Let us turn to God's Word in
the Gospel according to Luke chapter 23 and we read at verse
36 and reading verses 37 and 38. Verses 36, 37 and 38 in Luke
chapter 23. And the soldiers also mocked
him coming to him and offering him
vinegar and saying, if thou be the king of the Jews, save thyself. And a superscription also was
written over him in letters of Greek and Latin and Hebrew. This is the king of the Jews. Last week, of course, we were
considering in particular what is recorded here in the 36th
verse. The soldiers mocked the Lord
Jesus and came to him and offered him vinegar. We remark then that the tense
indicates that they kept on doing this, they kept on offering him
vinegar. He was of course very thirsty
we know how at the end in his agonies he cried out I thirst
and doubtless as they were offering him this drink they were aware
of his condition they were cruelly mocking and taunting him then
as they kept on offering this drink to him we know from what
we read just now in the 19th chapter of John, how those Roman
soldiers did scoff at Christ and the fact that he was spoken
of as one who was the king of the Jews, how they mocked him
in his kingly office. There in the opening words of
the 19th chapter in John, we're told how Pilate scourged him
and the soldiers plaited a crown of thorns and put it on his head
and they put on him a purple robe and said hail king of the
Jews and they smote him with their hands and so they continue
to do the same here as the Lord Jesus Christ is hanging upon
the cross suffering and suffering not only at the hands of cruel
men but suffering of course at the hands of God himself he is
making that one great sacrifice that one offering for sins forever
and the soldiers mock him and they keep on offering this drink
to him and verse 37 we read of them saying if they'll be the
king of the Jews save thyself. And then at verse 38 we have
this record of the charge that was pinned upon the cross, the
charge that was laid against him. That's the significance
of the superscription. Also a superscription was written
over him in letters of Greek and Latin and Hebrew. This is the King of the Jews. It is, as we have it recorded
in Mark's account, the superscription of his accusation. It's what
they accused him of, it's what he is being executed for. And I want us this morning to
consider the significance of this, that Pontius Pilate appointed
to be put upon his cross. and first of all to consider
the title itself this is the king of the jews and with regards
to the title we can observe a number of things concerning the significance
of it it is in a sense a permanent title the Jews, as we saw in
John's account, said, write not the king of the Jews, but that
he said, I am the king of the Jews. And then we have the reply
of the Roman governor, he said to them, what I have written,
I have written. He's not prepared to change it.
There is a certain permanency in what Pontius Pilate has written
concerning this accusation, although the Jews are taking exception
to it. They accused him, of course,
of being against Caesar. This was how they sought to influence
and to persuade the Roman governor. when he was minded to release
him because he could see no cause of offense in him. He was an
innocent man. And so there in that chapter
that we were reading from, John 19 and verse 12, from thenceforth
Pilate sought to release him. But the Jews cried out, saying,
If thou let this man go, thou art not Caesar's friend. whosoever
maketh himself a king speaketh against Caesar and so Pilate is determined that
this is what is to stand over his head as he is hanging there
upon the cross he is the king of the Jews and we know that
that is the case in fact he is that one who is the king of kings
and the Lord of Lords. So the title is most appropriate. He is that one, of course, who
is God over all, who is the Great Sovereign throughout the universe. This is how we have him revealed
in that final book of the Scriptures, in the book of the Revelation,
in chapter 17 of the Revelation and at verse 14 we read of those who make war
with the Lamb and how the Lamb overcomes them for He is the
Lord of Lords and King of Kings and they that are with Him are
called and chosen and faithful but not only there in that 17th
chapter but again later in the Revelation In the nineteenth
chapter we read of that which was written on his vesture and
on his thigh, King of Kings and Lord of laws. How appropriate
then is this title and how right that it should stand there and
the permanence of it, that Pilate should have this determination
that he will not change it. There is a truth in those things
that are written even by the Roman governor. And remember
how at the end the centurion is brought to acknowledging here
in verse 47 we're told when the centurion saw what was done he
glorified God saying certainly this was a righteous man he was
an innocent man there was no justice being done in his execution
he was not worthy of death they made accusations against him
and amongst those accusations accused him not only of making
himself a king against the Caesar, but they accused him, did they
not, of blasphemy. That was the real accusation
that they made. They understood that he was saying
that he was God manifest in the flesh. This is the great, the
final revelation of God, gaining that 19th chapter of John's Gospel,
and verse 7, what do they say? 2 Pontius Pilate, we have a law,
by our law you are to die, for he made himself the son of God. That was the real accusation
that the Jews made against him. And it's interesting that what
we have here in the 47th verse concerning the words of the of
the centurion, how he acknowledges him to be a righteous man. In Mark's account, Mark 15, 39,
we read these words, truly this man was the son of God. He's
a righteous man, yes, in that he is who he said he was. They said he was a blasphemer.
But he was no blasphemer. He was the innocent one, the
righteous one. He was who He said He was. He
was and He is the Son of God. And this is what so angered the
Jews of course. Remember how before their council
at the end of chapter 22, at verse 70 there, they all said
to Him, Art thou then the Son of God? And He said unto them,
Ye say that I am And they said, what need we any further witness? For we ourselves have heard of
his own man. Pilate then said, what I have
written, I have written. This one is truly the King of
the Jews. This is their God. This is the
great King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. How appropriate is
this title then that is set above his head there upon the cross. The title I say is permanent
because it declares a truth that is a permanent truth, an unchanging
truth, that Jesus Christ is that one who is truly the King of
Israel. But then also with regards to
the title that Pilate sets above him, we have to take account
of the public nature of these things. We're told that the place
where Christ was crucified was nigh to the city, there again
in that 19th chapter of John and verse 20. It was near to
the city, it was just outside the walls of Jerusalem. It's in a very public place,
where he is being executed. It's public execution, as at
the Romans' practice. There are many there. It was
the time of the Passover, was it not? We go back to the opening
words there in the 22nd chapter. There's the Feast of Unleavened
Bread, Runai, which is called the Passover. And the chief priests
and scribes thought how they might kill him for they feared
the people. There were many people there
at Jerusalem. Passover, one of the great Jewish festivals, the
three great festivals of the Jews, of course, being Passover
and Pentecost and the Feast of Weeks. And it was at that season
that the males in Israel would come to Jerusalem, come to the
temple and not only the Jews but also those who were converts
to Judaism, many proselytes later we see how it was the same at
the time of Pentecost there were multitudes in and about Jerusalem
and so too at this time of the Passover and there were those
who were so familiar with these things as we're told here in
verse 27, there followed him a great company of people. There were multitudes watching
this spectacle, this is why those two on the road to Emmaus could
not understand how this stranger, their eyes were holden of course,
they didn't recognize the Lord Jesus Christ and he seemed to
be so ignorant, they couldn't understand how anyone could be
ignorant of those things. this was all very publicly and
so all those who were following them those who were about Jerusalem
would be aware of this charge that was put above his head upon
the cross the superscription that was appointed by the Roman
governor written in letters of Greek and Latin and Hebrew this
is the King of the Jews and as it's written in various languages
so the various peoples who would be there would understand these
things the title has a certain permanence about it because it
is an eternal truth it's also a very public title that we see
here but then also there is this with regards to the title there
is a certain prophetic element here And we see that in that
it is written in these different languages. Does it not indicate
to us something of the universal spread of the Gospel? After Christ's
death and burial and resurrection, remember the charge, the commission
that he gives to his own disciples. They are to go into all the world
and they are to preach this Gospel to every creature. And there were those, of course,
from these various nations who would be hearing this message.
It wasn't just intended for the Jewish nation. It's always written
in Hebrew. It's to the Jew first. But it's
also written in Greek and in Latin. It is to go out into all
the world, this great message of salvation. And again in the
revelation we read of those who are the redeemed, those who sing
that new song, those that worship the Lamb, who has redeemed them
to God by his blood, they say, out of every kindred and every
tongue and every people and every nation. There is a sense then
in which what is here spoken of as being the superscription
that the Roman governor had put upon that cross, is a prophetic
word. Pilate wrote a title, it says,
and put it on the cross. Pilate's doing it, and he will
not change it. Now, the question must be asked
here, could conscious Pilate, an ungodly man, make such a prophetic
statement. We say that the title is prophetic,
of the going out of the gospel to the ends of the earth. Could
such an ungodly man do such a thing, make a prophecy? Well, ungodly
men, as we see in the scriptures, do make prophetic statements.
We can think of a man like Balak, who was hired by Balak to curse
the children of Israel. But instead of cursing the children
of Israel, Balaam must pronounce God's blessing upon the children
of Israel. And that's recorded, you can
read it there in chapters 22 and 23 and 24 of the Book of
Numbers. The account, I'm sure we're familiar
with the account of Balaam's ass and all that pertains to
that particular man. And listen to what Balaam says
to Balak, when instead of pronouncing the
curse upon Israel, Balaam blesses them in the name of the Lord.
In chapter 23 and verse 12 of Numbers, he answered and said,
Must I not take heed to speak that which the Lord hath put
in my mouth? Brangham speaks of that which
the Lord hath put in my mouth. He is an ungodly man and yet
he makes remarkable statements, prophetic words concerning Israel
and the blessing that is upon God's ancient people. An ability
then to make predictions is not a proof of grace. It doesn't
mean that only a gracious person can make a prophetic statement
to speak prophetic words is not evidence of the grace of God. You can think of the words of
the Lord Jesus Christ himself in the 7th chapter of Matthew's
Gospel. Verse 22, Many will say to me
in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? And in thy name have cast out
devils, and in thy name done many wonderful works. And then
when I profess unto them, I never knew you. Depart from me, ye
that work iniquity." They claim, you see, to have done many remarkable
things, and they've done them in the name of the Lord Jesus
Christ, even making prophetic statements, and yet the Lord
disowns them and dismisses them. He knows them not. Similarly, when we come to the
epistles, the words of the Apostle Paul, of course, in the 13th
chapter of 1 Corinthians, he says, though I have the gift
of prophecy and understand all mysteries and all knowledge,
and though I have all faith so that I could remove mountains
and have not charity, I am not. To be able then to make a prophetic
statement is not the proof that the person is in a state of grace,
ungodly men might make statements that are true, even prophetic
statements. And I say again that here there
is that sense in which what is done by Pontius Pilate, unknowingly
done by him, having this particular charge written upon the cross,
and having it written in these various languages, and the content
of that charge, this is the king of the Jews, it is a true word. The title then is significant,
and the fact that there is this permanence about the title, and
how public it is, and how indicative of the spread of the gospel even
amongst the nations of the earth. But having said something with
regards to the title itself, I want in the second place to
look more carefully at the teaching that is contained in the words
of this title. And a superscription also was
written over him in letters of Greek and Latin and Hebrew. This is the King of the Jews. First of all, here observe God's
unseen hand in providence. Here we see the hand of God.
The Jews had mocked the Lord Jesus Christ. Remember how we see that back
in chapter 22 at verse 63. those who held Christ mocked
him and smote him and when they blindfolded him they struck him
on the face and asked him saying prophesy who is it that smote
thee? and they are mocking him the
Jews of course in terms of his prophetic office he is a great
prophet he is the fulfillment of the prophetic office in the
Old Testament He is that great teacher that has come from God. He is that one who is the fulfilment
of prophecy. With him there is the sealing
of prophecy. And yet it's in terms of that
office that the Jews mock him. They blindfold him and they want
him to say, who is smiting him? But not only the Jews, we know
that others did the same, Herod's men. They mocked him, do they
not, in terms of his kingly office. Here in verse 11, Herod with
his men of war set him at nought and mocked him and arrived him
in a gorgeous robe and sent him again to Pilate. They arrived
him as if he is some significant person, some great person. some
kingly person and they send him back to Pontius Pilate and so
as we saw there in that 19th chapter the Roman soldiers take this
up he comes to them in a gorgeous robe but what do they do? they
plaited the crown of thorns and put that on his head and they
put a purple robe upon him and then they hail him king of the
Jews and they smite him with their hands and here upon the
cross they continue to scoff at him. Verse 37 they say if
thou be the king of the Jews save thyself. In particular, you see, they
are mocking him, those men of Herod and his Roman soldiers
are mocking him in terms of his kingly office. Oh yes, also we
can say in terms of his priestly office. He is there to make that
one sacrifice for sins. He is not only the great high
priest, he is the sacrifice itself. He is laying down his life for
others. But what do they say? They bid
him to come down from the cross to save himself. They mock him in his priestly
office, but principally we see that it is in terms of his kingly
office. If thou be the king of the Jews,
save thyself they say. And so you see the significance
of the title that is upon the cross. This is the King of the
Jews. Oh yes, it's Pilate who is responsible
for it. But here is the hand of God in
it. That such a thing should be put upon the cross, written
as the charge against the Lord Jesus Christ. Because He is the
King of the Jews. He is the King of the Jews. Here
we see God and the sovereignty of God. Many devices in a man's
heart, says the wise man, nevertheless the counsel of the Lord that
shall stand. God himself overrules, God overturns
all the plans of his enemies. And we see this so supremely,
of course, in the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. or this one
that they would ridicule as if he is some pretended king. He
is truly the king and even his human executor even the Roman
governor is brought to acknowledge that. How Satan overreaches himself
at the cross. Remember the preaching of Peter
at the day of Pentecost as he refers to these things. that
he speaks of the sufferings and the death of the Lord Jesus Christ
to these Jews who were there, the multitudes that were watching
this spectacle. What does Peter say in the course
of his preaching? Him being delivered by the determinate
counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken and with wicked
hands have crucified and slain. Whom God hath raised up, having
loosed the pains of death, for it was not possible that he should
be holding of it. Oh yes, they were guilty, it
was their hands, their wicked hands that did the deed. But it was all in accordance
with the great eternal purpose of God, he must die in his death
on the cross. And God has raised him up, says
Peter to them. God has released him from the
pains of death, it was not possible that he should be holden of death.
And what does Peter go on to say? Therefore, being exalted by God,
sounding as Shed-forth is, which we now see and hear. He is the
Exalted One. He is that One who pours out
the blessing of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. Why? Because He is now glorified. All remember the words of John
7, the Spirit was not yet given because Jesus was not yet glorified. He is glorified upon the cross.
He is enthroned upon the cross. This is the great wonder of what
Christ is doing. And we see the hand of God in
this. Even in the things that Pontius Pilate does as he puts
this particular title above the head of Christ and refuses, refuses
to change it. What do we see here then? We
see how that God is that one who can overrule all the devices
of men All the machinations of Satan is able to overcome all
these things. We see it time and again. We
see it at the death of Stephen, do we not? In chapter 7 of the
Acts, of course, we have that great apology that Stephen makes
for his faith even as he is martyred. And what is the consequence?
but we're told in the very next chapter, chapter 8 of the Acts. So Saul, Saul of Tarsus was consenting
unto his death and at that time there was a great persecution
against the church which was at Jerusalem and they were all
scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria
except the apostles and devout men carried Stephen to his burial
and made great ammentation over him As for Saul he made havoc
of the church, entering into every house and hailing men and
women and committed them to prison. Therefore they that were scattered
abroad went everywhere preaching the words. There was a great
scattering as a result of the martyrdom of Stephen, and there
are many others who are in great fear of their lives. Here is
this great opponent, this great enemy, Saul making havoc of the
church, and yet all this works out for the furtherance of the
Gospel, this scattering abroad. Satan, you see, time and again,
he overreaches himself. He does it, does he not, with
regards to Paul because Paul of course is Saul of Tarsus. How the Lord saves that man and
he becomes a great champion for that faith that he was once seeking
only to destroy. But then in Philippians we see
how this man Paul is imprisoned. He is appealed to the Caesar
Because the Jews at Jerusalem, as we see at the end of the Acts,
were going to kill him. There was a plot to kill him. He appeals to Caesar and he goes
to Rome and so he is confined there at Rome. But what does
he say writing from Rome in the Epistle to the Philippians? Chapter
1 and verse 12 he says, But I would ye should understand, brethren,
that the things which happened unto me hath fallen out rather
unto the furthest of the gospel, so that my bonds in Christ are
manifest in all the palace and in all other places. And many of the brethren the
Lord waxing confident by my bonds are much more bold to speak the
word without fear. How Satan, you see, so often
overreaches himself and what he does instead of being a hindrance
in the mysterious sovereignty of God works out only for the
firmness of the gospel and we see it so primarily in the death
of the Lord Jesus Christ All these men, these soldiers, they
might come and they might mock and they might scoff and ridicule. But here we see the Lord Jesus
Christ as that One who ultimately is vindicated. God vindicates
His own and He vindicates the Lord Jesus Christ and we see
the beginning of it, as it were, even in the charge that is pinned
to His cross. Christ was wounded with many
bitter words. Christ was reproached of men,
rejected of men. How they vented their anger against
Him. How they delighted to see Him
suffering and bleeding and dying upon the cross. But what does
He do? He doesn't seek to vindicate
Himself. rather is it the Lord God himself
who vindicates it. Think of those words of Peter
in his first epistle, there in 1 Peter 2, verse 23, who when
he was reviled, reviled not again, when he suffered he threatened
not, but committed himself to him that judges righteously. He leaves the matter in the hands
of his God. And it is God who vindicates
him. It is God who vindicates him.
And even in this, you see, all the truth of what is written
there upon the cross in letters of Greek and Latin and Hebrew,
this is the King of the Jews and that determination on the
part of Pontius Pilate who in many ways seems such a weak man
who is really persuaded by the Jews to do this awful deed and
yet this determination at the end when he says what I have
written, I have written Oh, he is declared here then to be who
he really is. And of course in the resurrection
ultimately God vindicates him. There in the rising again from
the dead he is declared to be the son of God with power, says
the apostle. According to the spirit of holiness
by the resurrection from the dead. The Lord Jesus Christ is
that one then who is vindicated of his God God vindicates him as the King
of the Jews as that one who is truly the Son of God and the
title is indicative of it and the acknowledgement and the confession
that is made by the centurion when he says truly this was the
Son of God But then finally from this title, how does it apply
to the child of God? Well, if Pilate is able to say,
what I have written, I have written, how much more should that be
the case with the child of God? The psalmist says, I believe.
and therefore have I spoken. And the Apostle Paul takes up
those words of the 116th Psalm in 2 Corinthians chapter 4 and
verse 13 and Paul applies that word of the Psalmist to himself
and to his ministry and to the ministry of the Apostles. We
believe and therefore speak. They cannot but speak those things
that they believe. Or when God is pleased to bring
us to his truth, you see. Think of how the Lord God was
pleased to raise up one such as Martin Luther and what he
says there at the Diet of Hermes. Here I stand. I yield to none,
he says. Why? Because these things were
made known to him, made real to him. by God's dealings with
it. And if this Roman governor, this
unbelieving man, this ungodly man, can say with such determination
to the Jews at the end, what I have written, I have written,
well, much more, friends, we should be those who desire that
we might be convinced of the truth of God's Word. If thou
shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe
in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou
shalt be saved. With the heart man believeth
unto righteousness, with the mouth confession is made unto
salvation. Should we not be those in who
are bold to make our confession, our confession of the Lord Jesus
Christ, and all that he is, as he is revealed to us here in
the page of Holy Scripture as that One who is truly the King
of the Jews, the King of Israel, that One who is indeed the King
of Kings and the Lord of Lords, and that One who is the only
Saviour of sinners. who had this authority to lay
down his life, but not only to lay down his life, as he says
in John 10, he also has authority to take his life again. This
was the commandment that he had received of the Father. But if
God show us these things, and cause us to understand the significance
of these things, should we not be those who would confess Him,
acknowledge Him? and do so with such a determination
here we have the superscription then that was written over him
and written in letters of Greek and Latin and Hebrew this is
the King of the Jews and yet we know that there is another
inscription upon the cross it's not written in any human language. But we know it's that
that was written in eternity by the very finger of God. The Lord Jesus Christ is, of
course, that lamb slain from the foundation of the world. And what does the hymn writer
Thomas Calley say? We're going to sing is him presently
on the cross but there's a verse that's omitted so we won't be
able to sing it but it's that that reminds us what God inscribed
upon that cross even from eternity inscribed upon the cross we see
in shining letters God is love he bears our sins upon the tree
he brings us mercy from above Here is that which is inscribed
then by the very finger of God upon the cross of the Lord Jesus
Christ. He declares to us the greatness
of the love of God, that He doesn't withhold His Son, even His only
begotten Son, but He delivers His Son up for sinners. He so
loved the world, you see, that He gave His only begotten Son. That is, whoever believeth in
him should not perish, but have everlasting life. All has the cross speak to us
of the greatness of the love of God, the love of the Father,
in that He does not withhold His only begotten Son, the Son
of Islam. But also we see there, do we
not, something of the Son in the way in which he declares
his love. How does the son declare his love? Why, he gives himself,
having loved his own, which were in the world, he loves them to
the end. And the end is the death of the cross. Do we see something
of the determination of Pontius Pilate in saying what I have
written, I have written, and yet this fails into insignificance
when we consider the determination of the Lord Jesus Christ to give
Himself. How He had set His face to go
to Jerusalem knowing full well what would befall Him. How He
agonized His heir in the Garden of Gethsemane concerning this
bitter cup that He must drink. If it be possible, He says, let
this cup pass from Me. Nevertheless, not My will but
Thine be done. He will give Himself. And why
does he give himself? Because of the great love that
he has. His love to the Father. He will execute that work that
the Father has given him to do. He will be faithful to that that
he has undertaken in the eternal covenant. He loves the Father.
And he loves those people that the Father has given to him.
And he loves them to the end. He loves them to the bitter death
of the cross. This is what we see inscribed
here upon the cross. God is love. And all that we might know what
it is to have that love of God shed abroad in our hearts, to
know that we have a part in it, that it was truly in our room
and in our state that the Lord Jesus Christ was pleased to give
himself to this cruel death of the cross. the superscripture
then that was written over him in letters of Greek and Latin
and Hebrew. This is the King of the Jews. Might we be those then who are
brought to bow to his kingly authority and to know that reign
of his grace established in all our hearts. The Lord bless to
us his word. Amen. Closing him is number 919 and
the chain is wearing 431. We sing the praise of him who died,
of him who died upon the cross, the sinner's hope that men derive,
for this we count the world but lost. Number 919. We sing the praise of Abednei For this we come to overthrow
The cross it takes again It holds the fainting spirit up It cheers
with hope the gloomy day And sweetens every bitter cup coward spirit brave and as the
fable on full flight it takes its terror from the grave and
gilds the The sinner's refuge here below,
The angel's hymn in heaven above. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ
and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Ghost be with you
all. Amen.