The Tale of Two Crowns: The Story of Easter

The Tale of Two Crowns:  The Story of Easter

Easter.  Many words and themes come to mind as we reflect on this day, this experience.  Hope.  Sacrifice.  Jesus.  New life.  The crucifixion.  The resurrection.  Or perhaps this is a day filled with Easter egg hunts and chocolate.  Here is my take on this glorious day. This is the story of Easter-The Tale of Two Crowns.

The beloved disciple John paints a powerful picture for us.  He writes, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was in the beginning with God.  All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made” (John 1:1-3).  Furthermore, the universe was created “through him and for him,” and in him “all things hold together” (Col. 1:16-17).  The Son of God both created the universe and sustains it by His power!  This is reason alone to worship!

The Royal Crown

Now shifting gears, we find in Scripture that Jesus had a greater purpose-to save humanity from sin.  Again in John’s Gospel we read that Jesus took on human flesh in order to become our Savior.  Verse 14 reads, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”  This is the incarnation, God becoming a man.  The God-Man, Jesus Christ, came to rescue us from sin.  He laid down His royal crown to take on another crown.  Fast forward to chapters 18-19.  Towards the end of His earthly ministry, the Lord faces the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate under the charge of blasphemy, claiming to be God.  Pilate asks him plainly, “Are you the King of the Jews?”  Jesus later replied, “My kingdom is not of this world” (18:33, 36).  Since Jesus called himself the Son of God and performed many miracles through the power of the Spirit, he was considered a threat to the Jewish religious leaders.  They looked for any way to trap him and have him killed.  Pilate then appealed to them, “So do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?” (v. 39).  The raging crowd sent their own King to the cross.  Then came the next crown.

The Crown of Thorns

In the greatest act of love in human history, the King exchanged His royal crown for a crown of thorns.  He was beaten and mocked, spat upon and flogged by a whip with shards of glass and rocks.  He was a “man of sorrows” who took on the weight of mankind’s sin (Is. 53:3-5).  Beaten beyond recognition, the glory of God was marred by the stain of sin.  Finally, hung on a cross by three rugged nails, he died a criminal’s death for a crime he did not commit.  An innocent man condemned.  It was a grim Friday at the foot of the cross.  Then came the third day.

Considered dead in the grave, his followers were defeated, their leader was gone.  Those visiting the tomb were in for a surprise.  The stone had rolled away!  The grave was empty!  Jesus had risen!  Sin was conquered!  Death was defeated!  An angel revealed that Christ had come back to life and that they should rejoice in this miracle.  In a glorified body, Jesus, the divine Son of God overcame the power of sin and death!  Salvation was now fully available to all who would believe, Jew and Gentile (non-Jewish).  The cross was just a stepping stone to the resurrection.  The crucified King had come back to life to save His people.  This “King of the Jews” became the Savior of the world (John 3:16; 1 John 2:1-2).  Jesus bridged the impossible divide between sinful man and a holy God.  Now faith in Him brings rescue from sin.  The Son of Man became a man to make men sons of God (from C.S. Lewis).  Then ascending to heaven, he gave his disciples the mission to tell the world the Gospel message:  Christ died for sinners and has risen to save them!

Resurrection Day

What a hopeful message!  Our Savior now lives to make us more like Him.  As our Great High Priest, He prays for us and gives us grace to endure the trials of life.  We can go to Him with every need and He gives abundant grace to meet it (Heb. 4:15-16).  The story of Easter is a joyful story!  A story of victory!  A story of salvation.  The true story of the Son of God dying on a cross to rescue us from sin.  Jesus is our hope, our Savior and Lord who forgave our sin and continually gives us power to overcome it.  Let us draw near to the resurrected Savior who broke the back of sin, death and hell!  He is worthy of all our praise!  Happy Easter, or better yet, happy Resurrection Day!

Reflection:  Have you placed your faith in Jesus, the risen Savior?  You can do so today by turning from your sin and believing in His name.

How can you daily remind yourself of the Gospel message: Christ crucified and risen from the dead?