The Crowns, The Cross, And The Crime

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.