Easter: The Live Experience | Jentezen Franklin
Sunday, April 20
Key Verses
Matthew 27:29-31, Genesis 3:18, Genesis 22:13
Laying the Foundation
As we concluded Holy Week and have celebrated Resurrection Sunday, the challenge we face is: did we truly grasp the depth of the sacrifice that Jesus made for us? Did we comprehend that the manner of His death was not random, but rather weighted out to balance the weight of our sin? Did we understand that the degree of suffering Jesus faced was the cost that we would have to pay without Him?
The trouble for us is that we live in a sterilized culture. We sanitize the things we don’t want to deal with or accept responsibility for. Thus, we can tell the story of Good Friday by simply saying that Jesus “died” for our sins, which makes it seem so trite. But the truth is that we live in a very fallen and corrupt world. Jesus therefore did not simply ‘die’ for our sins, but He suffered terribly for our rebellion, was beaten for our iniquities, and the full weight of the rejection of God was on His shoulders so it would not have to be on ours!
ACTION: Take 1 minute to meditate in silence on the weight of the sacrifice that Jesus made for you specifically, that you would not have to bear it.
Introduction
"Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him. They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand. Then they knelt in front of him and mocked him. “Hail, king of the Jews!” they said. They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again. After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him." Matthew 27:27-31 (NIV)
In his Easter Message, Pastor Franklin highlighted the profound sacrifice of Jesus, not only through His death on the cross but also the brutal beatings, torture, and humiliation He endured beforehand. Roman soldiers mocked Him, weaving a crown of thorns and forcing it onto His head—an act both excruciating and degrading. Pastor Jentezen explained that this crown fulfilled prophecy, symbolizing the curse of sin from the Garden of Eden, representing our failure and pride. Yet, what Satan meant for evil, God transformed into good. The crown of pain, blood, humiliation, and curse became the crown of redemptive victory.
- How does the image of the crown of thorns impact your understanding of Jesus’ sacrifice?
Consider also this prophecy by Isaiah 50:6:
“I offered my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard; I did not hide my face from mocking and spitting.” (NIV)
- What does Isaiah 50:6 reveal about Jesus’ submission to suffering for our sake?
It was not just that Jesus ‘died’ for our sins but that He suffered for them. It was also not that Jesus was trapped by our sins, but rather that He willingly died for them and willingly suffered for them. He freely gave Himself to be punished because of His incredible love for us.
The Origin of Thorns and the Curse of Sin
The Garden of Eden and the Curse of Sin
Before the Fall, before the curse of sin, Adam and Eve lived in the Garden of Eden without pain, suffering, or sin. It was a paradise where they lived in perfect innocence and fellowship with God. It was a place of abundance and harmony with nature and animals. The garden yielded fruit and herbs without painful labor and toil.
Genesis 2:8-9 (NIV): “Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.”
However, because sin and rebellion entered the hearts of mankind, we see that God pronounces a curse on the ground. It is very interesting that the Hebrew word for ‘earth’ or ground is ‘adamah’, the very ground that Adam was made from.
Genesis 3:17-18 (NIV): “To Adam he said, “Because you listened to your wife and ate fruit from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat from it,’ “Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field.”
Before sin, there were no thorns or briars – but when the curse took place thorns and thistles sprang up, now costing Adam painful toil and difficulty. There was a hostility now between the earth and man, where cultivation was painless and fruit would yield without difficulty, there would now be frustration in man’s work.
- How does reflecting on the shift from the painless abundance of Eden to the toil and thorns of the curse help you recognize the impact of sin in your life and deepen your gratitude for God’s redemptive plan?
The Crown of Thorns: Jesus Bears the Curse
The ‘crown of thorns’ forced onto Jesus’ head was no mere mockery—it powerfully symbolized His bearing the curse of sin to redeem humanity. By wearing it, Jesus took on our sins and burdens, His death and resurrection exchanging His life for ours to overcome sin and death, restoring us to God.
In Romans 6:23, we read: "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (NIV)
Like the thorns symbolizing pain and suffering, our lives carry ‘thorns’—injustices, pride, fear, chronic pain, addiction, betrayal, shame, or hidden sins causing family struggles. Often, we find ourselves living out our worst nightmares and we don’t have the power to overcome them. Whatever your ‘thorn,’ Jesus has broken the curse’s bondage. We remain under its weight until we accept Him as Savior and embrace His freedom.
- What are the ‘thorns’ in your life currently?
- How can you walk in His freedom?
Living in Redemption and Sharing the Good News
It is important to remember that this life on earth is merely a journey, and we have a purpose in His great plan of redemption.
How do you share this message with others? What is your prepared approach to explain salvation to those who are still lost and trapped in bondage? As Pastor Franklin said: His grace will find us in every circumstance we may be in. He will find us. He is moved by our sorrow, by our burdens, by our regrets.
- What specific steps can you take this week to prepare and share the message of salvation with someone who feels lost or trapped in their struggles?
Pray each morning that the Lord will show you the lost, intercede for them, and pray for the opportunity to share the good news!
Abraham and Isaac as a Foreshadowing of Christ
Genesis 22:9–13 (NIV):
“When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. But the angel of the LORD called out to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied.
“Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.” Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son.”
In Genesis 22, Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice Isaac symbolizes the gospel. Isaac, strong enough to resist, submits to his father’s will, mirroring Jesus’ voluntary submission to the cross. Isaac carried the wood up the mountain, just as Jesus bore His cross to Golgotha. As Abraham raised the knife, God provided a ram, caught in thorny bushes by its horns, to take Isaac’s place. That ram became the substitute, offered in Isaac’s place. This detail is crucial. The ram’s head was crowned with thorns, just as Jesus, our substitute, wore a crown of thorns as He bore the curse of sin on the cross.
What does Jesus’ submission to the cross teach us?
It shows that obedience requires surrender. Trusting God means believing in His goodness, even through sacrifice. Jesus chose the cross, trusting His obedience would secure our salvation. The crown of thorns, symbolizing the curse from Genesis 3, shows Jesus taking on our brokenness. By wearing it, He became the Ram in the thicket—our substitute and Savior.
On Mount Moriah, Abraham called the place Jehovah-Jireh—“The Lord will provide.” Centuries later, on that same mountain range, God provided His Son.
- Are you trusting God enough to obey, even when the path forward is painful or unclear?
Prayer:
“Lord, thank You for Jesus, our substitute. Thank You for bearing the curse to set us free. Teach us to trust and obey as Christ did. Amen.”
Conclusion: Surrendering the Crown of Thorns
Understanding the depth of Jesus’ sacrifice—His willing acceptance of the brutal punishment for our sins—calls us to respond. Though we may have accepted Jesus as Savior, the enemy uses the crown of thorns, a symbol of the curse, to tempt us with pride, deluding us into reclaiming it as if it were gold. Daily surrender to God allows us to embrace the true freedom Jesus provides, exchanging the cursed crown for one of eternal gold, marking us as God’s children forever. This choice impacts not just us but future generations.
The curse began with rebellion, breaking the relationship between God and man. Only love drove Jesus to bear our sins, restoring us through His sacrifice.
John 3:16 (NIV): “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” Beyond this life, eternity awaits—either in heaven or hell. Death separates us from all we know, but Jesus’ victory over death ensures our victory.
1 Corinthians 15:55-57 (NIV): “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting? … Thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Jesus’ resurrection power abolishes death, illuminating the way to eternal life.
2 Timothy 1:9-10 (NIV): “He has saved us … by the grace He granted us in Christ Jesus … who has abolished death and illuminated the way to life and immortality through the gospel.”
- How does the assurance of Jesus’ victory over death impact the way you face fears or challenges in your daily life?
- In what ways can you reflect the hope and immortality promised in this verse in your relationships or community, especially with those who feel trapped by the “curse” of sin?
Call to Action: Who are the lost in your life? Pray for them and consider how you can witness to and impact their lives.
Concluding Prayer: “Lord Jesus, we surrender our crown of thorns to You, thanking You for bearing our curse. Help us see others through Your eyes, and give us boldness and tenderness to share Your love. May Your light shine through us to fulfill Your purposes. In Your mighty name, Amen.”
Resources
Utilize Daily Devotions on the Free Chapel App based on Sunday’s Easter message.