What’s in a Sign?

Pilate’s sign, posted on Jesus’ cross, proves a source of consternation for the Jewish leaders. They exhort him to edit its message, but he definitively cuts off any hope of debate: “What I’ve written, I’ve written.” In a variety of settings, signs may be meant to delight and connect, to inspire or provoke, to teach or to impact the behavior of the sign-reader. At the site of Jesus’ execution, followers of Jesus may still be arguing about what belongs on the public notice. What is it - concisely - that landed Jesus on that cross? How do we make sense of this moment of execution, in light of Jesus’ life and/or the story of resurrection to follow? How do we each make sense of Jesus’ death at this point in our respective lives, and how might the collage of our signs delight, connect, inspire, provoke, teach, and impact our behavior in the world??

Sermon begins at minute marker 4:18

Scripture John 19.16b-22

Resources:

• BibleWorm podcast: Episode 733 - Of Palms and Passions, Amy Robertson and Robert Williamson, Jr. 
• “At third No Kings rally in Seattle, tens of thousands decry Trump,” March 28, 2026, Seattle Times, image 21 of 31 depicts Ellen (86) and daughter Carol (68) at their first protest, “dressed in sweaters they embroidered themselves,” displaying their twin signs: “Impeach Trump. We need regime change. Love thy neighbor as thyself.”
• Tombolo, “a sand or gravel bar connecting an island with the mainland or another island” according to Merriam-Webster; see more on wikipedia.
• Kukutali Preserve, co-owned and co-managed by the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community and Washington State Parks, the first such arrangement in the U.S.
• “Swinomish Tribe builds U.S.’s first modern 'clam garden,' reviving ancient practice,” John Ryan, KUOW / NPR, September 1, 2022, https://www.kuow.org/stories/tribe-builds-united-states-first-clam-garden-in-centuries 
• Image: mini-altar created from stones, shells, and cedar found on the tombolo connecting Kiket Island with Kukutali Preserve (the “Pulling over” in Lushootseed, canoe portage and historic winter village site for the Swinomish people, by Megan Ramer, March 2026