The People

Linda Rock
2 days ago
3 min read

The initials INRI represent the Latin inscription, Iesus Nazarenus, Rex Iudaeorum:

Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.

We now return to our working text, our wellspring of truth.

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. John 19: 20.

Previously, we were told that we were going to focus on the sign. We were also encouraged to believe that as this Pilate-instructed sign was brought to our full attention, interesting facts would be unraveled before us. We were also told that as we discoursed this sign, many of us would be moved to personal introspection, deep confessions and heart-warming desires to love and serve our Risen Lord and Saviour, with our entire being. To accomplish our mission we shall cut the text into three chunky sections.

Section 1

Many of the Jews read this sign.

Jews are reading the sign that hangs over the body of a dead Jew. It says, JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS. John 19: 19b. How must the Jews feel? There are so many ramifications about this statement, one wonders, about the motive of Pilate. But we are seeking to view this from the perspective of different Jews.

The first thing that grabs us is the word, many. Many Jews, leads us to understand that the verse is definitely not speaking about a few Jews, but many Jews. Additionally, it does not mean some Jews, but a large number of Jews. The word, many, also brings us to view variety. In other words, when we are informed that many Jews read the sign, we know that they are Jews of different intelligence, status, ages, gender and more. Indeed, all kinds of Jews are involved in the reading of this sign. How do we know this?

This is a fact, because this is Passover Time and Jews, families of Jews, have come from all over the world. We know this from Scripture. This is what the writer of the Acts of the Apostles has told us. Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. Act 2: 5. He even goes on to give more vivid descriptions of who these Jews from every nation were. Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs. Acts 2: 9 – 11a.

It stands to reason that if the word, many, carries all these meanings and more, then the reality is that for some of the many Jews who would read the sign, it would have different meanings. For some, those who had believed in Jesus and had seen Him as their Leader and Messiah, it would have been an unspeakable, heart-wrenching tragedy. For others, those who had no real care or concern with this Jew from Nazareth, since their main priority was in the Passover celebrations, the reason why they made this pilgrimage to Jerusalem, with their friends and families, it did not matter. For them, that a Jew was crucified, was a triviality. Crucifixion was the order of punishment in that day. On the other hand, however, for others such as the Jewish leaders, teachers, and their disciples, it would have been an absolute travesty of truth, for what was written on the cross of Jesus was a false word, as far as these people of Jewish law were concerned.

Of the first part of the text, therefore, Many of the Jews read this sign, we can safely deduce that the number of Jews who read the sign on the cross of Jesus, may be roughly divided into two groups. There are the Jews under love – the believers in Jesus and the Jews under law – the non-believers of Jesus.

The question for us all is this. What does the sign mean to us? Do we ever think of its telling words, every time we think of the Cross of Christ or see a Crucifix standing or hanging somewhere?

Do you ever notice and pay reverent attention to the inscription which a Gentile wrote on the Cross of our Lord and Saviour Jesus of Nazareth? Do you truly see the words, and read them, or do they have no real significance and value for you, in this day and time?