A crown of thorns was placed upon the head of the king of the Jews. Read Mark 15:16-26. On Sunday, the crowd on the Mount of Olives welcomed Jesus as the “king who comes in the name of the Lord.” On Friday, Pilate asked Jesus if he was the king of the Jews, to which Jesus replied, “Yes, it is as you say.” Pilate sentenced Jesus to be crucified. Jesus was handed over to the Roman soldiers, where they “prepared” Jesus for crucifixion by using him as an object of their fun and games. They mocked him by hailing him king. They put a purple robe on his back. They twisted together a crown of thorns and placed it on his head, cutting into his scalp. They beat him and spit on him. They placed a cross on his back and led him into the streets of Jerusalem to the Place of the Skull. They drove nails into his hands and his feet, securing him to the cross. The custom of the Romans was to place a sign on the cross to publicize the crime of the criminal to those who passed by. The sign above Jesus read, “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.” Those who watched Jesus die mocked him by saying, “If you are a king, save yourself.” But it was not the intent of Jesus to save himself. Jesus came to earth to become the sacrifice for all people. His goal was to save everyone else from an eternity in hell by giving his own life as payment for all sin. Jesus was the lamb that was sacrificed. Jesus was the priest who asked God to forgive the people of their sins. Jesus was the priest-king. Every other king in the world would ask that the people give their lives for him. Jesus is the only king who gave his life for all the people. A cross, a robe, and a crown of thorns remind us that Jesus’ love for us is real and lasting.
Tonight, we will follow the story of Jesus on the day he was crucified. Join us in person at Wesley Chapel at 7:00 p.m. You may also join online on YouTube or Facebook at Wesley Chapel UMC.
Prayer: King Jesus, we bow to you today. You are the king of kings. You are the Lamb who is worthy. Your blood is precious to me. I proclaim you as the King of my heart and invite you to rule in me so that I may do your will. Amen.
