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The Message of the Cross (13) The Providence in Jesus Wearing the Crown of the Thorns
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June 07, 2020 |
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 “The soldiers took Him away into the palace (that is, the Praetorium), and they called together the whole Roman cohort. They dressed Him up in purple, and after twisting a crown of thorns, they put it on Him” (Mark 15:16-17).
All mankind had become sinners. Jesus came to the earth and took the many sufferings to redeem them from their sins. If we know what He did for us in detail, we can realize the depth of God’s love all the more and lead an enthusiastic Christian life. Let’s now delve into the providence of Jesus wearing the crown of thorns.
1. The reason why Jesus wore the crown of thorns and shed blood
As the Son of God it only makes sense for Jesus to wear a crown of honor and glory. However, in the midst of His suffering Jesus wore a crown of very sharp thorns. As the long and sturdy thorns penetrated Jesus’ head, the pain of His scalp being ripped apart was accompanied by the streaming blood that drenched His face. Why did Jesus wear the crown of thorns and shed His blood? This was done for the forgiveness of the sins of man that they have committed by their thoughts.
Within man’s brain is a memory device that stores and applies knowledge. All the information an individual has seen, heard, and learned from birth is stored with a degree of feeling, and this is “knowledge”. The circumstances and the environments in which each person was raised and educated differ from person to person. Even if two people were educated by the same person in the same environment, the kind of feeling with which each person accepted information is different and that is why they will have different sets of values and standards by which they distinguish good from evil.
“Thoughts” are the reproduction of knowledge on a need basis. Because the knowledge each individual possesses is different, people will think differently even if they witness the same events. This difference is why the culture of the country in which you have cultivated knowledge can become the subject of criticism in another. That is, what you may have learned to be culturally improper in your homeland may be deemed proper in another. In addition, since most of the thoughts of people in this world are governed by Satan, they are often in conflict with the truth.
For instance, when someone else is commended, Satan governs untruth and brings people feelings of dissatisfaction or dismay. If people had only knowledge that is of truth, then Satan would not be able to control their thoughts; they could always rejoice within the truth. Thus, we should diligently listen to the Word and make bread of it. We can transform ourselves by worshipping God in spirit and in truth and accepting the Word with only “Yes” and “Amen.”
2. How to throw away sins committed by thoughts and have spiritual thoughts
When listening to God’s Word, some people will say “Amen” if the messages are in agreement with their thoughts. However, if the message does not agree with their knowledge or experience, then they may not be so readily able to accept it.
We find in the Bible a scene in which Jesus told His disciples of the providence of His bearing the cross and Peter responding, “God forbid it, Lord!” This may have sounded like a thoughtful remark of a follower uttered in love for his teacher, but Peter’s words were a result of his mind set on the flesh that sought to prevent the will of God from being accomplished. For this reason Jesus rebuked him and said, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s” (Matthew 16:23).
As recorded, the thoughts that are against the will of God are fleshly thoughts. To fleshly people, the mind set on the flesh may sound wise and good but it is hostile toward God and has nothing to do with Him. Romans 8:7 reads, “Because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so.” In other words, we have to throw out all fleshly thoughts and any of the knowledge and information we had long deemed correct if it is in conflict with the will of God (2 Corinthians 10:5).
Since meeting God, I have never doubted His Word by mixing fleshly thoughts. I could believe without any doubt that God is almighty because I experienced the power of God who healed me at once of all my diseases. With that faith, I relied on God only with prayer in any kind of situation and He performed amazing works as I believed. When we rely only on God without fleshly thoughts, He will definitely work for us.
In order to cast off all sin we commit with our thoughts, we must first make our hearts holy. In 1 John 2:16 it tells us, “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.”
When the heart is filled with evil and attributes to take after the ways of this world, it is natural for people to harbor fleshly thoughts. When there is “the lust of the flesh”, worldly cravings and desire for the things that are contrary to the will of God look pleasing to the eyes. People will then naturally pursue such cravings and when the cravings of sinful man intensify, they become even more compelled to carry out fleshly deeds (Galatians 5:19-21). “The lust of the eyes” is an attribute that agitates the heart through what a person sees, hears and experiences through the senses that cause him to seek fleshly things even more. Due to “the lust of the eyes,” people become worldly and increasingly seek lustful things.
“The boastful pride of life” is an attribute that seeks to boast of oneself in accordance with all the pleasures he has in this world. This “boastful pride of life” drives people to elevate and flaunt themselves, seek recognition, and take hold of fame and authority. Once you have thrown out the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the boastful pride of life, you will be able to harbor spiritual thoughts with which God is pleased.
3. God prepares beautiful crowns for us in Heaven
Because Jesus wore the crown of thorns for us, we are forgiven of the sins we committed in thoughts and we will be able to wear beautiful crowns when we enter heaven. There are a variety of crowns that have been prepared for us. The type of crown each of us will receive will be determined by the type of life we have led.
For instance, there are “imperishable” crowns for people who have fought to throw out their sin after accepting the Lord and listening to the truth (1 Corinthians 9:25); “crowns of glory” for people who have thrown out their sins, lived by God’s Word, and given glory to Him (1 Peter 5:4); and “crowns of life” for people who have loved God to the utmost degree, have been faithful to God to the point of death and sanctified by throwing out every form of evil (James 1:12; Revelation 2:10). There is also “the crown of righteousness” for everyone who has become wholly sanctified and fully carried out their God-given duties with the kind of faith that was pleasing in God’s sight (2 Timothy 4:8).
Revelation 4:4 mentions heavenly “elders” wearing “golden crowns.” Here, “elders” refer to people who possess gold-like, unchanging faith which God recognizes, who have become wholly sanctified, and who have been faithful in all aspects. Depending on the extent to which they were sanctified and how faithful they had been, God will reward each of them with different crowns.
Brothers and sisters in Christ, by wearing the crown of thorns, Jesus not only redeemed us from the sins we commit in our thoughts, but He also allowed for us to wear beautiful crowns in Heaven. I pray in the name of the Lord that you will destroy fleshly thoughts that are hostile toward God and obey Him with spiritual thoughts and enjoy sun-like shining glory in Heaven.
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