The Crucifixion Sign and Caiaphas the High Priest’s Reaction, based on John 19:16-24, by Dr. Terry Harman
- Dr. Terry Harman
- 4 days ago
- 6 min read
“Pilate, do not write that he was the King of the Jews,
but that he claimed to be the King of the Jews.”
Preparing My Heart to Portray Caiaphas
Those are my lines as Caiaphas in our upcoming stage production, Jesus of Nazareth - a brief line as I confront Pilate, but one that carries the weight of centuries. To speak them aloud feels like stepping into holy and dangerous ground. As an actor, I am called to inhabit his character truthfully. But as a man of conscience, I am called to wrestle with what those words mean, not only to history, not only for the character I will portray on stage, but to my own soul.
Preparing for a role like Caiaphas is not simply a matter of memorizing lines or learning about the customs of the Second Temple period. It means entering a charged moment of history, where religious customs, adherence to the Law, and fear, power, and vulnerability, all collide under Roman occupation.
The Gospel of John tells us the chief priests and no doubt Caiaphas, objected to the inscription placed above Jesus’ cross: “Jesus of Nazareth King of the Jews” (John 19:19) And in that religiously charged exchange, the chief priest's demand, "Write not, The King of the Jews; but that he said, I am King of the Jews" (John 19:21) and Pilate’s defiant reply, “What I have written, I have written" (Jojm 19:22), we sense the tension between the political authority of Rome and the conviction of the chief priests.
Caiaphas: Protective or Complicit
Caiaphas is often seen through Christian eyes as the antagonist, the high priest complicit in the death of Jesus. Yet, when we pause and listen to the historical undercurrent of his time, another portrait begins to take shape. Many Jews believe Caiaphas was not driven by hatred, but by fear - fear of another would-be messiah inciting rebellion, fear of Rome’s swift and merciless hand, fear of the Temple’s destruction. From his vantage point, Caiaphas may have believed he was protecting his people by preserving the fragile peace in Jerusalem, already on the brink of rebellion.
Pilate: Looking for a Loophole?
Historically, the ultimate authority rested not with him, but with the Roman governor, Pilate, who alone held the power of life and death. During the interrogation of Jesus, we read in John 19:6 an interesting caveat. Does this absolve Pilate of all responsibility?
"When the chief priests therefore and the officers saw him,
they cried out, saying, Crucify him, crucify him.
Pilate saith unto them, Take ye him, and crucify him:
for I find no fault in him" (John 19:6 KJV).
The final act of criminal proceedings, Pilate’s Passover offer: release Jesus or Barabbas (John 18:39). Their choice? The crowd resounded, "We want Barabbas" (John 18:40). As Chaiaphas, I have only one objective: I do not care who is blamed. I am prepared to protect my position within the Roman system. I must first turn the people against Jesus of Nazareth and then have him eliminated.
The audience attending the performance must decide for themselves who is responsible for the death of Jesus: the chief priests and Caiaphas, who are protecting the status quo, Pilate, who attempts to wash his hands of the matter, or the crowd, who vehemently shout "Crucify him, crucify him."
A Wooden Sign: the Roman Titulus?
That sign, the titulus in Latin, was no small detail that John records. In Roman custom, the criminal’s charge was written on a wooden board, one foot by two feet, with the charge written in charcoal. A soldier led the condemned through the streets with that board held high, sometimes even hung around the prisoner’s neck, before it was nailed above the cross. It proclaimed the reason for the execution.
John’s Gospel tells us that Pilate ordered the criminal conviction be written in three languages: Hebrew or possibly Aramaic (the language of the Jewish people), Latin (Rome’s official language), and Greek (the lingua franca of the empire and language of commerce). To the casual observer, that practice was routine. But to those versed in the sacred writings, especially in Hebrew, there may have been a hidden, unknown to Pilate, yet evident and disturbing proclamation.
A Sign within a Sign?
What is it in that moment on the cross that brings out the fear and unease in Caiaphas and the chief priests? The scribes of the time often searched Scripture for hidden messages, believing that divine truth could be revealed in the very letters themselves. One such interpretive method involved taking the first letter of each word in a phrase. If those letters formed a recognizable word, especially a divine one, it could be seen as a special message from God.
Now imagine, as John the Beloved likely did, how the inscription might have appeared to the chief priests when read in the sacred tongue:
Yeshua – Jesus (Yod)
HaNatzri – The Nazarene (Hay)
V’Melech – And King (Vav)
HaYehudim – Of the Jews (Hay)
Seeing it as John wrote, these first four letters spell the Tetragrammaton: Yod–Hay–Vav–Hay (YHVH), the unspeakable, sacred Name of God.
Could that be why the Caiaphas and the chief priests were so outraged? Did they look up and see, not just a condemned man dying under Roman authority, but their most sacred Name blasphemed on a wooden sign above a criminal for all to see?
Was this a defiant final act of Pilate, slapping Caiaphas in the face for putting him between a politically charged rock and a hard place? Perhaps John, in recording the scene this way, wanted his readers to see what the crowd calling for crucifixion missed that day, that even as the world tried to silence Jesus, the Sacred Name, HaShem, was inscribed above the suffering of Jesus, the Nazarene. (1)
Actor's Closing Note
And here I am, centuries later, standing in Caiaphas’s role, speaking his protest and voicing his concerns for both people and Temple. My line insists on a position of control. “Change the words, Pilate. Don’t let this man’s false claim disgrace us.” But John’s Gospel seems to whisper back, “What I have written, I have written." I will not erase the name.
As I prepare to play this man, this priest caught between duty and destiny, I feel the weight of the role. Every line, every gesture, feels like a mirror reflecting my own struggles with religious culture and the meaning of scripture. As I study the Bible, there are times I, too, want to edit the truth before me to find another approach, an easier path, a way to yield my will to the purpose the Holy One has called me to fulfill.
Perhaps that is why John wrote his account the way he did, not to condemn Caiaphas, but to reveal the mystery that even in rejection, the divine Name shone forth. Jesus, the Nazarene, King of the Jews - YHVH written above the world’s brokenness. And maybe that’s what I, as both actor and man of conscience, must carry onto the stage: the tension of a man trying to protect his position and what was holy, while standing in the crowd demanding the crucifixion of the innocent in exchange for the release of the guilty. Break a leg!
How You Can Thank Me
If you enjoyed reading this post and you're wondering how you can thank me, here’s what I ask: Take the inspiration you’ve found here and pass it on. Consider donating your time, talents, or treasure to a worthy cause in your community. Maybe there’s a widow who could use help with her yard. Perhaps you know someone who’s recently lost a job and could use a helping hand. Is your local community center, homeless shelter, or school program looking for mentors? If so, step in and offer a helping hand.
Look within your own religious or spiritual community. What needs do you see around you? Where can you make a difference? You don’t need a lot. Just do what you can, with what you have, to make this world a better place. Your kindness will ripple out farther than you can imagine.
Thank you for being here, for reading, and for choosing to be a light. Shalom, Terry
Footnote
(1) The Tetragrammaton, as seen in John 19, is unique to the gospel of John. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and the other disciples were not at the cross; they fled in fear. John the Beloved places himself along with the mother of Jesus at the foot of the cross. It is possible, since John was an eyewitness to the crucifixion and the affixation of the Titulus, that his recollection was used to emphasize his belief in the divinity of Jesus, to his mixed community of Jews and Gentiles. The other gospels record this event as follows.
Matthew 27:37 KJV
And set up over his head his accusation written, This Is Jesus The King Of The Jews
Mark 15:26 KJV
And the superscription of his accusation was written over, The King Of The Jews.
And a superscription also was written over him in letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew, This Is The King Of The Jews.
John 19:19-20
And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross. And the writing was Jesus of Nazareth The King Of The Jews. 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.