The Crown of Thorns

The soldiers dressed Jesus in a purple robe and placed a crown of thorns upon His head.

The thorns were cruel, long and sharp. Piercing his head, already bruised from the beatings with fists and rods.

Ripping open His scalp and causing His blood to flow down his face and onto His shoulders.

The crown of thorns that Jesus wore was not an added extra, a whim of Roman soldiers seeking to amuse themselves.

It was vital in God's rescue plan for sin-corrupted mankind.

In the garden, Adam and his wife had eaten freely of everything God had provided.

But with the eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil there came death for mankind and a curse upon the ground.

Where once man had eaten freely, now there came thorns and thistles, and the toil of sweat on raising crops.

Nothing freely given any more.

In the Parable of the Sower Jesus said that the thorns and thistles represented the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches.

Nothing freely given. Instead cares, striving, toiling.

Everything must be earned, paid for, laboured for.

And still it cannot bring peace.

Still it cannot satisfy.

Still it cannot restore.

Above all, it cannot bring us back to life without death, pain, sorrow and sighing.

It cannot restore us to the God who gave us life.

When Jesus had the crown of thorns placed on His head it was never just a symbol.

This was Jesus taking all that care, that sorrowful toil, the mental torments and agonies that come from nothing freely given.

Taking upon Himself everything of cursing that came through Adam's disobedience.

Becoming sin for us.

So that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.

Hanging upon the tree of death.

So that in Him we might be given access once more to the tree of life.

Enduring separation from His Father as He cried "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabacthani."

So that in in Him we might be reconciled to our heavenly Father.

Brought back to Him who freely gives.

The One who would not withhold His Son.

How will He hold anything back from those who trust in Christ?

In Him we enter once more into freely given.

In Him we enter into peace.

In Him we come to that place where, as we seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, all things are added to us.

Where striving is no more.

This is truly life in all its fullness.

Because Jesus bore our death in all its fullness.

Cut off from the land of living.

So that we could enter once more into life.

Thank you, Jesus.

All glory be to God.