the Jews, he would have been guilty of fraud and imposture : but as he really was what he pretended to be, the title placed over his head was nothing more than a plain truth, containing not only no crime at all, but not even the smallest charge of crime. What could be a stronger testimony in his favour than this?
The testimony itself contained the most important truth that could possibly be affirmed: it declared that Jesus was the King of Israel, that very King predicted in the prophets d, even " Messiah the Prince, who should be cut off, not for his own sinse," but for the sins of others. And, that it might be universally known, it was written in Hebrew, and Greek, and Latin ; (the three languages most known in the world at that time :) so that, in fact, Pilate himself became the first preacher of a crucified Redeemer.]
Whether the precise mode of expressing the accu- sation was intentional on the part of Pilate, or not, we cannot but wonder at, II. The firmness of Pilate in relation to it —
That the superscription would give great offence, we may easily conceive : for the priests, so far from acknowledging Jesus as their king, had got sentence of death pronounced against him for arrogating to himself that honour. They did indeed expect the promised Messiah, and supposed that he would erect a temporal kingdom amongst them; and this very expectation made them feel still more keenly the indignity which this inscription offered them ; since it intimated, that any person who should hereafter attempt to rescue them from the dominion of Caesar, should be crucified in like manner.
Without delay they make known to Pilate their wishes upon the subject, and propose an alteration in the words : but behold, he is firm and immoveable : his only answer to them is, " What I have written, I have written."
Now to understand his answer aright, we must consider him,
1. As incensed against them — [They had urged, and (so to speak) compelled him to give sentence against a man whom he knew to be innocent : and,
d Jer. xxiii. 5, 6. Zech. ix. 9. e Dan. ix. 26.