As we reflect and progress throughout Holy Week, we must look at the thorns and their significance. Upon the head of Jesus was placed a crown of thorns as a mockery of being a king. Here’s the account of what happened:
Jesus is standing before the governor, Pilate, and the entire company of Pilate’s soldiers, are around Him. “They stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in His right hand and knelt in front of Him and mocked Him. Hail, king of the Jews! they said. They spit on Him and took the staff and struck Him on the head again and again. After they had mocked Him, they took off the robe and put His own clothes on Him. Then they led Him away to crucify Him.” Matthew 27: 28-31
Can we even imagine the pain that these thorns brought to Him? Sticking it into His head was bad enough then striking His head with a staff, or stick.
Many of us have been a victim of being pricked by a thorn bush. Those little buggers hurt!
There are other mentions of thorns in the Bible that we can learn from too. In Genesis 3: 18, after Adam sinned in the garden during the fall of man, God said, “Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field.”
Thorns represent hardship in planting and harvesting.
God had cursed the land because of Adam’s sin. The land that we go to work in, day after day, is the land that we build our businesses in. Mankind has sweated for everything we have gained by the sweat of our brow.
One commentary stated it this way: “When those thorns pierced the brow of Jesus, His blood shed for our redemption from the curse of poverty.” The commentary continued by saying,
“We were cursed with poverty by the sweat of Adam’s brow, but we were redeemed from the curse of poverty by the blood on Jesus’ brow.”
Remember this verse: “Though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.” 2 Corinthians 8: 9
Jesus wasn’t poor. Maybe compared to what He had in heaven before He left, He would be considered poor.
The eternal Son, in His incarnation and His atoning death in our place on the cross, emptied Himself of His riches.
Oh, what a Savior!
Then in the New Testament, we have Paul saying, “In order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.” 2 Corinthians 12: 7b
Thorns represent challenges that we are called to overcome.
Every mockery word that was spoken to Jesus, every time they spat on Him, and ridiculed Him, He overcame! He went from death to life!
Every time we are condemned, mocked, laughed at or disregarded because of our belief; we are exalted by the Lord.
He has promised that in our suffering, even though it doesn’t compare to the suffering of Jesus, “Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you; the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days, be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life.” Revelation 2: 10
Our crown is eternal life. This crown does not refer to a royal crown but to the garland or wreath awarded to the winner in athletic contests.
That crown upon the head of Jesus is a demonstration not only of His suffering, and yes, of being our King; but it’s a reminder that we shall overcome because He overcame!
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