When Love Wore A Crown: Beholding Jesus, our suffering Saviour and risen King

Read:

Mark 15:17–20 (NKJV): “And they clothed Him with purple; and they twisted a crown of thorns, put it on His head… and bowing the knee, they worshipped Him… and led Him out to crucify Him.”

Philippians 2:8–11 (ESV): “He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross… so that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow… and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.”

Luke 23:34 (NIV): “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”

Act:

Let us be determined this week to:

Behold Jesus’ love again. We can become so familiar with the cross that we stop being undone by it. But the crown of thorns calls us to look again. Jesus was rejected, misunderstood, betrayed, wounded, and mocked—yet He continued faithfully in the mission the Father had given Him.  And even in suffering, His heart remained merciful. The thorns show us the cruelty of sin. The cross shows us the depth of His love. So let us not merely glance at Calvary. Let us behold Him until gratitude becomes worship.

Bow to His Lordship now. The cross invites more than admiration. It calls for surrender. It is possible to love the idea of Jesus while quietly resisting His authority in the details of our lives. Our plans. Our habits. Our relationships. Our forgiveness. Our ambitions. Our hidden compromises. But if Jesus is King, then He is not simply invited into our lives. Our lives belong to Him. And perhaps this is the searching question: Does the way we live reveal that Jesus truly has the throne of our hearts? Because worship is not only what we sing. Worship is standing in awe of our Lord and Saviour.

 Live ready for the risen King. The crown of thorns was not His final crown. The mocked King became the crucified King. The crucified King is the risen King. And the risen King will be universally acknowledged as Lord. So let us not wait for eternity to give Jesus what belongs to Him today. Our obedience. Our allegiance. Our worship. Our whole lives. The question is not whether Jesus will one day be revealed as King. He will. The question is whether our lives recognise He is Lord of lords and King of kings–now and forever.

Pray:

King Jesus, today we behold You again. Not casually. Not from a distance. But with reverence.

You were rejected—yet You loved. Mocked—yet You remained merciful. Wounded—yet You forgave. Crucified—yet death could not hold You. And today, You reign.

Forgive us for the times we have become too familiar with the cross. Forgive us where we have called You Lord with our lips, yet withheld parts of our lives from Your authority.

Search us, Jesus. Where there is pride—humble us. Where there is compromise—lead us to repentance. Where there is unforgiveness—remind us how deeply we have been forgiven. Where there is fear—teach us to trust our King. Where there is divided affection—draw our hearts back to You.

Jesus, we do not want merely to admire You. We want to belong completely to You. May our lives honour the love You poured out. May our obedience reveal Whom we serve. May our words point others toward You. And may we live awake, faithful, surrendered, and ready for Your return.

Until every knee bows, may ours bow willingly. Until every tongue confesses, may ours proclaim joyfully: Jesus Christ is Lord.

To the glory of God the Father.
Amen.

Remember: Love wore the crown. Love endured the cross. Love conquered the grave. And that Love has a Name: Jesus. The One mocked as King is the risen King. The One who wore the thorns now reigns in glory. The One who gave Himself for us is worthy of all of us. So let us not merely behold the crown He wore. Let us bow before the King who wore it. Let us not postpone obedience. Let us not offer Him the edges of lives He gave everything to redeem. Let us live now as people who know where history is going: Jesus reigns. Jesus is Lord. Jesus is coming again.

(This WRAP is shared with great appreciation to Cliff)

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