Day 53 – The Crown of Thorns

Today’s reading: Matthew 27:27-50

The crowning of thorns marks fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham.

Recall that Abraham was asked to offer his first born son as a sacrifice to God.  Jesus is the first born son of Mary and the Son of God whom sacrifices himself to the Father.

Isaac carried the wood for the altar up Mt. Moriah.  Jesus carries the wooden cross up the hill of Golgotha.

Abraham tells Isaac, ‘God will provide the lamb’.  Jesus is the lamb.

When the angel stays Abraham’s hand and spares Isaac, God provided a ram caught by its horns in a thicket.  The horns of the ram are a symbol of power and a ram’s horn is blown on the Jewish holy day of Yom Kippur to signal the forgiveness of sins.  Jesus has the power to forgive sins and the crown of thorns is His head, “stuck in the thicket.”

It would be beneficial to go back and read the account of Abraham’s sacrifice of Isaac in Genesis 22.  Other parallels exist that the reader can draw out. 

Tomorrow: Matthew 27:51-66