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The Crowned Christ
By James Gunn,
(From ‘Counsel Magazine’
September-October 2000)
Thank God for the crowned Christ! Here let us consider a few of His many crowns.
THE CROWN OF THORNS (JN. 19:1-3)
There are three symbols of the curse of God. Two are mentioned in Genesis 3:
the serpent (v. 14) and the thorns (v.17-l8). The third is mentioned in Deuteronomy
21:22-23-the tree. These remind us of the cause of the curse, Satan; the sorrow
of the curse, thorns; and the penalty of the curse, the tree.
All three are linked to Christ in His death. The Lord Himself said, "And
as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man
be lifted up" (Jn. 3:14). "The soldiers platted a crown of thorns,
and put it on His head” (Jn. 19:1-3). "Christ hath redeemed us from
the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, 'Cursed
is every one that hangeth on a tree” (Gal. 3:13).
THE CROWNS OF GLORY AND OF HONOUR
The second chapter of the Epistle to the Hebrews gives a fairly detailed statement
of the doctrine of the incarnation of our holy Lord. In it there are seven reasons
for Christ's being made flesh.
First, Christ had to become incarnate to govern the earth (vv. 6-8). Second,
He came to make atonement (v.9). Third, He was to become our Captain, or Prince,
of our salvation (v.10). Fourth, it was to be like His brethren, so that they
become all of one (nature and family), and He is not ashamed to call them brethren
(vv. 11-13).
In the fifth place, Christ became incarnate to defeat the devil (v.14). Sixth,
it was in order to save the spiritual seed of Abraham (v.16). Finally, in seventh
place, He became a real man that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest
in things pertaining to God (v.17).
Yes, He who in His incarnation was made lower than the angels is now made higher
than the heavens. “We see Jesus who was made a little lower than the angels
for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour.”
THE MANY CROWNS (REV. 19:11-16)
What a scene is here depicted by the pen of John! The identity of the rider
on the white horse cannot be mistaken, for four volumes have been written on
His life. Anyone acquainted with those volumes readily recognizes the Person.
One volume written by John Mark pictures this rider as the Perfect Servant of
Jehovah. Mark pictures Him as loyal and diligent. In this scene described by
John, He is called “Faithful and True”. This is none other than
our Lord Jesus, who was faithful to God and true to the task given Him.
In another volume written by the doctor, Luke, the Lord Jesus is seen in His
perfect manhood, intelligent and understanding to an extraordinary extent. This
is possibly why John says He has a name that no man knows but He Himself.
A third volume was written by a former fisherman. In fact, this fisherman, John
by name, had written other articles as well. In the first he calls the Lord
Jesus “the Word” in the second, “the Word of Life”.
Now here in the last of his writings, John calls Him “the Word of God.”
The other of these four volumes was written by a customs officer, Matthew by
name. He presents the Lord Jesus as the King, the King in rejection. John here
pictures Him as Sovereign, the mighty Victor, and calls Him the “King
of kings” and the “Lord of lords”.
During His humiliation, the people said of Him, “This is that Prophet
which should come into the world”, and they sought to make Him a king,
but a prophet is not without honour save in his own country, so they crowned
that Prophet with thorns.
This merciful and faithful High Priest has passed through the heavens, and by
faith we see Jesus, like Joshua the priest in Zechariah's day, crowned in glory.
In a scene of the future, Christ appears as the Marshall of the greatest army
ever seen on earth, albeit mobilized in heaven. In all His majesty and glory,
He destroys all His enemies and reigns supreme as King of kings, upon whose
brow are many crowns.
By James Gunn,
(From ‘Counsel Magazine’ September-October 2000 Used by Permission)
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