◄ What Does Matthew 27:29 Mean? ►

And after twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand; and they knelt down before Him and mocked Him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!"

Matthew 27:29(NASB)

Verse of the Day

A few days after His triumphal ride into Jerusalem amidst the cries of: "Hosanna-save us," we hear the crowd screaming: "Let His blood be on us and on our children." And to placate the people and to fulfil the determinate will and counsel of God, Who loved the world so much that He gave His only begotten Son to die for the sin of the whole world, we see Jesus... crucified on a Roman cross between two thieves.

Yes, the blood of Christ was indeed 'on them and on their children', and His blood is on us and on our children as well, for without the shedding of His blood there can be no remission of sins. And so began the final few hours of the incarnate Son of God Who had flung stars into space, formed man from the dust of the earth, and breathed into man the breath of life.

Hated and despised, rejected and falsely accused, the Son of God Who had come to save man from their sins, was handed over to the Roman guard to be crucified on a wooden cross. The first thing they did was to weave a cruel crown of razor-sharp thorns to mock His authority and ridicule His claim to kingship, and then they forcefully pressed it down hard onto His head, causing the most excruciating pain to their innocent Victim.

They mocked Him further by placing a sceptre into His hand, but not one made from gold as His position and authority demanded, but a reed, which was an emblem of weakness, with which they beat Him on His head. It was a mocking sign of weakness and as they derided Him and made sport of Him, they sneeringly and sarcastically hailed Him as "King of the Jews" for sport. 'Greetings, good health, and long life to You' was the sneering and contemptuous meaning.

This crude jesting was a small fraction of the terrible pain and shocking humiliation that Christ, the Son of the most high God, suffered on your account and mine, fulfilling the prophecy of Isaiah where we read that His face and body was so grossly disfigured and marred that He was unrecognisable. He could have called down ten legions of angels to His aid, but He endured the cross of shame and wore the crown of thorns so that we might be forgiven of our sins and receive on our heads a crown of righteousness.

Yes, the day is coming when He will be crowned with many diadems. The time is getting nearer when He will lift high the heavenly sceptre that belongs to the King of kings and Lord of lords, and He will judge the world in righteousness. Until then, we proclaim the Lord's death and rejoice in His glorious Resurrection.

My Prayer

Heavenly Father, my heart grieves within me when I think of Jesus being mocked, spat upon, and tortured before His death on the Cross. To imagine my precious Saviour in this state, willingly allowing them to treat Him this way, gives me a glimpse of His unfathomable love for me. Thank You, Father, that You gave Your only begotten Son to take the punishment that I deserve, dying on the Cross to pay the price for my sin, and thank You that He rose the third day so that by faith in Him I may be made the righteousness of God. May I never become so familiar with the horror of Christ’s suffering and death that I forget that it was the terrible consequences of my sin that caused Jesus to stretch out His arms of love for me on Calvary's Cross. Lord, I thank You, and I love You, AMEN.