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The message of the crown of thorns
The King of kings came to his people, the Israelites, in his own possession, but his people did not receive him. He leaves his royal crown with his Father to take upon himself the crown of thorns of men: "The soldiers wove a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, and put a purple robe on him, and came to him, and said, Hail, King of the Jews ! And they struck him in the face" (John 19,2-3). Jesus allows himself to be mocked, crowned with thorns and nailed to the cross.
Do we remember the Garden of Eden? Adam and Eve lost the crown of true humanity in paradise. What did they exchange them for? For thorns! God said to Adam: “The ground will be cursed! All your life you will labor to feed yourself on its produce. You depend on it for food, but it will always be covered in thorns and thistles. (Genesis 3,17-18 Hope for All).
«Thorns are not a symbol of sin, but a symbol of the consequences of sin. Thorns on the earth are the result of sin in our hearts," wrote Max Lucado in the book: "Because you are worth it to him." This truth is clear in God's words to Moses. He called on the Israelites to rid the land of wicked people: "But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, those you leave behind will become thorns in your eyes and thorns in your sides will oppress you in the land where you live" (4. Moses 33,55).
In a figurative sense, this means: driving out the ungodly inhabitants of the promised land at that time is like eradicating sin from their lives. From these words we see that if we compromise with sin in our lives, they will weigh on us like thorns in our eyes and thorns in our sides. In the parable of the sower, the thorns are identified with the worries of this world and the deception of wealth: “Other things fell among the thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked it" (Matthew 13,7.22).
Jesus compared the lives of wicked people to thorns; when speaking of false prophets, he said: "By their fruits you shall know them. Can one pick grapes from thorns or figs from thistles?" (Matthew 7,16). The fruit of sin is prickly, pointed, or sharp thorns.
When you enter and participate in the thorny thicket of sinful humanity, you feel the thorns: pride, rebellion, lies, slander, greed, anger, hatred, strife, fear, shame - and these are by no means all the thorns and thorns that are burden and destroy life. Sin is a poisonous sting. The wages of sin is death (Romans 6,23 New Life Bible). It was precisely because of this deep-seated thorn that the innocent Jesus had to die in our place. Anyone who personally accepts God's love and forgiveness will be crowned again: "He who redeems your life from destruction, who crowns you with grace and mercy" (Psalm 103,4).
The apostle Paul writes of another crown that we will receive: “I have kept faith; Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on that day, not only to me, but also to all who love his appearing" (2. Timothy 4,8). What a wonderful perspective awaits us! We cannot earn the crown of life. It is given to those who belong to God and obey him: «Blessed is the one who endures temptation; For after he is approved, he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him" (James 1,12).
Why did Jesus exchange his divine crown and wear the crown of thorns? Jesus wore the crown of thorns so that he could give you the crown of life. Your part is to believe Jesus, trust him, fight the good fight, love God and people and remain faithful to him. He made his sacrifice of redemption for you, for you personally!
by Pablo Nauer
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