Crown Him with Many Crowns Mount Olive Lutheran Church, Anoka, MN Pastor Bruce Frederickson

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1 Crown Him with Many Crowns Mount Olive Lutheran Church, Anoka, MN Pastor Bruce Frederickson Intro to Drama One object which is closely tied to the Lenten story is that of the THORN. Jesus was adorned with a crown of thorns by the Roman soldiers after his trial before Pilate and Caiaphas. The interesting thing, however, is that thorns are not strictly limited to the Lenten message-but in Scripture, thorns are always referred to in a negative manner. Paul referred to the continuing and constant irritation he suffered as a "thorn in the flesh." In the parable of the Sower, Jesus reminded us that some people hear the word but it is choked out by the delight in riches-much as good plants are choked out of a garden by thorns. After man's fall in the garden, God promised that one of the misfortunes of planting and raising a crop would be the thorns and thistles that would grow, complicating the harvesting and eating of healthy plants. It seems that whatever we can say about thorns, is not good. Even to the thorns which laced the brow of our Lord that first Good Friday. We don't know what became of them. Some traditions have him wearing them to the cross and grave. While others prefer to remember the ugly object of mockery as being discarded at the foot of Calvary. In any event, we seem to remember most that at the end of a mock trial, our Lord was subjected to mock worship, as a group pretended to worship him as king, and supposing to distribute justice, mocked and made fun of the one real king. By crowning him with thorns, putting a purple robe on him and placing a reed in his hand as a scepter they created the scene. In the end, perhaps that act of ridicule became an awful but truthful testimony to who this really was - The King of Glory and Savior of the World. Our scene is set one cool evening in early spring in two backyards just up the hill from the High Priests' palace in first century Jerusalem. Intro thought in bulletin People read of an atrocity done by one human being to another and remark, How could someone be so cruel to another human being? Sometimes perpetrators excuse their evil behavior by saying, the Devil made me do it! Truly, the devil is the source of all evil. But in the end, each of us is responsible for our own wrong-doings. As you carefully follow the scriptural accounts of the arrest, trial and punishment of Jesus, and you will notice some interesting things. It is difficult to piece together a precise chronology of the four Gospel accounts of Jesus last days. For the power brokers of the day, Jesus was a hot potato, and still is today! Religious, temple leaders sent soldiers to arrest Jesus. Jesus was then passed off to a local political ruler, King Herod. From there He was sent to the religious court, the Jewish Sanhedrin. Then, since Roman Governor Pontius Pilate was in town, visiting from Caesarea, Jesus was quickly passed off again. After much agonizing on Pilate s part, Jesus was handed back over to Herod. Because the leaders of Israel were only puppets of the occupying Roman forces, the Jews were not allowed to carry out capital punishment on their criminals. In the end soldiers of the Roman Governor Pilate finally carried out the actual scourging and 1 P a g e

2 execution of Jesus all the while being urged on; even encouraged by the crowds which witnessing it all. Jesus remains a hot potato for people today. What to do with Him? Some worship Him. Others pretend to worship Him, but their actions are mere mockery. They wish He would just go away. The crown of thorns placed on Jesus head was a cruel attempt to mock Jesus as King, yet make Him pay with pain for His true identity as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. We experience similar confusion when faced by the question What do we do with Jesus, called the Christ. Do we worship Him? Or do we want to be rid of Him as an annoyance in to our lives? Or do we await His return to forgive and restore us as His loyal subjects? Listen again to the words of our Gospel reading Then the governor s soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him. 28 They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, 29 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. 30 They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again. Matthew 27: Mockery They led Jesus Into the Praetorium an area in the Roman Governor s residence where the governor would receive visitors especially those with complaints against the cruel judgments of the dreaded occupying forces of the Romans Then they stripped of his clothes naked shame the bare truth - They wrapped him in A scarlet robe o the outer cloak of a Roman soldier s uniform o why? Was he cold? Were they sensitive to Jesus nakedness? o Mockery? A crown of thorns made to look like an object of honor, but in reality object of mockery and pain Mock worship - we ve all done it o we re there, but we re not really present o Or we pretend to worship but have a hard time agreeing with everything He says and does o We hold something back! Do you remember what happened after Jesus died? after listening to Jesus, and watching the noble way he died, one of the Roman guards said, Surely this man was the Son of God When we attended the Passion Play at Oberammergau Germany this past summer, I was struck by the concerns raised by some Jews about who was responsible for Jesus death o was it only the Jews who cried out Crucify Him? o Were there some of Jesus followers in the audience that day? o Didn t we all crucify Jesus o and don t we continue to crucify Him by our thoughtless words of doubt and cruelty 2 P a g e

3 o If not heaped against Him then against others, perhaps the least of the, Jesus brothers and sisters. 2. Pain The crown of thorns they placed on Jesus head was an object of Multi-Purpose punishment o Jesus was nailed to a cross o on public exhibition o shame of having your crime posted on a placard above your head Jesus of Nazareth King of the Jews even some controversy This is what this man said, not who we believe Him to be. Suffering and pain Physical - piercing of his skin sharp thorns The Bible simply says He was whipped. The scourging terrible lashing Mel Gibson s The Passion of the Christ Emotional - seeing friends desert Him o deep hurt. o The pain which caused Jesus to utter some of His last words... My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? o Suspended Alone somewhere between heaven and earth Hearing neighbors, perhaps former friends shouting for His death o Crucify Him o Murder Him o Get Him out of here! 3. Substitute for us In answers at His trial, why was Jesus was silent and so cryptic Silent He really said very little And when He did, he was very cryptic. Are you the Son of God tell us plainly? You have said so! Consider Isaiah 53 v 2-6 Isaiah 53:4-6 4 Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. 6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He our, our We Him, Him He our He our, us Us Him His we We, us Lord, Him us 3 P a g e

4 2 He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. 3 He was despised and rejected by others, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem. 4 Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, 6 and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. Your Homework: 4. Ponder the pain Jesus endured for you and the sacrifices He made. What changes will you make in the way you worship Him Physical I thirst o Where do you seek fulfillment when you are wanting? Emotional they all deserted Him friend and foe! o When do you feel really alone o.. and what do you do about it? He was suspended alone between heaven and earth Earth who wanted Him dead Heaven where everyone worshipped and praised Him Bow like soldiers but not just physical but in your heart and life! Humble Obedience 5. List ways you can help others worship Jesus. Do you arrive prepared? Do you listen? Are you quietly? Can you remember the focus of the worship, the sense of the message take notes 6. If you were king or queen for a day, what attitude would you encourage your loyal subjects to have toward Jesus? Humble Obedient 4 P a g e

5 Listen Honor Him as King Crown Him not in mockery but in every aspect of your life Language promptness Challenge yourself to model that behavior all day tomorrow. humble obedience 5 P a g e