Lent Day 24: Thorns
Apr 15 in Lent
Thorns came as a by-product of man’s disobedience in the Garden of Eden “…Cursed is the ground because of you; in toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you…” life would never be the same again. God had said: “You must not eat fruit from the tree…you must not touch it, or you will die.” the Serpent whispered “You surely will not die”. Many times you hear people ask, ‘if there IS a God, why allow all the suffering in the world?’ but sin is a path of thorns, a path of suffering, a path that brings consequences, sin is the sting that results in death. God in His wisdom removed the tree of life and provided Himself a cure for the virus that infested our world. A way to LIFE “And I looked, and there was none to help…therefore mine own arm brought salvation unto me” Isaiah 63:5 “I am the way, the truth and the life” John 14:6 “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die” John 11:25
Thorns are painful, producing functional impairment, weakening the flesh, tormenting, choking productivity causing unfruitfulness for it diverts our attention from what we are doing to the injury.
The cross becomes the place of exchange, where God takes our unrighteousness and bestows on us His righteousness, where He takes our sicknesses that we may be healed “by His stripes, I am healed”, where He takes the curse to bring a blessing “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us– for it is written, cursed is anyone who hangs on a tree “– He wore the crown of suffering upon His own brow “For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin” Hebrews 4:15 , that we may become heirs of a heavenly realm for Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world” John 18:36.
It was customary during crucifixion to nail a board onto the cross naming the crime of the offender, in Jesus’ case they wrote “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews” in Hebrew, Greek and Latin. Three times, number 3 symbolic of the perfect completeness in Father, Son and Holy Spirit; the perfect work of the cross and how it perfectly fulfilled every prophecy concerning the coming of the Messiah.
“Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.” And He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.”