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THE CROWN OF THORNS (1)

Victor M. Eskew

 

INTRODUCTION

 

A.    Our study is entitled:  “The Crown of Thorns.”

1.    The crown of thorns as worn by our Lord during the horrors of the crucifixion.

2.    Three gospel writers mention the crown of thorns.

a.    Matthew 27:29

b.    Mark 15:17

c.     John 19:1-5

 

Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged him.  And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, and they put on him a purple robe, and said, Hail, King of the Jews!  And they smote him with their hands.  And Pilate went forth again, and said unto them, Behold, I bring him forth to you, that ye may know that I find no fault in him.  Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe.  And Pilate saith unto them, Behold the man!

 

B.    Three preliminary matters:

1.    Crown

a.    In the Greek language, the word is “stephanos.”

b.    The “stephanos” was worn by the victors in the Olympic Games.

c.     It was also worn by royalty after victories in battle.

d.    The Romans soldiers platted it together, put it on the head of Jesus, and said:  “Hail, King of the Jews!”

2.    The crown’s materials

a.    It was not a crown of gold.

b.    It was not a crown of soft leaves

c.     It was a crown of thorns.

d.    The Greek word is “akantha.”

1)      The word does not specify which type of thorn was used.

2)      There were several varieties that could have been used.

3)      Most believe that is was the Zyzyphus spina-Christi.

a)    It was an evergreen that produced edible fruit.

b)    Its thorns were about an inch long.

c)    The thorns would have torn deeply into the head of Jesus.

3.    The crown appears to have remained on Jesus’ head throughout the crucifixion.

a.    Matthew’s gospel tells us that they put both the crown of thorns and a robe on Jesus (Matt. 27:29).

b.    Now, listen to Matthew 27:31.

 

And after they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him.

 

c.     The robe was removed, but the crown of thorns remained.

 

C.   We are now ready to look at this crown of thorns in a descriptive way.

1.    It as a crown of thorns, but it was much more than that.

2.    Let’s consider four of ten aspects of this man-made crown that was put on the head of the Son of God.

 

 

I.              A CROWN OF REJECTION

 

A.    When an individual is crowned, it is usually during his coronation.  The individual is being accepted as the sovereign over the people.

 

B.    Not so with the crown of thorns.  Jesus was not being accepted.  He was being rejected. 

1.    It was made by the Roman soldiers.  They would have no king but Caesar.

2.    They cried:  “Hail, king of the Jews,” but it was done in mockery.

 

C.   This is just one of many rejections found in John’s “Gospel of Rejection.”

1.    His gospel begins with rejection (John 1:10-11).

 

He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.  He came unto his own, and his own received him not.”

 

2.    The gospel ends with the rejection of the Jews who had Jesus placed on the cross at Golgotha.

3.    The prophet was right when he said:  “He is despised and rejected of men…” (Isa. 53:3).

 

II.            A CROWN OF PAIN

 

A.    A person’s head is very sensitive. 

1.    Nerves and capillaries are just under the surface of the skin.

2.    Just a bump on the head can be painful.

 

B.    When the crown of thorns was pushed down on the Savior’s head, pain would have been felt around the entire skull.

a.    Pain would scream from His mind.

b.    His face would have grimaced.

c.     His lips may have cried out.

d.    Blood would have immediately begun to flow down his face and onto His shoulders.

 

C.   He would have desired to pull it off, but doing so would have been just as painful as putting it on.

 

D.   Every move and every touch of the head from this point forward would involve another jolt of pain.

 

E.    Again, we think of the words of Isaiah:  “But he was wounded for our transgressions…” (Isa. 53:5).

 

III.           A CROWN OF IRONY

 

A.    Irony #1:  It was just a few day prior to this that the people of Israel were escorting Jesus into the city of Jerusalem in what has been called:  “The Triumphal Entry.” 

1.    They were crying out:  “Hosanna, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord:  blessed be the kingdom of our father David, that cometh in the name of the Lord:  Hosanna in the highest” (Mark 11:9-10).

2.    At that time, the people would have gladly taken a golden crown and placed it upon the head of the Christ and named Him as their King.

3.    Now, a crown of thorns is on His head.  How fickle man can be.

 

B.    Irony #2:  This involves what will happen in the not too distant future.

1.    In a few days, Jesus will ascend to the right hand of God and will be crowned with glory and honor.

2.    “But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man” (Heb. 2:9)

3.    In the Revelation, John sees Jesus riding on the white horse with a crown upon His head (Rev. 14:14). 

a.    The Greek word is “stephanos.” 

b.    It was not a crown of thorns, however.  It was composed of pure gold.

 

IV.        A CROWN OF HUMILIATION

 

A.    During His trial, Jesus admitted that God had sent Him into the world to become a king (John 18:37). 

 

B.    At this hour, this king was in the hands of Rome. 

1.    They platted the crown of thorns together and put it on His head.  They, then, led him out before the Jews, and said:  “Behold your King!” (John 19:14). 

2.    Jesus stood before the crowd as a bloody mess with a crown of thorns on His head.  He was hardly the picture of true king. 

3.    Listen to the response of the Jews as they looked upon Jesus at that hour.  “But they cried out, Away with him, away with him.  Pilate saith unto them, Shall I crucify your King?  Then chief priests answered, We have no king but Cesar” (John 19:15).

 

CONCLUSION

 

A.    It is sad to witness the King of kings being humiliated by having to wear this crown of contempt throughout His trial and crucifixion. 

 

B.    It is difficult to imagine how low men can sink in order to vilify and destroy someone who they believe to be a threat to them. 

 

C.   It is tragic that the King of the Universe was displayed before the world as a disgraced king.

 

D.   This picture, however, is not the legacy of our Lord.