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What Is the Meaning Behind Jesus' Crown of Thorns?
- Emma Danzey Contributing Writer
- Published Feb 15, 2024
Most of the time when we hear the word crown, we think of luxury and nobility. The glamorous accessory that pops into our minds includes gold, silver, and precious gems. We can even find ourselves dreaming about what it would be like to wear one or to hold a position that would earn one. However, Jesus' crown of thorns was a different story. The most basic of materials wrapped around in the shape of a circle only to be pressed into His holy head.
A crown is a symbol of royalty and honor, but the crown of thorns was created with the opposite intent. The goal was to humiliate and dishonor Jesus, to cause Him pain, and make Him bleed. As horrible as His death on the cross must have been, I cannot even imagine getting through the excruciating pain of having thorns shoved into my skull.
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What Was Jesus' Crown of Thorns?
John Riha from Popular Mechanics says, “Supposedly, a circle of Euphorbia was placed on Jesus' head to make the infamous "crown of thorns." And this plant is evil all the way through, as its sap will irritate skin and can be toxic if ever ingested.” I cannot envision the irritation, humiliation, and agony that Jesus went through while wearing this horrible headpiece. If you have ever gotten pricked or cut by a thorn bush, you know the discomfort it can cause. Picture Jesus in constant suffering from the thorns pressed into his head.
The phrase “crown of thorns” is mentioned four times in the entire Bible. Each record of the crown of thorns is covering the same account, the crucifixion.
Matthew 27:29: “and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand. Then they knelt in front of him and mocked him. “Hail, king of the Jews!” they said.”
Mark 15:17: “They put a purple robe on him, then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on him.”
John 19:2: “The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head. They clothed him in a purple robe.”
John 19:5: “When Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe, Pilate said to them, ‘Here is the man!’”
One thought I love to ponder is that thorns typically show up on beautiful plants. Think of roses, holly, blackberry, or acacia. I like to remember that Jesus’ pain and thorns were there to produce beauty. When we suffer like Christ in this life, it can feel like the thorns of torment are poking away at us. However, we can hold fast to the truth that Jesus suffered for us and He is still walking with us and using the hardships for something amazing for our good and His glory.
Bible Study Tools shares, “There is nothing to show that the shrub thus used was, as has been supposed, the Spina Christi, which could have been easily woven into a wreath. It was probably the thorny nabk, which grew abundantly round about Jerusalem, and whose flexible, pliant, and round branches could easily be platted into the form of a crown.”
Candace Lucey from Crosswalk shares in detail, “Another unique aspect of Christ’s experience — being mocked as King of the Jews — further added to the pain and blood loss He endured. He was made to wear a crown of thorns that cut into His now-fragile skin and caused still more bleeding around the scalp. Christ was struck several times in the head, driving the thorns further into this area, amplifying both bloodshed and pain. Emergency room doctors and nurses see a lot of bleeding from head wounds due to the “profuse vascularity” of the scalp” and ‘denseness of the connective tissue [which] tends to hold vessels open when the scalp is lacerated. For this reason, even small lacerations can cause considerable bleeding, leading to hypovolemia, hypotension, and even death.’”
What Do Thorns Symbolize in the Bible?
Let's take a look at some mentions of thorns in the Scriptures to see what they are used to represent and illustrate.
Consequence
Thorns were mentioned during the curse of sin told to Adam in Genesis 3:18, “It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field.” Thorns represented hardship in planting and harvesting.
Thorns were used as a representation of consequence as a result of disobedience (Judges 8:16). God warned the Israelites to keep boundaries with the people who were not of God because they would become a trouble to them. Numbers 33:55 says, “‘But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land, those you allow to remain will become barbs in your eyes and thorns in your sides. They will give you trouble in the land where you will live.”
Torment/Weakness
And let us not forget the “thorn in the flesh” mentioned by Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:7b “Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.”
Difficult Path
Proverbs 15:9 says, “The way of the sluggard is blocked with thorns, but the path of the upright is a highway.”A person with lazy faith actually creates a thorny path for himself. When we choose to rebel against the Lord’s plans, we make our lives thornier than they would have been had we chosen His path for us.
Challenges
Thorns are mentioned as challenges that we face. Isaiah used thorns as a metaphor in Isaiah 27:4 “I am not angry. If only there were briers and thorns confronting me! I would march against them in battle; I would set them all on fire.” See also Isaiah 32:13, Isaiah 34:14, and Ezekiel 2:6.
Parable of the Sower
Christ taught the parable of the sower which mentions four different types of soil. One of the soils is thorny. The seeds that fell on thorny soil were choked (Matthew 13:7). Each soil is later explained and in Matthew 13:22 Jesus shares, “The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful.” Thorns are described as worries of the world and the deception of wealth. This parable is also found in Mark 4 and Luke 8.
What Does Jesus' Crown of Thorns Mean?
This crown of thorns was a way for the Romans to make a mockery out of Jesus as King. This form of punishment was full of humiliation and hatred. Notice how Jesus took the hurt and the shame on our behalf. He could have stopped this and put them to shame, but He chose to endure for the sake of salvation to the world.
This crown is important for Easter because Jesus is our King of Kings. In order for us to share in His salvation, He had to suffer through the contempt of soldiers and the community. Christ’s time of wearing the crown of thorns led to Him becoming our Savior. The world laughed at who He claimed to be, and He welcomed every criticism on the way to Calvary. His crown of thorns was the consequence of our sins, the torment that we deserved, and the challenge that we should have each faced. Praise be to God who made a way through His Son Jesus.
Romans 8:17 says, “Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.”
Not only does this crown mean that Jesus is King, but when we accept His sacrifice on our behalf, we have the joy of becoming co-heirs with Christ in the kingdom of God.
Photo credit: ©GettyImages/Javier Art Photography
This article is part of our larger Holy Week and Easter resource library centered around the events leading up to the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We hope these articles help you understand the meaning and story behind important Christian holidays and dates and encourage you as you take time to reflect on all that God has done for us through his son Jesus Christ!
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