John 19 Verses 19-22 

John 19:19 “And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross. And the writing was, JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS. 20 This title then read many of the Jews: for the place where Jesus was crucified was nigh to the city: and it was written in Hebrew, and Greek, and Latin. 21 Then said the chief priests of the Jews to Pilate, Write not, The King of the Jews; but that he said, I am King of the Jews. 22 Pilate answered, What I have written I have written.”   

This shows us that Pilate believed Jesus to be the king of the Jews.  He would not relent to the desires of the chief priests.  Moreover, we see biblical correlations in the saying itself and the fact that it was written in 3 languages.  I will attach to this chapter two essays that I have written concerning the biblical correlation with the number of 8 and new beginnings and the number 3 and the Godhead.   

Three (Part III) 

The mark of the Godhead is not only found in the things in nature and in the things that God had constructed (ark, tabernacle, temple) but it is especially manifest in the events surrounding the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Beginning with the time Jesus separated James, Peter, and John to be with him in the garden of Gethsemane we find numerous groupings of three that speaks to us to the fact that God was in control of the events that took place in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus:

1.  This was the third time recorded in the scriptures that Jesus had separated these three apostles unto himself.  The first time was when he raised the young maiden from the dead.  The second time was at the mount of transfiguration and now the third time at the garden.

2.  Next Jesus prayed the same prayer three times in the garden.

3.  When Jesus was taken to the house of the high priest, Peter denied the Lord three times as Jesus had said that he would.

4.  There were three trials of Jesus: at the high priest’s house by the Sanhedrin court; before King Herod; and before Pilate the governor.

5.  There were three malefactors associated with the crucifixion of Jesus: Barabbas who was let go, and the two thieves who were crucified on either side of Jesus.

6.  Jesus was crucified in the midst of three.

7.  Pilate had one saying written in three languages (Hebrew, Greek, and Latin) above the head of Jesus on the cross: “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.”

8.  Jesus was crucified at the third hour of the day.

9.  While Jesus hang on the cross for six hours, there were three hours of light followed by three hours of darkness over all the earth.

10. There were three women specifically named Mary who stood at the feet of Jesus as he hang on the cross.

11. Jesus lay in the grave for three days and nights.

12. There were three angels present at the grave of Jesus: the mighty angel who rolled back the stone and sat on the stone and the two angels who appeared at the head and foot of where Jesus had lain in the grave and had said, “Why seek ye the living among the dead, he is not here, he is risen as he said...”

13. Jesus elicited from Peter an affirmation of his love three times after his resurrection.