More Than Conquerors

Part 3

John 15:12-14

This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.          Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends     You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.

This is the last blog post discussing what Jesus endured during His last hours before He hung on the cross. He demonstrates, by example, what it means to lay down one’s life. We discussed not only the physical pain that He endured, but also the emotional and spiritual pain as well  In this final writing, the topic will be the crown of thorns.

The actual plant that was used is unclear but according to https://www.biblegateway.com/resources/encyclopedia-of-the-bible/Thorns#:~:text=The%20first%20mention%20of%20thorns%20in%20the%20Bible,never%20again%20curse%20the%20ground%20because%20of%20man.%E2%80%9D,”the plants that may have been used in the crown of thorns at our Lord’s crucifixion are described under this heading, while the thorns mentioned in our Lord’s parable (Luke 8:7 and 14), may be the brambles and briars growing by the side of the field, or could be some strong weed like a thistle, which would grow up quickly and so smother the wheat.”  What we do know is a crown was quickly fashioned; and, based on the  brutality of the Roman soldiers, was not simply placed on Jesus’ head but mashed down onto his skull.

The crown of thorns was much more than it seems. According to Kevin Conner, in his book, Interpretating the Symbols and Types, a thorn in the Bible symbolizes a curse. We can find examples of this in Genesis 3:18, (18Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; 19In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.)  According to the Mathew Henry Commentary, “God put marks of displeasure on Adam. 1. His habitation is cursed. God gave the earth to the children of men, to be a comfortable dwelling; but it is now cursed for man’s sin. Yet Adam is not himself cursed, as the serpent was, but only the ground for his sake. 2. His employments and enjoyments are imbittered to him. Labour is our duty, which we must faithfully perform; it is part of man’s sentence, which idleness daringly defies. Uneasiness and weariness with labour are our just punishment, which we must patiently submit to, since they are less than our iniquity deserves. Man’s food shall become unpleasant to him. Yet man is not sentenced to eat dust as the serpent, only to eat the herb of the field. 3. His life also is but short; considering how full of trouble his days are, it is in favor to him that they are few. Yet death being dreadful to nature, even when life is unpleasant, that concludes the punishment. Sin brought death into the world: if Adam had not sinned, he had not died (Retrieved from https://biblehub.com/commentaries/genesis/3-18.htm, Matthew Henry Concise Commentary).

The curse that was placed on Adam, and thus, humankind brought not just physical death, but spiritual death, as well. The whole reason for Jesus coming to earth was to reconcile man back to God and the only to do that was the shedding of blood (Philippians 2:7-8 King James Version, ⁷ But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: ⁸ And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross”).

The original purpose of the ancient Roman leaders receiving a crown was a reward for triumph. They dressed their leaders and military personnel in crowns made of laurel, oak, or myrtle. The grass crown or corona obsidional was the highest military honor, awarded by a besieged army to the general who liberated them. (https://www.getty.edu/news/the-ancient-origins-of-the-flower-crown/  The Ancient Origins of a Snapchat Filter, May 4, 2017) According to Bible History: Maps, Images, Archaeology, the crown was “A band encircling the head by way in fact it was just the top honor; the royal badge of kings; the sacerdotal badge of priests; the prize winner’s badge of victory.”(https://bible-history.com/faussets/C/Crown).    

When Roman soldiers placed the crown of thorns on Jesus’ head, there was no honor involved.  Instead, they placed the thorns on His head as a way of mocking His authority. Based on symbolism of thorns discussed earlier, the soldiers were in fact cursing Jesus’ authority given by God (Matthew 28:18-20, “King James Version, ¹⁸ And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, all power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. ¹⁹ Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: ²⁰ Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen”)  

According to Get Answers Your Questions Biblical Answers “reminds us of two things:

(1) Jesus was, and is, indeed a king. One day, the entire universe will bow to Jesus as the “King of kings and Lord of lords” (Revelation 19:16, “¹⁶ And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, King Of Kings, And Lord Of Lords.”). What the Roman soldiers meant as a mockery, was in fact a picture of Christ’s two roles, first of suffering servant (Isaiah 53), and second of conquering Messiah-King (Revelation 19); and

(2) Jesus was willing to endure the pain, the insults, and the shame, all on our account.” (Retrieved January 3, 2023, from https://www.gotquestions.org/crown-of-thorns.html)

This series has been exceedingly difficult to write because of the weight the subject matter carried. Jesus started shedding blood long before He was nailed to the cross and the amount of blood that He lost could have escalated the time of His death; but He understood the need to get to the cross. He understood the importance of fulfilling prophecy as it was written. The obedience Jesus showed throughout those hours should be an example to all of us.

Reflecting on the introductory verse: “This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.”  Jesus laid down His life so that everyone from Adam to every man now born can be reconciled back to God’s kingdom. God gave His one and only son as the ultimate blood sacrifice as an example of how much He loves you and humankind.

After reading this, I pray that you get an understanding of the significance of the blood that Jesus shed for you. He bore the pain and willingly paid the price that was required from the Garden when the first sin was committed and was finalized when Jesus said, “It is finished.

If you have not already accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, take this opportunity now to settle it for the last time. Repeat this prayer to receive His forgiveness, His love and eternal life.

“I believe in God, the Father, God the Son, Jesus Christ, and God the Holy Spirit. I believe that He died for me so that when I die physically, just as Jesus was raised from the death, neither shall I know death and will live with Him for all eternity. According to 2 Corinthians 5:8 to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. I choose to trust You to be my Lord and Savior and follow you from this day forward. Holy Spirit, guide my life and help me to do the will of my Father God. Thank you, Jesus, for saving me, in Jesus’ name. Amen

If you prayed this prayer, and believe it with all your heart, send me a note testifying to your decision. There always needs to be a witness to our salvation confession. Next, find a church. Begin a daily Bible reading. Learn how to pray or ask another believer to pray with you. Begin your journey, your new life, an intimate, personal relationship with Jesus!