscription was found separate from the cross. This positioning also conveyed a sense of solemnity that the Sanhedrin found objectionable.

The meaning of the inscription, which was seen by many Jews due to its proximity to the city, made it clear that Jesus Christ was indeed the King of the Jews, whom His followers had either failed to defend or had betrayed, and certainly not a fraud as portrayed by the chief priests to Pilate. The Gentile visitors could accuse them of dishonoring their sovereign, while the Gentiles had grounds for mockery. This realization deeply tainted the triumph of the Lord's adversaries, prompting them to approach Pilate and request a revision of the inscription that had incensed them. “Do not state," they urged, “King of the Jews, but rather that He claimed, I am King of the Jews. Let it be known that we did not acknowledge Him as King, but that He asserted Himself to be the Messiah.” Pilate, however, replied, “What I have written, I have written,” indicating he had no intention to alter it. Ashamed and irritated, the chief priests returned to Golgotha, seeking to repay their disgrace by deriding and mocking the crucified Jesus. “Pilate,” remarks Blessed Augustine, “what he wrote, he wrote; just as the Lord, whatever He spoke, He spoke. He proclaimed, I am the King set upon Zion; He stated that He must suffer to enter into His glory. Thus, the declaration of the new King was established. A Gentile, Pilate, formally acknowledges Him, in spite of the Jewish rulers. This serves as a prophetic sign of the events that soon transpired. The Jewish people witnessed this, and to their shame, they saw the Gentile nations gradually recognizing the crucified Jesus as their King, Savior, and Lord.”

Write what he said, “I am the King of the Jews” (John 19:21), so that all will comprehend that he claimed this title, and that we did not accept him as our King.’ Pilate, resentful of the chief priests for forcing him into a position of obedience, sharply retorted, ‘It is not your place to meddle with my orders! What I have written will stand!’

The inscription proclaimed that this man, condemned to a disgraceful death reserved for slaves, who hung in public view between two offenders, was ‘the king of the Jews.’ It stated, ‘Jesus of Nazareth, king of the Jews.’ When the Jewish leaders recognized the cruel mockery Pilate had orchestrated, it entirely soured their sense of vindictive triumph, prompting them to send a delegation to Pilate requesting a change to the inscription that had incensed them. They pleaded, ‘Do not write, king of the Jews, but rather that He claimed, I am king of the Jews.’ Yet, Pilate's earlier courage, which had swiftly diminished in the presence of Caesar, reemerged. He relished the opportunity to irritate the very people whose tumultuous demands had forced him to act against his own will and conscience earlier that day. Few could articulate their disdain as effectively as the Romans could. Without offering even a formal justification for his decision, Pilate coldly dismissed the proud leaders with the curt and derisive response, ‘What I have written, I have written.’

Pilate exploited this situation to publicly shame the chief priests and the members of the Sanhedrin more harshly, declaring the charge for which the Lord was sentenced with the inscription: "This is Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews." This statement was displayed in three languages—Hebrew, Greek, and Latin—allowing not only the Jewish populace but also the Gentiles who had traveled to Jerusalem for the Passover to understand it. When the chief priests observed the inscription, they recognized the profound humiliation encapsulated within those concise yet powerful words. They anticipated that the Jews would read it with outrage towards their leaders, who had so dishonored the title of the King of the Jews, while the Gentiles would mockingly deride their despised people. In a state of disarray, the crafty adversaries of Christ requested Pilate to amend the inscription: they proposed that it read not "King of the Jews," but rather, as He Himself asserted, "I am the King of the Jews." Such a modification would cast the fault directly upon the Lord, portraying Him as a self-styled deceiver and likely intensifying the animosity towards Him among all who witnessed the proceedings at Golgotha. This strategy appeared to be sound. Nonetheless, Pilate, having previously conceded much to their demands, chose this occasion to stand firm, responding, "What I have written, I have written." Unbeknownst to him, he had declared a profound truth. Blessed Augustine contends that Pilate’s words fulfilled the prophecy: the Lord had stated, "I have set my King upon my holy hill of Zion" (Psalm 2:6) and indicated His suffering was a prerequisite for entering into glory (Luke 24:26). Ironically, those who crucified Him inadvertently placed Him upon His throne; they now had the task of announcing this new King, and Pilate, a Gentile, with the help of the trilingual sign, earnestly proclaimed Him before all peoples—defiantly in opposition to the Jewish authorities—a prophetic foreshadowing of the events to come! The people of Judea, who continued to reject the dominion of Christ, have borne witness to their own disgrace as the Gentile nations gradually accept the crucified Jesus as their King, Savior, and Lord. Thus, at Golgotha, the mystery of Christ's cross was unveiled to the entire world, orchestrated by the eternal counsel of the triune God, a truth hidden through the ages until now (Colossians 1:26). The Unblemished and Holy Lamb, destined before the world’s foundation (1 Peter 1:19, 20) as an expiatory sacrifice for the sins of humanity (1 John 2:2), was exalted upon the altar of the cross. A new tree of life arose amidst the earth (Psalm 73:12), and the plagues of the Lord, pouring forth in four streams over the earth, which has been tainted by the ancient curse (Genesis 3:17), sanctified it, preparing it as a dwelling for the New Covenant children of the second Adam. What a remarkable sight this was, not just for the elect souls entreating deliverance in Jerusalem (Luke 2:38), but also for the angels who surrounded the cross in humble reverence, recognizing it as the Throne of the Lord of Glory (1 Corinthians 2:8).