They crown thy head with thorns, they smite, they scourge Thee with cruel mockings to the cross they urge Thee…O mighty King, no time can dim Thy glory! How shall I spread abroad Thy wondrous story.
The king is dead. He who was called “king of the Jews” by the Gentiles, by Pilate, both in the sign above His head, but in mockery by the soldiers both as they beat him, but also as it says in Luke 23:36–37. “The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine and saying, ‘If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself’!”
He was hailed as the “King of Israel” by Jewish followers when He triumphantly rode upon a donkey only a few days before, only to hear this same phrase used against Him according to Matthew’s passion (Mt. 27:41-42) which states: “So also the chief priests, with the scribes and elders, mocked him, saying, ‘He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him’.”
In the Passion according to St. John which we just heard, in these two chapters, the word “king is used 12 times. Used in questioning, accusation, the word “King” is even used when the crowd denies Jesus and declares: “We have no king but Caesar”. But Jesus is a king. He is crowned with thorns as a form of mockery, but this ring of thorns about His brow describes the nature and purpose of His kingdom. The thorns came up from the ground only after Adam and Eve sinned. The thorns were part of the curse. Now Jesus, the Son of God and Son of Man, wears the thorns as the one who bears the curse of sin, in order to conquer it.
There is another usage of the term “king” in John 18 which usually is not given much thought, but it has depth. The slave whose ear was cut off. His name was “Malchus” Malchus is the Greek version of the Hebrew word Malek, which means “king”. Oh the Irony. The high priest’s slave has the name “King”. Not only that but that slave king is struck and His ear is cut off. “He who has ears to hear, let Him hear” as Jesus would say. Though this slave king was struck, though His ear was cut off, like the Messiah king would be struck and cut off from the land of the living. He was restored. He was healed by the King of Israel, the King whose kingdom is not a kingdom of this world and its glory, but the King who comes as a slave, to free those in bondage and slavery to sin by becoming as sin for them, betrayed, forsaken, and crucified in great humility and rejection, the wrath of God upon sin taken upon Himself, so that you, me, and all believers would not be rejected, forsaken, or cut off by death, by the curse of sin, surrounded by thorns, separated forever from the loving living God. No but that we and all believers would be gathered with believing members of the True Israel forever in His kingdom now and forever in Paradise. Ruled by His Word, His Spirit, His life by the forgiveness of sins. This is the reign of this king, this is how He conquers: by service, by love, by His death. As the hymn we have been studying says: “For us by wickedness betrayed, For us in crown of thorns arrayed He bore the shameful cross and death, For us He gave His dying breath.”
He did it all “For us”. He is dead. God is dead on Good Friday, but as The Messiah king healed the ear which was “cut off”. Let us remember the Words of Jesus is John 10:17-18 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again.”
All is completed. The war, the battle, the redemption. The price of sin is paid. Now death will be overcome to show that the price was paid in full. This is the joy of the resurrection, the promise of ours, that we are indeed freed from the slavery of sin in Jesus Christ. The devil no longer has control over us. Our High Priest who is true has paid our ransom. For us He rose from death again. For us He went on high to reign, For us He sent His Spirit here To guide, to strengthen, and to cheer. The King lives. Let us watch and wait in Jesus Christ’s name. Amen.
Pr. Aaron Kangas