Lickley's Corners Baptist Church

I took a walk around the fields the other day and noticed a Hawthorn bush growing in the fence row. A quick nature study; the Hawthorn is a mid-sized shrub which has crab apple like flowers in the spring and bears small red fruit. One other thing distinguishes it from other shrubs, its two-inch thorns, which cover the branches. Any hiker or hunter who has tangled with the Hawthorn is careful to avoid it thereafter.

My thoughts then went to the "Crown of Thorns" placed on Christ's head at Calvary. I remember once seeing a portrait of Jesus, in a pure white robe, wearing a neatly shaped crown of thorns upon his head. He was gazing meekly up toward Heaven. How wrong was that picture!!!

We as Christians need to never forget the reality of His Crucifixion. The Lord had been brutally beaten, his head and face were so bruised, he was nearly unrecognizable. And that crown of thorns, with its two-inch thorns had been shoved onto his head, and his blood flowed down his face.

Our Lord knew exactly what they were going to do to Him, yet He willingly suffered for sinful mankind. For sinful you and for sinful me.

Be thankful for the empty tomb, but always remember the horrible death of the Crucifixion He suffered at the cross.