May 6
Bible Reading: John 19:1-16
John 19:2, “And the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head and arrayed him in a purple robe.”
Close to 30 million viewers watched the coronation of King Charles in May 2023. The crown he wore that day was St. Edward’s Crown (commissioned for King Charles II in 1661) and was made of solid gold and studded with 444 stones (including rubies, amethysts, sapphires, garnets, topaz, and tourmalines). It had an estimated value of almost $60 million. Jesus, the King of the Jews, wore no such crown as He made His way to the cross. A group of anonymous Roman soldiers designed and crafted His crown with thorns instead of gold and jewels.
Rome spared no cruelty in their torment of criminals. Pilate had Jesus scourged by his soldiers. They did this with a whip that had iron and nails embedded. Sometimes the scourging would continue until it reached the point of exposing bones. After torturing Him in that way, the Roman soldiers mocked Him. They had heard the accusation of the claim He was the King of the Jews, so they fashioned a crown of thorns. Thorns are plentiful in that land, so it didn’t take long for them to gather them and weave them into a crown. They pressed that instrument of torture into his forehead until more pain and bleeding ensued, and then mocked the One who was soon to bear their sins.
Thorns came into existence after the fall of Adam and Eve and are emblems of the curse of sin (Genesis 3:18). Crowns symbolize one’s right to rule or supremacy over some sphere of influence. Unknowingly, those callous soldiers declared, with their crude crown, Jesus to be the supreme curse bearer. Let’s not forget that as the soldiers wove that crown of thorns, every detail of this passion account was woven ahead of time by God Himself (Acts 2:23). It was the divine Son of God, in full subjection to the Father, who allowed Himself to be adorned in such a humble array. And He did that out of love for you and me.
“What Thou, my Lord, hast suffered was all for sinner’s gain; Mine, mine was the transgression, But Thine the deadly pain!”—Bernard of Clairvaux
O SACRED HEAD, NOW WOUNDED
O sacred Head, now wounded,
with grief and shame weighed down,
now scornfully surrounded
with thorns, Thine only crown.
O sacred Head, what glory,
what bliss till now was Thine!
Yet, though despised and gory,
I joy to call Thee mine.
What Thou, my Lord, hast suffered
was all for sinners’ gain;
mine, mine was the transgression,
but Thine the deadly pain.
Lo, here I fall, my Savior!
‘Tis I deserve Thy place;
look on me with Thy favor,
vouchsafe to me Thy grace.
What language shall I borrow
to thank Thee, dearest Friend,
for this, Thy dying sorrow,
Thy pity without end?
O make me Thine forever!
And should I fainting be,
Lord, let me never, never
outlive my love for Thee.
Be near when I am dying,
O show Thy cross to me!
And, for my succor flying,
come, Lord, to set me free:
these eyes, new faith receiving,
from Thee shall never move;
for he who dies believing
dies safely in Thy love.
LookingtoJesus 