Audio - Pilate Places a Sign on Jesus’ Cross

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The Fourth Sunday in Lent
Pilate Places a Sign on Jesus’ Cross
March 22, 2009

TEXT:  John 19:19-22 NKJ) Now Pilate wrote a title and put it on the cross. And the writing was: JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS. 20 Then many of the Jews read this title, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin. 21 Therefore the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, "Do not write,`The King of the Jews,' but,`He said, "I am the King of the Jews."'" 22 Pilate answered, "What I have written, I have written."
 
Another custom in the day of Jesus was that the Romans would make a sign announcing the crime a man committed—the sign would be placed on a cord and hung about the neck of the criminal for the march to the place of the crucifixion—there is no such record specifically stated in Scripture regarding our Lord Jesus—we don’t know if the Romans placed a sign around His neck or not—but we do know a sign was made—and we do know that the sign was hung above Jesus’ head as He hung on the cross—could the sign be another symbol for our learning?
 
Pilate Placed a Sign above Jesus’ Head on the Cross
In our previous lesson we discussed Jesus as being our High Priest—and we discussed how the symbolism of the white robe Herod’s soldiers placed on Jesus could be understood as a declaration that Jesus is our High Priest for eternity—now we see another message from the Old Testament through the symbolism of Pontius Pilate’s sign over Jesus’ head—in the Old Testament time of the Tabernacle the high priest wore a plate upon his head—and the plate was made of pure gold and engraved with the words “Holiness to the Lord”
(Exodus 28:36-37 NKJ) "You shall also make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it, like the engraving of a signet: HOLINESS TO THE LORD. 37 "And you shall put it on a blue cord, that it may be on the turban; it shall be on the front of the turban.
 
This engraved plate on the front of the turban of the high priest is called a holy crown by Moses
 
(Leviticus 8:9 NKJ) And he put the turban on his head. Also on the turban, on its front, he put the golden plate, the holy crown, as the LORD had commanded Moses.
 
That gold sign—that holy crown—was part of the attire of the high priest, Aaron—no other priest could wear that holy crown—the sign that read HOLINESS IS THE LORD was worn only by the high priest—because only the high priest could make the offering of atonement for the people of God on Atonement Day—on that day the high priest took all the sins of the people upon himself
 
 (Exodus 28:38 NKJ) "So it shall be on Aaron's forehead, that Aaron may bear the iniquity of the holy things which the children of Israel hallow in all their holy gifts; and it shall always be on his forehead, that they may be accepted before the LORD.
 
Aaron—the high priest of God’s people wore the engraved sign identifying him as Holiness to the Lord—to remind all that look upon him that he can take on the sins of the people—carry those sins within himself—approach the presence of God in the Most Holy of Holies—behind the veil in the temple or tabernacle—and because he has been separated and set aside by God to be the high priest—and God established and recognizes the authority and office of the high priest—God forgives the sins the high priest carries before the altar—God accepts life for life—God accepts the blood upon the altar—God forgives the sins of the people—and the people are reconciled—once again being worthy to be called God’s people
 
As Jesus hung on that cross—with the sign over His head saying JESUS OF NAZARETH KING OF THE JEWS—God wants us to understand that Jesus is our High Priest going into the presence of God in heaven to make intercession for us—Jesus will carry our sins before God and ask that we be forgiven and restored to our position as worthy of being citizens of heaven—Jesus has not been treated very nice on this day—and as the High Priest He is preparing to take what happened to Him that day and set it aside as He does the work God sent Him to do—this will be the last Day of Atonement for the priesthood on earth—the temple curtain will be torn—we Christians will be members of the royal priesthood—God’s people will have Christ, the Lamb of God as a Mediator—but let us now reflect upon the first Day of Atonement when the high priest was Aaron
 
(Leviticus 10:16-20 NKJ) Then Moses made careful inquiry about the goat of the sin offering, and there it was--burned up. And he was angry with Eleazar and Ithamar, the sons of Aaron who were left, saying, 17 "Why have you not eaten the sin offering in a holy place, since it is most holy, and God has given it to you to bear the guilt of the congregation, to make atonement for them before the LORD? 18 "See! Its blood was not brought inside the holy place; indeed you should have eaten it in a holy place, as I commanded." 19 And Aaron said to Moses, "Look, this day they have offered their sin offering and their burnt offering before the LORD, and such things have befallen me! If I had eaten the sin offering today, would it have been accepted in the sight of the LORD?" 20 So when Moses heard that, he was content.
 
As we consider these words we have to remember that on this very day God struck two of Aaron’s sons dead for deviating from God’s instructions—they offered profane fire and incense to God—and God struck them dead with fire—and now on that same day Aaron the high priest is asked to stand before God and ask that He carry away the sins of the people—and that the sins of the people be forgiven—whether Aaron was so deeply grieved or he was angry—or for whatever reason, Aaron told Moses he would not be able to perform the duty of the high priest at that time—Moses understood
 
Jesus was the Ultimate High Priest and the Ultimate Sacrifice—and even though He was not treated fairly by man—even though He was mocked, beaten, flogged, and spat upon—Jesus stood before God the Father in heaven to beg for our forgiveness—even forgiveness for those who nailed Him to the cross
 
(Luke 23:34 NKJ) Then Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do." …
 
Aaron was human—he had to examine himself, and eventually Aaron would die—all of the Levitical priests would die
 
(Hebrews 7:23-25 NKJ) 23 Also there were many priests, because they were prevented by death from continuing. 24 But He, because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood. 25 Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.
 
Jesus—the Christ—the Lamb of God—will never die—yet in His perfection He hung on the cross with all the world’s sins upon Him—and as the High Priest He offered Himself as the Ultimate Sacrifice—and Pilate places the sign on Jesus’ cross declaring Him to be the King of the Jews
So it is that the Gentile wise men from the east recognized Jesus as the King of the Jews in His manger-bed—and this Gentile Roman governor who orders Jesus’ crucifixion declares Him to be King of the Jews—yet the leaders of the Jews with all of Scripture to testify about Him—did not recognize Jesus, God’s Son and our Savior
 
Another interesting aspect of Jesus’ beginning and end as a man on earth—the Gentile wise men brought Him gifts—expensive gifts—at Jesus’ birth—and these gifts were necessary to complete God’s plan to move Jesus to Egypt until Herod stopped killing babies—and God sends Joseph to provide an expensive new grave for Jesus to rest in until His resurrection on the third day—and now Jesus awaits the Day of Judgment when we will all join Him in heaven forever
 
 (Hebrews 9:24-28 NKJ) For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us; 25 not that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood of another-- 26 He then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. 27 And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, 28 so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.
 
(Philippians 3:20-21 NKJ) For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.
 
ALL GLORY BE TO GOD!