Let’s look at those four wordings in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

  • Matthew 27:36-37, “And sitting down they watched him there; And set up over his head his accusation written, THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.”
  • Mark 15:26, “And the superscription of his accusation was written over, THE KING OF THE JEWS.”
  • Luke 23:38, “And a superscription also was written over him in letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew, THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.”
  • 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.” 

Let’s look at a few facts about this sign on the Lord’s cross.

  • Both Matthew and Mark refer to this sign as an accusation.  It was customary to attach a sign to the cross, giving a statement of the crime for which the person was being executed.
  • John 19:19 shows us that it was Pilate (or possibly one of his delegates) who wrote the sign.
  • Matthew 27:37 shows this sign was nailed above the head of the Lord Jesus.
  • Luke 23:38 and John 19:20 tell us the superscription was written in Greek, Latin, and Hebrew.  These were the prevalent languages of the day so that all who read the sign would know what it said.
  • The chief priests did not like what Pilate had written and demanded he change it, but he refused. John 19:21-22, “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. Pilate answered, What I have written I have written.”

All four Gospels include the words THE KING OF THE JEWS in their accounts.  By their agreement in this statement, they were all emphasizing that Jesus IS the King of the Jews.  He is the fulfillment of the Davidic prophecy that will have a descendant of David rule upon His throne forever! Genesis 49:10 tells us, “The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.” 

Really, the only variation in the inscription is in the personal name of Jesus. This alleged contradiction is easily explained by acknowledging that John recorded the full inscription, while the other writers assumed everyone to understand the personal name, and therefore simply focused on the accusation on which the crucifixion was based. The accusation was not that this man was Jesus of Nazareth, the charge levied against Jesus was that He was “the King of the Jews”…the title mentioned by all four gospel writers.

Also, since the Lord’s accusation was written in three languages, it is quite possible that one Gospel writer may have translated it from the Hebrew, one may have translated it from the Greek, one may have translated it from the Latin.  It does seem that John wrote the most complete translation. 

The inscription on the cross mentioned by all four Gospel writers proves, not that the Bible contains inconsistencies, but that the writers functioned independently of each other. They did not rely upon one another to ensure that their facts were exactly correct. Rather, their accurate accounts of Jesus’ life and their accounts of this sign on the cross of the Lord Jesus stand solidly upon the “inspiration of God” (2 Timothy 3:16).  (CC)  (605.4)