The Crowns, The Cross, and The Crime
Today, I wish to explore these three avenues of thinking as we celebrate this Easter Sunday. I wish to expose a Crown that you haven’t noticed, and discuss the Cross in a way that you haven’t thought of, and prove to you that Jesus in fact, was guilty of a crime, and did in fact die on the cross for committing that very crime!
I. The Crowns
Mat 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!
We are familiar with the crown of thorns that the Savior wore as He made His way down the Via Dolarosa, ~Which means~ “The Way of Suffering”.
But, let’s look at the crown that He wore while He lived on this earth in Divinity, being God’s Son, and being flesh and blood.
A. This crown wasn’t necessarily a crown to be desired. It was a crown that had a limited reign. He knew He came to this earth to die, so therein is the limited reign.
B. This crown wasn’t to be desired because it placed much attention to who wore it, yet Jesus could not allow His fame to affect Him.
1. Many times, Christ healed the sick, and warned them not to tell anyone about it.
2. A little different than crowns worn today, such as the crown presently worn by Tiger Woods, so crowned #1 golfer in the world. Much attention is given, and much attention is desirable in the flesh.
3. Jesus could not allow this attention to affect Him, or it would dilute the sacrifice that He gave of His own life on the cross.
4. Simply stated, He didn’t want the attention.
5. He wanted to see change in people’s lives.
Christ’s crown was an unenviable crown. It, in many ways ended up being a bulls eye for aim to be taken on Him, both through criticism, then ultimately a bulls eye’s aim to be placed on His life.
His crown was so powerful that it caused His own race to disown him, trade him for a murderer, accuse him of religious crimes of blasphemy, though the courts wanted nothing to do with this terrible coup of religious people.
The Crown that Christ wore fit only Him, for He was the only perfect person to walk this earth. It would not fit me, not even close. From the beginning, people knew that this was no ordinary man, and thereby placed that crown of deity upon our Savior, though it was to be worn for only 33 years on earth.
¨ He’s still wearing a crown though. And I’m here to encourage you in that light, for Jesus still wears a crown, but this crown is permanent!
Rev 6:2 And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.
¨ This crown is the one that He will be wearing when He splits that Eastern sky, and calls us to be with Him. This is the crown of the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords! Even So Come Lord Jesus!
II. The Cross
Jhn 19:17 And he bearing his cross went forth into a place called [the place] of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha:
Jhn 19:19 And Pilate wrote a title, and put [it] on the cross. And the writing was, JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS.
Phl 2:8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
Hbr 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, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
A. The cross was a strong, threatening site to behold, in that everyone that walked by knew that death would be found there.
B. The cross signified an end to a life. But this cross, though it was ominously placed between the crosses of two thieves, signified more than that.
1. It signified to Mary and Joseph the loss of a beloved son.
2. It signified to some the end of an era.
3. It signified to others the end of a headache of explaining miracles away, and attempts to interpret parables and many other things.
4. It signified to others the end of a dream.
5. It was significant in the fact that this cross would hold a King.
There was much significance with this cross, but it didn’t stop with the obvious things.
1. It was significant in the fact that it completed a plan. “IT IS FINISHED!”
2. It was significant in the fact that it began phase two in the redemptive process.
3. It was significant in the fact that it fulfilled prophesy. (SITE SCRIPTURE _______)
4. It was significant in the fact that it was the beginning of the end for satan!
When Jesus walked through the corridors of hell, after ripping the doors off the entrance, held out His Nail-scarred hand and took the keys to death, hell, and the grave, and walked out, leaving satan trembling in fear, for he knew that the time was ticking away on his reign of terror, and he would have to surrender his crown of evil over to the Almighty God at the Judgment!
The Cross. An event described as both beautiful, and grotesque in that mankind would murder their own, yet it followed a beautiful plan of forgiveness and a final price paid for the redemption of man’s soul.
Someone recently ministered that we shouldn’t observe the cross as a cross, but a plus, for it carries so many positive ideals with it that it’s accurate to reflect on the cross as a positive step in the ultimate scheme of things.
We’ve seen the Crowns, The Cross, and now . . .
III. The Crime
A. I’m going to prove to you that Jesus did in fact commit a crime.
B. He was in fact guilty, but not guilty of the crime that he was charged with.
C. He was as guilty as He could be, and He never even denied it.
But what was He guilty of???
Jesus Christ, the One who bore my sorrows, the one who took the weight of my sins, both past, and present.
Jesus Christ, the Savior of all mankind, was guilty. He was guilty, and He was put to death. A death on a cruel, cross. A death that was set aside for criminals, for people who had murdered, or committed treason, or some other awful thing.
But I repeat to you He was guilty.
As a matter of fact, He still is guilty.
The cross didn’t change His guilt.
His death on the cross didn’t soften His stand at all.
He is still guilty of what many consider a crime.
He is guilty of a crime of passion.
The King of Kings, and the Lord of Lords stands before you entering a plea of ‘guilty as charged’, in the crime of LOVE.
Jesus loves you so much that He was willing to die a physical, agonizing death, a death on a cross, between two thieves, for YOU, and for ME, so that we could spend eternity with Him. He did it so you could face Almighty God sinless, and without spot, or blemish.
He showed Himself as Jehovah Jireh, “Our Provider”
He loves you so much that He allowed His own people to spit on him, to pull His beard out by the handfuls, for them to whip and beat him, and He did all that because He was guilty of LOVING YOU TO DEATH! His own death. He died so that you might live!
My plea to you today is this: Be found guilty of this same passion. Fall in Love with Christ. Head over heels in love with Him.
Has any one ever died for you? He did. All He asks you to do is to live for Him. That’s it. He already died for you.
Come and give your life to Him today. If you’ve strayed, come back. He’ll welcome you with open arms.
Be found guilty of LOVING CHRIST!
The Crowns, The Cross, and the Crime!
Never forget this day.
The day you found out that Jesus was guilty of a crime that He actually did commit.
The Crown
2Ti 4:8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.
The cross
Mat 16:24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any [man] will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. Mat 10:38 And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.
The Crime
It would truly be a crime, if you didn’t consider Christ on this day that we celebrate His resurrection from the grave just as He promised He would.
Crowns, Cross, and Crime It’s your decision, friend.
