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visible, public declaration that the crucified King of the Jews is paradoxically Lord of all peoples— Jews, Greeks, and Romans alike.
A Theological Irony: Pilate’ s Prophetic Pen Equally significant is Pilate’ s role in crafting the inscription. As mentioned earlier, when the chief priests demanded an amendment—“ Do not write‘ The King of the Jews,’ but rather,‘ This man said, I am King of the Jews’”( John 19:21)— Pilate stubbornly replied,“ What I have written I have written”( v. 22). The phrase echoes the Gospel’ s repeated use of the word written, which in every other Johannine instance refers to Scripture. In this subtle narrative move, John presents Pilate, a pagan Roman governor, as an unwitting prophet, fulfilling divine purposes without fully understanding them. initial misunderstanding of Jesus’ resurrection predictions. Pilate’ s inscription, though born of sarcasm or spite, becomes a testament to a deeper truth: Jesus is indeed King, and not only of Israel.
Content taken from The Jesus Discoveries by Jeremiah J. Johnston, © 2026. Used by permission of Bethany House.
This is not an isolated Johannine device. Throughout his Gospel, John shows how others unknowingly speak truth: Caiaphas’ s declaration that“ it is better for you that one man should die for the people”( John 11:50), or the disciples’
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Jeremiah J. Johnston, PhD, is an elected member of the preeminent New Testament scholarly guild Novi Testamenti Societas( SNTS) and ministers internationally as president of Christian Thinkers Society. Jeremiah loves the local church and serves as pastor of apologetics and cultural engagement at Prestonwood Baptist Church near Dallas, Texas, and Senior Fellow of Christian Origins, Dallas Baptist University. He is the author of several books, including Body of Proof. 15