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St. Joseph Catholic Church

1875 S C R 700 W
North Vernon, IN 47265

Rev. Jonathan P. Meyer, Administrator

Office Hours:

Monday Office closed
Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday 8:30 AM till 12:30 PM

St. Joseph Rectory Phone: 812-346-4783
Fax: 812-352-9033

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What does INRI mean?

At the top of the crucifix is an inscription that normally reads INRI. These are initials that mean something much more. They represent the statement- Jesus the Nazorean King of the Jews. We find this in scripture…John 19:19-22, “Pilate also had an inscription written and put on the cross. It read. “Jesus the Nazorean, the King of the Jews.” Now many of the Jews read this inscription, because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, Latin and Greek. So the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “Do not write “The king of the Jews, “but that he said, “I am the King of the Jews.”” Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have written.”” Why three languages? Latin was the official language of the Roman Empire; it represented human government, power, and conquest. Greek was the international language of culture; it represented human wisdom, art, and commerce. Hebrew was the religious language of the Jews; it represented the Covenant with God, the Laws of God, and the means by which God made Himself known to man. In the providence of God, all of these human and divine institutions were challenged and addressed when Jesus was crucified. In Latin it would have read: IESVS • NAZARENVS • REX • IVDÆORVM The first initial of each word gives us the traditional INRI I-Iesus N-Nazarenus R-Rex I-Iudaeorum In Latin there is no “J.” So the “I” is used in its place. Because Latin was and is the universal language in Christianity, INRI was the only 1 of the 3 languages that was typically represented in Christian Art. However, in reality all 3 languages would have been present upon the inscription that hung above our Savior’s Head. The next time you look at a crucifix notice the inscription and try to remember what it means- Jesus is a King. The King of the Jews, the King of the World, the King who is to come and most importantly, the King of our hearts!