I cannot fully comprehend the magnitude of Your sacrifice, Lord. But I thank You for loving me and considering me worth it.
The head that once was crowned with thorns is crowned with glory now: a royal diadem adorns the mighty Victor’s brow. – From “The Head That Once Was Crowned With Thorns” By Thomas Kelly (1820)
At Easter time, in the midst of new beauty, we’re faced with the jarring harshness of crucifixion symbols. The crown of thorns. The nails. The bloody cross. Instruments of death stand out starkly against the pastel background of the season. One might even think they seem out of place. Yet they are the whole reason for the celebration! This hymn reminds us that the ugly crown is a royal diadem now, that all these dark symbols mean something entirely different because of His victory.
So, tempted as we may be to upstage the not-so-pleasant aspects of Easter symbolism with doilies, bunnies, or buttercream icing, let’s remember what a miracle it is that the things meant to cause Christ pain are now turned on their heads through His power and made beautiful for us. “Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels to suffer death, crowned with glory and honor, so that He, by the grace of God, should experience death for everyone” (Hebrews 2:9).
