PILATE'S INSCRIPTION | THE HUMBLE EXALTED

1. Pilate’s Inscription

a) Pilate ordered an inscription for the cross, describing Jesus as "The Nazarene" (John 19:19). Pilate probably did not understand the significance of this.

2. The Humble Exalted

a) Another significance in "Jesus the Nazarene" is that Nazareth, a sprawling town in the hills of Judea, was a humble place, not highly thought of by everyone.  

b) Nathanael, for example, found it hard to accept Philip’s statement, "We have found the one of whom Moses and the prophets wrote! He is Jesus of Nazareth". Nathanael replied, "Nazareth! Can any good thing come from Nazareth?" (John 1:45-46).

c) Yet Peter, on the day of Pentecost, referred to Christ as "Jesus the Nazarene". His Messiah-ship was not attested to by his earthly status (a carpenter from Nazareth) but by the miracles and signs that God did by him, buy his resurrection from the dead, by his exaltation to God's right hand, and his out-poring of the Spirit and forgiveness upon all who would heed his call (Acts 2:14-39, 22,38).