The Crown of Thorns: A Lenten Worship Series
Of all the images associated with Jesus’ passion and death, the crown of thorns is likely one of the most familiar to us. Three of the four gospel writers include this detail of the soldiers placing this crown on Jesus’ head as a tool of torture. I find this interesting because there is a lot about Jesus’ passion that they don’t tell us—likely because of how incredibly violent it was.
Why is the crown of thorns important enough to name over and over? Why would we make this a guiding image for our Lenten series together?
Of course, the obvious answer is that Jesus is the King of Kings who gave up his heavenly crown to take on the thorns of sin. In this series, though, I invite you to think about this: the crown of thorns caused tremendous pain on Jesus’ head. The mind of Christ was literally surrounded by suffering. When we think of mental health, and the pain that so many are enduring, often quietly, the Scriptures remind us that Jesus is well-acquainted with what our minds endure.
I am not a mental health expert, but I do know that working on our spiritual health can only have a positive impact on us mentally, physically, and emotionally as well. In this series, as we walk from the wilderness through the streets and towards the cross with Jesus, we will listen for the peace he speaks to our minds as well as our hearts. For we know the end of the story: he endured the crown of thorns and now sits enthroned and crowned as King forever. So let us cast our earthly crowns down and invite him to heal our minds, too.
all good things to each of you,
Dr. Darian