Monday, March 28, 2011
Mark 15:17 They ... wove a crown of thorns and set it on Him
A SPRING WITHOUT THORNS
The "ouch" and frostbite of a long winter just doesn't want to end. But cheer up! Soon we can experience the "ouch" of being pricked by various types of thorny weeds, which, before too long, will start to infest our lawns and gardens. Thorns are a fact of life. And we know why that is. They're a part of sin's curse. God said to Adam: "Cursed is the ground for your sake; in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you!"
How apropos that Jesus, as He trudged to the cross, wore upon His head the very symbol of sin's curse. Upon His head was pressed a crown of thorns. But Jesus did more than symbolize that curse. He actually became sin's curse on behalf of all people. "Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us; for it is written, 'Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree'" (Gal. 3:13).
And what does Christ taking the curse of all sin upon Himself mean for you personally, dear Christian?
* It means that when some sin--any sin--tears into your conscience, you can apply the healing salve which flows from the cross, namely, Jesus' cancellation of the world's entire sin debt.
* It means living every day as "more than a conqueror." While life on earth may hurt, you walk with a Savior whose sacrificial death proves His undying commitment to your eternal welfare.
* It means one day you will take up permanent residence in a world where there will be no more pain or death; in a world where the word "ouch" will never be heard again!
Chin up! This hard winter world cannot last long. A spring without thorns must soon be ours!
