THE CROWN OF THORNS

MF Blume

Matthew 27:27-29  Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall, and gathered unto him the whole band of soldiers. And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe. And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews!

The Sinners of that day, who platted a crown of thorns on His head and crucified the Lord, did not realize what they did that day with Christ, but they actually were used of God to symbolize a great truth.

Numbers 8:10-12  And thou shalt bring the Levites before the LORD: and the children of Israel shall put their hands upon the Levites: And Aaron shall offer the Levites before the LORD for an offering of the children of Israel, that they may execute the service of the LORD. And the Levites shall lay their hands upon the heads of the bullocks: and thou shalt offer the one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering, unto the LORD, to make an atonement for the Levites.

In the Old Testament, sacrifices put away sin.

• God’s love moved Him to not want to see men die.
• A substitute was provided.
• Shed Blood always indicates death.
• And death is the penalty for sin.

Hands were laid on the animals of sacrifice as a form of transferring sin.

• The people put their hands on the Levites.
• Sin was transferred onto the priests.
• The priests then laid their hands on the bullock and then killed it.

A bullock was used because it was a large beast.

• It was a SIN OFFERING.
• Sin is a big issue.
• And after the sins were transferred onto the beast, in killing the beast they in effect destroyed the sins of the people.
• Every year this had to be repeated.

Deuteronomy 34:9  And Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom; for Moses had laid his hands upon him: and the children of Israel hearkened unto him, and did as the LORD commanded Moses.

Notice that hands were laid on Joshua by Moses, and Moses’ anointing was transferred onto him.

Why were hands used?

Psalm 7:3  O LORD my God, if I have done this; if there be iniquity in my hands;

Hands are representative of the actions we commit.

• Our works.
• We work with our hands.
• When hands are laid on the head of the sacrifice, it was as though the priest was saying, “The sins of my hands are now transferred off my life.”
• “The things I have done.”

James 4:8  Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

Since our hands committed sins, its our hands that are laid on the head.

• Laying them on the head represents judgment put on the sacrifice.
• Many have a phrase of speech saying, “I don’t want that hanging over my head!”

Single-handedly, the work committed by Adam brought sin into the world.

• See what the Bible says about what happened due to Adam’s acts.

Genesis 3:17-18  And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;

Thorns and thistles.

Thorns would be in the ground where Adam would return, due to his sin.

• “Thorns will abound in your grave”
• Sin is associated with death.
• So the place of Adam’s death, the ground, would bear thorns.

Israel was seen as a vineyard

• It produced wild grapes.
• Grapes that were rejects.
• So God said…

Isaiah 5:6-7  And I will lay it waste: it shall not be pruned, nor digged; but there shall come up briers and thorns: I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it. For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah his pleasant plant: and he looked for judgment, but behold oppression; for righteousness, but behold a cry.

Thorns are associated with the cares of the world.

Matthew 13:22  He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.

Paul’s thorn in the flesh existed because Paul had potential to sin in his flesh.

2 Corinthians 12:7  And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.

The symbol of sin is the thorn.

• Sin and death always go together.

With that in mind…

• Jesus became our sacrifice for sin.
• Bullocks were merely representative of Jesus Christ.

When we believe that Christ died to remove our sins, its as though our hands are laid upon the head of the sacrifice of Christ.

• And that is the reason there was a CROWN OF THORNS placed on His head.

Yes, He died, but you must place YOUR HANDS on His head.

• YOU MUST BELIEVE.
• Some say all are saved since He died for all.
• No.
• Without repentance there is no beginning for salvation.
• You must come to Him and You must lay your hands on His head, so to speak.

Sin and death was pressed upon Him, as the Levites laid their hands on the head of the bullock of sacrifice.

• We transferred our sins onto Him.
• And it was all shown by the crown of thorns on his head.

He is our sacrifice.

Hebrews 10:12  But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;

Hebrews 9:26  For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.

If you believe, He was YOUR sacrifice.

• Your faith was as though you laid your hands on His head.
• YOUR sin was transferred onto him.
• You then made Him YOUR Saviour.
• And the thorns of death will not sting you.
• You laid your hands on Him, and removed your hands to find that thorns from your hands remained on Him.

Thorns obstruct growth.

• Get the thorns off your hands and live for God.
• Rely on the cross all of your life.
• This keeps the thorns from growing forth again.

Those who never transferred their sins onto Him will be lost.

Revelation 20:11  And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.

Fruit would have grown unhindered with no thorns.

• So, too, would man have been godly without Adam’s transgression.

If you can believe in His death as you, you, too, can cry…

1 Corinthians 15:55  O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?

No thorn of death and sin will sting you, for He took the sting of death for you, to free you of it.

• Death has no sting to us.
• We will rise again one day!

1 Timothy 2:8  I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.

As we raise our hands in worship and praise, it has special meaning to God!

• He smiles!

Now we can understand…

James 4:8  Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

James 4:10  Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.