HE KNEW

John 19:16-22
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust.

The Crucifixion

16 Then Pilate turned Jesus over to them to be crucified.

So they took Jesus away. 17 Carrying the cross by himself, he went to the place called Place of the Skull (in Hebrew, Golgotha). 18 There they nailed him to the cross. Two others were crucified with him, one on either side, with Jesus between them. 19 And Pilate posted a sign over him that read, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” 20 The place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign was written in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek, so that many people could read it.

21 Then the leading priests objected and said to Pilate, “Change it from ‘The King of the Jews’ to ‘He said, I am King of the Jews.’”

22 Pilate replied, “No, what I have written, I have written.”


Deep in his heart, Pilate knew the truth. You can’t come face-to-face with Jesus and not know the truth. That’s why Pilate was unwilling to change what he had written.

The Apostle Paul had the same experience. When he encountered the risen Jesus on the Damascus Road, it changed his ministry focus because he knew the truth.

It is the same for you and me. When we encounter Jesus on a personal level, He reveals the truth to us. We come away changed … brand new … we will never be the same.

Jesus, the Living Word, is truth and reveals truth. That’s why it is so important … so good … to have daily time with Him in prayer, Bible study and meditation.