What I Have Written, I Have Written! - John 19

John 19:16-22 "So the soldiers took charge of Jesus. 17 Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha). 18 There they crucified him, and with him two others—one on each side and Jesus in the middle. 19 Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross. It read: jesus of nazareth, the king of the jews. 20 Many of the Jews read this sign, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign was written in Aramaic, Latin and Greek. 21 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.” 22 Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have written.”
David Guzik writes this about the notice that Pilate had prepared and fastened to the cross, "This was according to Roman custom. The one to be crucified had his crime written out and the title hung around his neck as he carried his cross to the place of death. Then the title was placed at the top of the cross, so all would know the reason for the crucifixion."
“It was customary for the condemned person to wear a placard giving his name and the nature of his crime.” (Tenney)
What I find most ironic about this story is that the most powerful man in the world correctly identifies who Jesus is and why He was crucified.  Prophetically when asked to change the sign he says, "What I have written, I have written."  Whether he believed it or not we don't know, but we know he is was very curious about Jesus and very reluctant to give him over to be crucified.  He knew something was different about Jesus than the ordinary criminal.  I think some part of him knew that what he had written was true. He knew the sign was true and he would not allow it to be changed. The truth was written to the whole world and in all the known languages of the time.
Jesus was crucified on trumped up charges, but the sign above him told the truth about who he was.  He was truly a man, being born in Nazareth, and growing up as the son of carpenter. He was truly God, the king of the Jews. He was the Messiah, of whom the Old Testament had foretold.  John is careful to mention all of the prophecies that were fulfilled in Jesus' last days on the earth.  Despite the horrible things done to the Son of God and Son of Man, what was written about him was true.  
Unfortunately those who should have known who Jesus was got it wrong, and the man who was least likely got it right.  What Pilate wrote was and is the truth. Jesus was fully God and fully man. This is the truth that is at the heart of Christianity.  Jesus was fully human so he could die.  He was fully God so death could not hold him down.  He was fully human so he could die for our sin, he was fully God so He could forgive us of our sin.  And as Pilate said, "What I have written I have written." 

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