My King wore a thorny crown

The King of the world, Creator of the universe, hung stripped and beaten, dying on a cross.

On His head, a crown of thorns, place there by those who mocked and scorned him. 

When we look back in the Biblical book of Genesis, we see the reason for Christ’s suffering. Adam and Eve, the first humans, who were given free choice to obey God or choose evil, chose evil. As a punishment, God pronounced that they and through them, their descendants, would be banished from their life in Eden- a life of relationship with God.  There would be suffering and enmity between people. Death and disease would afflict them. Even the physical earth which provided food would be cursed with thistles and thorns. Humankind was forced to toil for its sustenance.

Yet so great was God’s love that He provided another chance. He gave His Son Jesus, His perfect Son, who came to earth in human form to teach us of His Father’s love. Through Jesus we can come back into relationship with God. The Bible tells us that there is no other way through which we can find forgiveness and faith, except through repentance and commitment to Jesus Christ.

On the cross, Jesus bore all the sin of this world, for all time. He was crowned with a symbol of the cursed nature of our physical earth. But that was not the end of the story, for He rose, triumphant over sin and death. He wears not a crown of thorns, but a royal diadem, seated forever in His throne on high, a crown of life, more precious than the diamond encrusted crowns of earthly monarchs.

Every human born into this world has a sinful nature. If we choose to commit our lives to Jesus we are blessed with His gift of a second birth, a new life in Christ, and the infilling of His Holy Spirit to be our earthly counsellor and guide until we join Christ forever in heaven.

Praise be to God, our Father, maker of heaven and earth, and Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord.     

“Crown him with many crowns,
the Lamb upon his throne,
Hark! how the heavenly anthem drowns
all music but its own.
Awake, my soul, and sing
of him who died for thee,
and hail him as thy matchless King
through all eternity.

Crown him the Lord of life,
who triumphed o'er the grave,
and rose victorious in the strife
for those he came to save.
His glories now we sing,
who died, and rose on high,
who died, eternal life to bring,
and lives that death may die. “

(“Crown Him with Many Crowns”,  verses 1&2, lyrics by Matthew Bridges and Godfrey Thring)