The crown of thorns

To grasp the full picture of Jesus' crucifixion, we must read Apostle John's perspective along with the other three accounts in Matthew 27, Mark 15, and Luke 23. Each writer adds meaningful details, but all have the same message - "Jesus Christ died on the cross, in fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy, so that we could be saved from our sins [punishable by death] through His death and be given eternal life through His resurrection."

Jesus Christ had been subjected to sham trials, and subsequent flogging. He was spat on and slapped in the face. Before He was crucified, the Roman soldiers had "twisted a crown of thorns and put it on 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!" (Matthew 27:29 and John 19:2-3)

While a crown of thorns would be exceedingly painful, the crown of thorns was more about mockery than it was about pain. Here was the "King of the Jews" being beaten, spat upon, and insulted by the Roman soldiers. The crown of thorns was the finalizing of their mockery. They took a royal robe and a crown, both symbols of royalty and majesty, and turned it into something painful and degrading.

For born-again, faithful Christians, the crown of thorns is a reminder of 2 things:

1.) Jesus Christ was, is and forever will indeed be the King of kings. One day, the entire universe will bow to Jesus (Romans 14:11) as the "King of Kings and Lord of Lords" (Revelation 19:16). What the Roman soldiers meant as a mockery, was in fact a picture of Christ's two roles:

(a) suffering servant (Isaiah 53)

(b) conquering Messiah-King (Revelation 19)

2.) Jesus was willing to endure the pain, the insults, and the shame, all on our behalf. The crown of thorns, and the suffering that went with it, are long gone. Jesus has now received the crown of which He is worthy!"But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone" (Hebrews 2:9).

God's amazing grace to us, led Christ to suffer to death for everyone that believes in Him. Jesus did not come into the world to gain status or political power, but to suffer and die, so that we do not taste death but have eternal life.

There is further symbolism embodied in the crown of thorns. When Adam and Eve sinned, bringing evil and a curse upon the world, part of the curse upon humanity was,"cursed is the ground for your sake; in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life; both THORNS and thistles it shall bring forth for you" (Genesis 3:17-18). The Roman soldiers unknowingly took an object of the curse and fashioned it into a crown for the One who would deliver us from that curse!"Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us [for it is written: 'Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree. ']" (Galatians 3:13).

Jesus Christ, in His perfect atoning sacrifice, has delivered us from the curse of sin, of which a thorn is a symbol. While intended to be a mockery, the crown of thorns was, in fact, an excellent symbol of who Jesus is and what He came to accomplish! To God be all the glory!