by What was nailed to the cross? Paul teaches that the “ordinances that was against us” were nailed to the cross (Colossians 2:13-15). The ordinances are God’s Law, not man’s sins, but the condemnation of our sins. The Law is what stands against us, sentencing us to death because of the curse of sin (1 Corinthians 15:56). When Jesus died, He fulfilled this condemnation. By death He did not destroy the Law, but fulfilled its perfect requirement, a condition that cursed man could not satisfy (Matthew 5:17). Now, through the veil of Jesus’ flesh, nothing can separate us from God (Romans 8:35-39).
What was nailed to Jesus? Representing the curse of sin was the cursed “thorns” of Genesis 3:17-18. This means our sins were not nailed to the cross but to our Savior. Think about it, if our sins were nailed to the cross, we would accept the cross as our personal Savior and not Jesus. By these thorns, He literally took our sins in and upon Himself as He was made sin for us (2 Corinthians 5:21). It was then, before He even made it to the Cross, by these thorns Christ was shedding His precious blood for the curse of sin. The soldiers wittingly thought a crown of thorns mocked the King of the Jews, but through their mockery God revealed His precious Son bearing even their sins (Isaiah 53:3-5).
The curse of sin will be completely removed one day, “and there shall be no more curse” (Revelation 22:3). Until then, the curse that had been nailed to Jesus sits as a reminder at the right hand of the Father. In this seat, with Jesus being our veil, we have direct access to the holiest place, the very throne of God, to “obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4 :16; 6:19-20; 10:19-22).
The crown of thorns made Christ the supreme ruler over sin. As this Potentate, He conquered sin for us and now offers this victory to us (1 Corinthians 15:55-57). The crown thus points us directly to the Gospel as a reminder to believers of the price Jesus paid on His cross at Calvary. These thorns have long since perished, yet the message has been preserved for us through God’s Word. Our job today is to bear this message of hope before our sin cursed world, the message that Almighty God bore all our sins that we don’t have to. Invite someone to the Living Cross this year, to hear this message of hope.
