John 18:33-40
Pilate Asks Jesus if He is King of the Jews
33 Pilate then went back inside the palace, summoned Jesus and asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”
34 “Is that your own idea,” Jesus asked, “or did others talk to you about me?”
35 “Am I a Jew?” Pilate replied. “Your own people and chief priests handed you over to me. What is it you have done?”
36 Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.”
37 “You are a king, then!” said Pilate.
Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”
38 “What is truth?” retorted Pilate. With this he went out again to the Jews gathered there and said, “I find no basis for a charge against him.39 But it is your custom for me to release to you one prisoner at the time of the Passover. Do you want me to release ‘the king of the Jews’?”
40 They shouted back, “No, not him! Give us Barabbas!” Now Barabbas had taken part in an uprising.
John 19:19-22
Pilate Puts a Sign Above Jesus' Cross - Jesus of Nazareth, The King of the Jews
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.”
Jesus is known as Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews...And Pilate had a role in helping this tradition continue and be remembered that Jesus is, in fact, King of the Jews...Pilate ask Jesus if He was the King of the Jews during His trial...Jesus told Pilate, “My kingdom is not of this world...If it were, My servants would fight to prevent My arrest by the Jewish leaders...But now My kingdom is from another place.”...“You are a King, then!” said Pilate...Jesus answered, “You say that I AM a King. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the Truth...Everyone on the side of Truth listens to Me.”...People in the crowd listening to Jesus' trial would have heard these things...Then on the cross of Jesus, Pilate puts a sign that says, Jesus of Nazareth, The King of the Jews...The chief priests did not like this sign being placed above His head...
These things heard and the sign that was seen would be remembered by not only Jesus immediate followers at the time, but also to those who did not believe, but saw these things actually happening and playing out...When the crowd say the sign, Jesus of Nazareth, The King of the Jews, many might always remember this...After all, Jesus died under this sign...Pilate played a role in Jesus being remembered for this trial of an innocent One, being hung from a cross, and putting the sign up above His head...Things of this magnitude remains in our memory banks...
The things above happened in a unusual and stressful way, but did happen as the crowds watched Jesus...Jesus will be and is Jesus of Nazareth, The King of the Jews...God's Plan is a mysterious one...