A thorn of crowns He wore for you
Matthew 27:29 “And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews!”
When they mocked Him with a crown of thorns it was one of the most disgraceful things He suffered for us. The crown of thorns could have had thorns 3” that they put on his head. Then they took a reed and beat it down on His head. His hands were tired so He could not reach up to relieve the pain. He had already endued the whipping of the soldiers in which his body was exposed to much pain and bleeding. Hebrews 12:2 “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame.”
1. Let us see His Condescension. He came to be King and yet we see here he laid aside a crown of glory and past majesty for a crown that was appalling to those who looked upon Him. Let us look at the contrast He took for you. He had the wealth of heaven and gave it all up to become a poor son of a carpenter. He had honor, nobility, respect and great reverence in heaven. On earth he received shame, embarrassment, suffering and rejection for your sins. He left a heaven of glory, purity and happiness and peace to come to a world of meanness, crime, and death. This is what the word condescension means to us. He who will some day reign as the King of kings was treated as a criminal of the worst kind. He was the one in the beginning that created all things now came to earth lived and died as a poor man and was sold for the price of a common slave. He came to earth to set us free from the bondage of sin was charged as a disgraceful, blasphemous to God and nailed to a cross. He who was in heaven with a crown of universal dominion and royalty of angels wore a crown of contempt and shame for you and me. He who is the fountain of life was enforced to die in an agony of thirst. The writer of most of the N. T put it about the thorns he wore in these words 2 COR. 12:10 “Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities (draining physical failure), in reproaches (slights, verbal abuse, denial, losses), in necessities, in persecutions (ridicule, accusation, blame, hate), in distresses (things that hurt the mind body and spirit) for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.” The message I hope is clear Jesus became like us so He could suffer for our sins that we might be set free.
Song: “At the Cross”
2. Let us look at His Exaltation. The head crowned with thorns is now crowned with glory. The crown represented the scorn of men but He transformed it into the power of God to set us free from sin and the eternity of hell. He endued the death of the cross to be exulted as the King of life. He took away the sting of death and hell. Just imagine with me what transpired on that day. They gave Him a procession of honor with a Roman guard, Jewish leaders and a mocking multitude as He carried the cross. He was sneered at who came to destroy the works of the devil. They offered him a cup of wine that should be an honor at communion. He was offered a death drug not a life giving substance. He refused it so he could taste death for every man. He was the Son of God but as He died on the cross they could only give him a sponge of a mixture of vinegar and gall, an antiseptic to those who were crucified, to render them insensible to pain. They had a guard of soldiers around the cross who only gambled over what possession he had left a seamless robe. HE was adored in heaven and now shamed by guards. He was raised on a tree to show God’s best and man’s worst. They even gave Him a title as king yet He was placed between two thieves. Men mocked Him but the Bible says there is coming a day when every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that He is Lord.
Song: “Hallelujah, What a savior”
3. Let us look at his Redemption. He took a crown ofthorns for us that we might wear a crown of great wealth’s you read the Bible it tells that the saints are offered crowns and not one of them is with thorns. I searched and found four crowns we as saints will receive: Crown of life JAM 1:12 crown of righteousness 2 TIM 4:2 crown of glory 1 PT 5:4 crown of life REV 2:4. He was crowned with ridicule in death that we might have the crown of life eternal. The thorns were the first product of the fall with Adam and Eve. Jesus was come to destroy the works of the devil and so wore a crown of thorns. He took the curse that came with the fall and made it His own for us. A poem by Joseph Plunkett that tells us rich truths. “I see His blood upon the rose, and in the stars the glory of His dyes. His body gleams amid eternal snows, His tears fall from the skies I see His face in every flower, the thunder and the singing of the birds are but His voice, and carven by His power. Rocks are His written words. All pathways by His feet are worn, His strong heart stirs the everlasting sea, His crown of thorns is twined with thorn, His cross is every tree.”
Song: “The Old rugged Cross’
4. Let us see God’s Sovereignty. Jesus was sovereign because He bore the scars. The ones who had Him killed thought they had done in His claim to be a king, but as a lamb slain He will reign supreme over all. When they mocked him with a reed in His hand and declared him as king to save himself and nailed him to the cross they felt his power was ended. They were blind to what would be happening through their evil treatment of him. When they stabbed his heart they thought they had stopped the flow of His love. In reality that blood that flowed made salvation fro sin a reality. To make sure he was dead they sealed his tomb and had it guarded carefully. He came out without moving the stone for God raised him from the dead. The stone was moved away so we could see in. when the disciples arrived it was empty and the grave clothes were folded up.
Song: “When I Survey”
As we have talked about the thorns he bore on his head are we guilty of thorns that keep us from him?
The thorn of indifference can keep us from Him. We know what he has done for us but we do nothing about it.
The thorn of unbelief can keep us from Him. We can pass by the cross and not take him at his word that we need to repent and be forgiven of sin.
The thorn of false profession can keep us from him. He said that many will call Him Lord and yet not know him. These are they that admire his life but do not want to live a changed life.
The thorn of greed, worldly gain and pleasure can keep us from him. We let the things of this life get in the way of serving and having devotion for him. We like ourselves and refuse to crucify the flesh.
The thorn of neglect to tell others of the way of salvation can keep us from him. He now lives through us to reach others.
Are there any thorns keeping you from Christ?
