Pilate had been wrong to crucify Jesus because He had committed no crime, and the trumped-up charge of treason was not validated by any evidence (John 18:38; John 19:4; John 19:6).  But the Roman Governor was right about one thing, and he nailed his conclusion to Jesus’ cross for all to see.  The Jesus (a common name in Israel at that time) who was crucified was the ‘Jesus of Nazareth’ who the whole country knew about from His teaching and miracles.  He was God’s anointed King over Israel and indeed over the whole world.  So, when Pilate ordered that the wooden noticeboard be nailed to Jesus’ cross, he was speaking the truth.
 
Interestingly, the tri-lingual sign did not include Hebrew but Aramaic, which was the everyday language of Israel.  It was readily understood by Jews, Samaritans, immigrants and traders.  Hebrew was the language of religion.  Greek was the language of business and culture.  It was known all over the then known world.  Latin was the language of military power and government.  Although Aramaic was largely used within Israel, Latin and Greek were the languages of international communication, much as English is used today.  

Pilate ordered that this sign should be nailed to Jesus’ cross above His head.  In Pilate’s mind, it was firstly a sign to justify the crucifixion to Caesar in Rome - that the prisoner had contended his authority.  Secondly, it was a sign to the Jews, to discourage any other religious uprising.  But it was also God’s announcement about Jesus, mirroring Jesus’ courtroom statement (John 18:33-40) that Jesus has God’s right to rule over the hearts and destinies of every human being – firstly the Jews and then all the Gentiles (Romans 2:6-10).  Because of that, the gospel was first announced to Israel before the Gentiles (Romans 1:16).  Jesus came and died for everybody – so that whoever believes in Him has everlasting life (John 3:16).  He was, and continues to be, the ultimate authority for people of every nationality (Revelation 5:6-10).  
 
Pilate’s notice which announced Jesus to the world was a sign for the nations. Isaiah 66:19 says, "‘I will set a sign among them, and I will send some of those who survive to the nations – to Tarshish, to the Libyans and Lydians (famous as archers), to Tubal and Greece, and to the distant islands that have not heard of my fame or seen my glory. They will proclaim my glory among the nations.”  The crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus continue to be the motivation for international mission, and the motivation for believers everywhere to make Jesus known where they live and work. Is that the motivation for your life and witness too?