This Lent, we’re hearing about “Symbols of God’s Love.” On Ash Wednesday, we talked about ashes and repentance. Then we heard about thirty silver coins and the value God has placed on us. Last week, we talked about betrayal and what a friend we have in Jesus. Today? A crown.
That’s good, right? Usually, a crown is a very good thing. On a child’s birthday, they wear a crown at their party. I looked up the word “crown” throughout the Bible, and a crown is always a good thing. King David wore a crown. Esther was crowned queen with a crown. Proverbs compares lots of things to crowns: A faithful wife is a crown for her husband. Grey hair is a crown for the aged. Grandkids are a crown for their grandparents. In Isaiah, we hear that God crowns his people with joy. He crowns us with beauty instead of with ashes. Crowns are good!
Except one crown: Jesus’ crown. During his trial, Roman soldiers made Jesus a crown. Out of what? Thorns. How do you think that felt? Ouch! That must have hurt. Last summer, some of our members—Dwight and Charlotte Meier—invited us out to their little ranch. As we were walking around, Dwight pointed out the “sticker” trees. Do you know what a “sticker” tree is? A tree that sticks you. Literally. Some of those trees had pointy thorns over an inch long. Can you imagine a crown made out of those thorns, smashed onto your head? That was Jesus’ crown.
Why did the soldiers do that? Well, they were mocking Jesus. People called Jesus a king. They didn’t believe it, so they made fun of him. But why did they do that? Why do you and I mock other people? We do, don’t we? Why? That’s how we get our crowns. Every one of us wants a crown. Every one of us wants to be special. We want to feel good about ourselves. And what’s the easiest way to do that? Put down everyone else. Do you know what I’m talking about? I think you do. Mocking other people? Putting down other people? Crowning ourselves? I’ve done that.
What’s your crown? Every one of us is looking for a crown somewhere. Maybe for you it’s sports. Every trophy, every win, every score feels like a crown on your head. It makes you better, right? Maybe you’ve graduated to money or work. Every promotion. Every success. Every check feels like a crown on your head. Maybe it’s beauty. The way you look. That makes you feel special. Maybe it’s a vacation. “It’s going to be so great. I’m going to feel so good!” Crowned. Every one of us wants to be crowned. Would you agree? What’s your crown?
The apostle Paul talked about crowns. Listen to what he said, “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last…” (1 Corinthians 9:24-25). Paul knew about crowns. Sports were huge in Greece, where Corinth was. The victor received a crown of flowers. Everybody was trying to get a crown, just like we’ve been talking about. They were training, they were dedicating their lives… But there was one problem: “They do it to get a crown that will not last…” How long would that crown of flowers last? Not long!
No crown on earth lasts. Have you realized that yet? Do you believe that yet? Tom Brady decided to come back from retirement. He said he has “unfinished business.” Tom Brady has won seven Super Bowls. More than anyone else! Is that enough? No. No sports victory lasts. John D. Rockefeller was the richest person in the world in the early 1900s. He had billions of dollars in today’s money. Somebody asked him, “How much money is enough?” Know what he said, “Just a little bit more!” It’s never enough. My family just went on vacation. I like vacation. But do you know what? We’re not on vacation anymore. It didn’t last forever. Where can we get a real crown? Instead of the failure and the guilt and the heartache that we feel for our sins…
Where can we get a real crown? Jesus wants you to know. Actually, Jesus has a crown for you. “No, no,” you say, “I don’t want a crown of thorns.” No, that was his crown. That crown of thorns was the crown that Jesus wore to win a better crown for us. He took all the world’s mocking, he took the nails, he took the cross, he took on all of our sins, like thorns piercing him in every direction. But he didn’t take that crown of thorns off. He didn’t take off that crown of thorns, because with his suffering and death he wanted to win a different crown for you.
Listen to how Paul described it: “They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever” (1 Corinthians 9:25). There is a crown that lasts forever. Do you know what it is? Jesus tells us at the end of the Bible. “Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown” (Revelation 2:10). Jesus says there is a crown that actually lasts forever. What is it? Life. Eternal life that will never fade away.
Notice how you get that. “Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown.” It’s a gift. That crown is a gift from Jesus. For what? Faithfulness. Not money. Or power. Or beauty. Or success. Faithfulness. Things work different in God’s kingdom, don’t they? Jesus—the King!—wore a crown of thorns and died on a cross for us. So that those who live in faith receive a crown that will never fade away.
Doesn’t that change our mindset about life? It should! Paul says, “Run in such a way as to get the prize.” Live life like you’re an athlete trying to win a race! What are we running after? Faithfulness. There is someone who wore a crown of thorns for you. There is someone who died on a cross for you. There is someone who rose from the dead for you. Run after him. Value Jesus and his Word as if your life depended on them—because it does! Treasure Jesus and his Word as if it were your greatest treasure—because it is! Stop running after money. Stop running after power. Stop dreaming of vacations—that’s me! Stop putting down other people. All that will fade away. “Run in such a way as to get the prize.” “Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown.”
Live knowing this: You have a crown. Whether you win or lose. Whether you’re popular or not. Whether whatever you’re doing works out or not. Live knowing this: You have a crown. A better crown than King David had. An even better crown than grey hair or grandchildren. Life through Jesus. Whenever you see Jesus with that crown of thorns on his head, remember his promise to you: “Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown.”
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