The Daily Grace - Crowns of Honor

The Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom are stored securely and protected within the Tower of London under 24-hour guard. Each year, millions visit the display area to "ooh and ahh" over these ornate treasures. The Crown Jewels symbolize the power of the kingdom, as well as the prestige and position of those who use them. Part of the Crown Jewels are the crowns themselves. There are three different types: the coronation crown, which is worn when an individual is crowned monarch; the state crown (or coronet), which is worn for various functions; and the consort crown worn by the wife of a reigning king. Different crowns serve different purposes.

The King of heaven, who was worthy of the greatest crown and the highest honor, wore a very different crown. In the hours of humiliation and suffering that Christ experienced before He was crucified, "the soldiers twisted a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and they put on Him a purple robe" (John 19:2). That day, the crown, which is normally a symbol of royalty and honor, was turned into a tool of mockery and hate. Yet our Savior willingly wore that crown for us, bearing our sin and shame.

The One who deserved the best of all crowns took the worst for us. Without the cross, there could be no crown. As one popular hymn said, "Crown Him the Lord of life, who triumphed o'er the grave; who rose victorious in the strife for those He came to save". Indeed, that Victor's Crown is the most royal crown of all.