{"id":722,"date":"2009-04-03T04:01:22","date_gmt":"2009-04-03T04:01:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/markdroberts\/2009\/04\/the-sixth-station-jesus-is-scourged-and-crowned-with-thorns.html"},"modified":"2009-04-03T04:01:22","modified_gmt":"2009-04-03T04:01:22","slug":"the-sixth-station-jesus-is-scourged-and-crowned-with-thorns","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2009\/04\/the-sixth-station-jesus-is-scourged-and-crowned-with-thorns.html","title":{"rendered":"The Sixth Station: Jesus is Scourged and Crowned with Thorns"},"content":{"rendered":"


\nCopyright \u00a9 Linda Roberts, 2007.
\nFor permission to use this picture and\/or others in this series, please contact Mark D. Roberts<\/a><\/h4>\n

Luke 22:63-65; John 19:2-3<\/strong>
\nLuke 22:63<\/em> Now the men who were holding Jesus began to mock him and beat him; 64<\/em> they also blindfolded him and kept asking him, \u201cProphesy! Who is it that struck you?\u201d 65<\/em> They kept heaping many other insults on him.
\nJohn 19:2<\/em> And the soldiers wove a crown of thorns and put it on his head, and they dressed him in a purple robe. 3<\/em> They kept coming up to him, saying, \u201cHail, King of the Jews!\u201d and striking him on the face.
\nReflection<\/strong>
\nWhat cruel irony! Jesus finally received the words he deserved: “Hail, King of the Jews!” For once he wore a crown upon his head. But it was not the golden crown of sovereignty or the olive crown of victory, but the thorny crown of suffering. Scholars have shown that the thorns from which Jesus’ crown was composed were long and terribly sharp. No doubt they dug deep into the head of the suffering king. We can’t really imagine the physical pain, not to mention the emotional and spiritual anguish, endured by the King of kings.
\nWhat incomprehensible irony! Jesus, the true king of Israel, endured the pain and mockery of the crown of thorns as part of his humiliation for us and our salvation. What was the result of his torture? Paul puts it this way in Philippians 2:5-11:<\/p>\n

Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus,
\nwho, though he was in the form of God,
\ndid not regard equality with God
\nas something to be exploited,
\nbut emptied himself,
\ntaking the form of a slave,
\nbeing born in human likeness.
\nAnd being found in human form,
\nhe humbled himself
\nand became obedient to the point of death\u2014
\neven death on a cross.
\nTherefore God also highly exalted him
\nand gave him the name
\nthat is above every name,
\nso that at the name of Jesus
\nevery knee should bend,
\nin heaven and on earth and under the earth,
\nand every tongue should confess
\nthat Jesus Christ is Lord,
\nto the glory of God the Father.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Did you catch that? Because Jesus humbled himself, because He endured the humiliation of the cross, including the crown of thorns, therefore God exalted him to the highest place. For Jesus, the path to glory as King of kings included the path of disgrace. Because he wore the crown of thorns, Jesus would receive the crown of universal worship.
\nOne of my favorite hymns is “Crown Him with Many Crowns.” It is a celebration of the multi-faceted sovereignty of Christ. Curiously, however, even in its full, original nine verses<\/a>, this fine hymn doesn’t mention Jesus’ crown of thorns, though it does refer to his death in several different ways, mentioning specifically his “pierced feet” and his wounded “hands and side.” I’d like to close today’s reflection by printing the most popular four verses of “Crown Him with Many Crowns.” I’ve added a new verse, which you’ll find in italics:<\/p>\n

Crown Him with Many Crowns<\/strong>
\nBy: Matthew Bridges and Godfrey Thring
\n(Added verse by Mark D. Roberts)
\nCrown him with many crowns,
\nThe Lamb upon his throne;
\nHark! how the heav\u2019nly anthem drowns
\nAll music but its own:
\nAwake, my soul, and sing
\nOf him who died for thee,
\nAnd hail him as thy matchless King
\nThro\u2019 all eternity.
\nCrown Him the promised One,
\nMessiah, Israel’s king,
\nWho walked in servanthood along,
\nThe path of suffering.
\nHis honor struck in shame,
\nA brutal crown adorns,
\nHis head bowed in humility,
\nEnhanced with twisted thorns.<\/em>
\nCrown him the Lord of life,
\nWho triumphed o\u2019er the grave,
\nAnd rose victorious in the strife
\nFor those he came to save;
\nHis glories now we sing
\nWho died, and rose on high,
\nWho died eternal life to bring,
\nAnd lives that death may die.
\nCrown him the Lord of peace,
\nWhose pow\u2019r a scepter sways
\nFrom pole to pole, that wars may cease,
\nAnd all be pray\u2019r and praise:
\nHis reign shall know no end,
\nAnd round his pierced feet
\nFair flow\u2019rs of paradise extend
\nTheir fragrance ever sweet.
\nCrown him the Lord of love;
\nBehold his hands and side,
\nThose wounds, yet visible above,
\nIn beauty glorified:
\nAll hail, Redeemer, hail!
\nFor thou hast died for me:
\nThy praise and glory shall not fail
\nThro\u2019out eternity.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Prayer<\/strong>
\nGracious, merciful Lord, how hard it is to read of the abuse you suffered even prior to your crucifixion. I can’t even begin to imagine what you felt, not only physically, but especially in your soul. What can I say in response but “thank you” for walking the path of suffering and shame for my sake. You took the abuse that I deserved, and gave me your glory in return.
\nHelp me, dear Lord, to honor you as my King in all that I do. May my words and deeds reflect your sovereignty and celebrate your glory.
\nAmen.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Copyright \u00a9 Linda Roberts, 2007. For permission to use this picture and\/or others in this series, please contact Mark D. Roberts Luke 22:63-65; John 19:2-3 Luke 22:63 Now the men who were holding Jesus began to mock him and beat him; 64 they also blindfolded him and kept asking him, \u201cProphesy! Who is it that…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":214,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[70],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-722","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-stations-of-the-cross"],"yoast_head":"\nThe Sixth Station: Jesus is Scourged and Crowned with Thorns - Mark D. Roberts<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2009\/04\/the-sixth-station-jesus-is-scourged-and-crowned-with-thorns.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Sixth Station: Jesus is Scourged and Crowned with Thorns - Mark D. Roberts\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Copyright \u00a9 Linda Roberts, 2007. For permission to use this picture and\/or others in this series, please contact Mark D. Roberts Luke 22:63-65; John 19:2-3 Luke 22:63 Now the men who were holding Jesus began to mock him and beat him; 64 they also blindfolded him and kept asking him, \u201cProphesy! Who is it that…\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2009\/04\/the-sixth-station-jesus-is-scourged-and-crowned-with-thorns.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Mark D. Roberts\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2009-04-03T04:01:22+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Mark D. Roberts\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"The Sixth Station: Jesus is Scourged and Crowned with Thorns - Mark D. Roberts","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2009\/04\/the-sixth-station-jesus-is-scourged-and-crowned-with-thorns.html","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"The Sixth Station: Jesus is Scourged and Crowned with Thorns - Mark D. Roberts","og_description":"Copyright \u00a9 Linda Roberts, 2007. For permission to use this picture and\/or others in this series, please contact Mark D. Roberts Luke 22:63-65; John 19:2-3 Luke 22:63 Now the men who were holding Jesus began to mock him and beat him; 64 they also blindfolded him and kept asking him, \u201cProphesy! Who is it that…","og_url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2009\/04\/the-sixth-station-jesus-is-scourged-and-crowned-with-thorns.html","og_site_name":"Mark D. Roberts","article_published_time":"2009-04-03T04:01:22+00:00","author":"Mark D. Roberts","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2009\/04\/the-sixth-station-jesus-is-scourged-and-crowned-with-thorns.html","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2009\/04\/the-sixth-station-jesus-is-scourged-and-crowned-with-thorns.html","name":"The Sixth Station: Jesus is Scourged and Crowned with Thorns - Mark D. Roberts","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#website"},"datePublished":"2009-04-03T04:01:22+00:00","dateModified":"2009-04-03T04:01:22+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#\/schema\/person\/1ff094a57b7e41f534434b1723df3d73"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2009\/04\/the-sixth-station-jesus-is-scourged-and-crowned-with-thorns.html#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2009\/04\/the-sixth-station-jesus-is-scourged-and-crowned-with-thorns.html"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2009\/04\/the-sixth-station-jesus-is-scourged-and-crowned-with-thorns.html#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"The Sixth Station: Jesus is Scourged and Crowned with Thorns"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/","name":"Mark D. Roberts","description":"Mark D. Roberts: Thoughtfully Christian Reflections on Jesus, the Church, and the World","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#\/schema\/person\/1ff094a57b7e41f534434b1723df3d73","name":"Mark D. Roberts","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","caption":"Mark D. Roberts"},"description":"The Rev. Dr. Mark D. Roberts is a pastor, author, retreat leader, speaker, and blogger. Since October 2007 he has been the Senior Director and Scholar-in-Residence for Laity Lodge, a multifaceted ministry in the Hill Country of Texas. Before coming to Laity Lodge, he was for sixteen years the Senior Pastor of Irvine Presbyterian Church in Irvine, California (a city in Orange County about forty miles south of Los Angeles). Before his time at Irvine Pres, Mark served on the staff of the First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood as Associate Pastor of Education. (Thanks to Janel Pahl for taking the photo to the right.) Mark studied at Harvard University, receiving a B.A. in Philosophy, an M.A. in the Study of Religion, and a Ph.D. in New Testament and Christian Origins. He has taught classes in New Testament for Fuller Theological Seminary and San Francisco Theological Seminary. Mark has written several books, including No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer (WaterBrook, 2005), Dare to Be True (WaterBrook, 2003), Jesus Revealed (WaterBrook, 2002), After \"I Believe\" (Baker, 2002), and Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther (Word, 1993). His most recent book is Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John (Crossway, 2007). He is currently working on a commentary on Ephesians that will be published by Zondervan in 2014. Mark writes a devotional for The High Calling of Our Daily Work, a website associated with Laity Lodge. His \"Daily Reflections\" can be viewed online or sent as a daily email. If you wish to receive this email, just visit TheHighCalling.org and sign up. Mark serves on the editorial board of Worship Leader magazine, where he publishes articles and reviews, including his regular column \"Lyrical Poetry.\" Additionally, he has published dozens of articles in leading magazines and journals. He often speaks for churches and other Christian groups, and has been interviewed on over seventy-five radio programs nationwide. Mark is married to Linda, who is a Marriage and Family Therapist, a Spiritual Director, and a retreat speaker. They have two children, Nathan and Kara.For Publicity Photos and Bio Statements for Mark, please check here. Mark's Dossier Professional History: Senior Director and Scholar-in Residence, Laity Lodge, October 2007 to present. Senior Pastor Irvine Presbyterian Church, June 1991 to September 2007 Adjunct Assistant Professor Fuller Theological Seminary, 1994 to 2007. Courses: New Testament Theology and Exegesis. Adjunct Instructor San Francisco Theological Seminary, 1995 to 2001. Courses: New Testament Greek and Exegesis Associate Pastor of Education First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood, 1987-1991 Teaching Fellow Harvard University, 1980-1983 Education: Ph.D. in the Study of Religion. Harvard University, 1992. Area: New Testament and Christian Origins M.A. in the Study of Religion Harvard University, 1984. A.B. magna cum laude in Philosophy Harvard University, 1979. Phi Beta Kappa; Danforth Fellowship Books: Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Crossway, 2007 No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer. WaterBrook, 2005 Dare to Be True: Living in the Freedom of Complete Honesty. WaterBrook, 2003. Jesus Revealed: Know Him Better to Love Him Better. WaterBrook, 2002. After \"I Believe\": Experiencing Authentic Christian Living. Baker, 2002. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther in the Communicator's Commentary Series. Word, 1993. Contacting Mark: You can reach Mark at: E-mail: mark@markdroberts.com mroberts@laitylodge.org Phone: Laity Lodge: (830) 792-1216 Address: Laity Lodge 719 Earl Garrett Kerrville, TX 78028","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/author\/mroberts"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/722","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/214"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=722"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/722\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=722"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=722"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=722"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}