The Crowned Christ

THE CROWN OF THORNS (JN. 19:1-3)
There are three symbols of the curse of God. Two are mentioned in Genesis 3: the serpent (v. 14) and the thorns (v.17-l8). The third is mentioned in Deuteronomy 21:22-23-the tree. These remind us of the cause of the curse, Satan; the sorrow of the curse, thorns; and the penalty of the curse, the tree.
All three are linked to Christ in His death. The Lord Himself said, "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up" (Jn. 3:14). "The soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it on His head” (Jn. 19:1-3). "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, 'Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree” (Gal. 3:13).

THE CROWNS OF GLORY AND OF HONOUR
The second chapter of the Epistle to the Hebrews gives a fairly detailed statement of the doctrine of the incarnation of our holy Lord. In it there are seven reasons for Christ's being made flesh.
First, Christ had to become incarnate to govern the earth (vv. 6-8). Second, He came to make atonement (v.9). Third, He was to become our Captain, or Prince, of our salvation (v.10). Fourth, it was to be like His brethren, so that they become all of one (nature and family), and He is not ashamed to call them brethren (vv. 11-13).
In the fifth place, Christ became incarnate to defeat the devil (v.14). Sixth, it was in order to save the spiritual seed of Abraham (v.16). Finally, in seventh place, He became a real man that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God (v.17).
Yes, He who in His incarnation was made lower than the angels is now made higher than the heavens. “We see Jesus who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour.”

THE MANY CROWNS (REV. 19:11-16)

What a scene is here depicted by the pen of John! The identity of the rider on the white horse cannot be mistaken, for four volumes have been written on His life. Anyone acquainted with those volumes readily recognizes the Person.
One volume written by John Mark pictures this rider as the Perfect Servant of Jehovah. Mark pictures Him as loyal and diligent. In this scene described by John, He is called “Faithful and True”. This is none other than our Lord Jesus, who was faithful to God and true to the task given Him.
In another volume written by the doctor, Luke, the Lord Jesus is seen in His perfect manhood, intelligent and understanding to an extraordinary extent. This is possibly why John says He has a name that no man knows but He Himself.
A third volume was written by a former fisherman. In fact, this fisherman, John by name, had written other articles as well. In the first he calls the Lord Jesus “the Word” in the second, “the Word of Life”. Now here in the last of his writings, John calls Him “the Word of God.”
The other of these four volumes was written by a customs officer, Matthew by name. He presents the Lord Jesus as the King, the King in rejection. John here pictures Him as Sovereign, the mighty Victor, and calls Him the “King of kings” and the “Lord of lords”.
During His humiliation, the people said of Him, “This is that Prophet which should come into the world”, and they sought to make Him a king, but a prophet is not without honour save in his own country, so they crowned that Prophet with thorns.
This merciful and faithful High Priest has passed through the heavens, and by faith we see Jesus, like Joshua the priest in Zechariah's day, crowned in glory.
In a scene of the future, Christ appears as the Marshall of the greatest army ever seen on earth, albeit mobilized in heaven. In all His majesty and glory, He destroys all His enemies and reigns supreme as King of kings, upon whose brow are many crowns.
By James Gunn,