exchanged crowns
There was much speculation on whether or not Catherine Middleton would wear a tiara for her wedding to Prince William, and which one it would be.
Crowns have long been a sign of royalty. Charlemagne wore an octagonal golden crown studded with numerous precious stones. Richard the Lion Heart’s crown was so heavy two earls stood next to him to help bear the weight. Queen Elizabeth’s coronation crown is valued at many millions of pounds.
Coronation and Charlemagne's crowns
Even if we were able to collect all the royal crowns and tiaras of the world together, they would be mere trinkets when compared with Christ’s crown.
His crown cannot be bought.
His is a crown of glory, far exceeding all monetary worth and splendour.
The ONE crown which OUTSHINES all others
was not fashioned by a silversmith,
nor created with the genius of a master craftsman.
It was put together hurriedly by the rough hands of Roman soldiers.
It was not placed on His head with pomp and ceremony,
but in mockery and blasphemy.
The most amazing thing about this crown:
this cruel crown of thorns,
is that it
BELONGED TO ME!
I deserved to wear that crown.
I deserved to feel the thrust of the thorns.
I deserved to feel the blood on my brow.
I deserved the agony.
But Christ TOOK MY crown of thorns
and He GAVE ME HIS crown of life.
In the words of the song by Graham Kendrick . . .
My Lord, what love is this, that pays so dearly
That I, the guilty one, may go free.
Amazing love! O what sacrifice!
The Son of God given for me
My debt he pays, and my death he dies,
That I might live.
WHAT AN EXCHANGE!
He gave His life so that I can live.
He TOOK MY crown of thorns and GAVE me HIS crown of life.
He TOOK MY SIN
and GAVE ME
HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS!
2 Corinthians 5:21
For GOD has made JESUS, who knew no sin,
to become SIN for US
so that WE might be made
the RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD in HIM.
What an exchange!
What amazing love!
What a Saviour!
MEETING IN THE CLOUDS 
truly an amazing exchange!
reminded me of an old song I used to sing “the day He wore my crown” — The City was Jerusalem, the time was long ago, The people called Him Jesus, the crime was the love He showed. And I’m the one to blame. I caused all the pain. He gave Himself the day He wore my crown.” (from memory)
another great post!! Thanks
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I like the words of that song – never heard it before.
Nothing could be more amazing than the extent of His love.
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Angela, This brought tears to my eyes:
The ONE crown which OUTSHINES all others
was not fashioned by a silversmith,
nor created with the genius of a master craftsman.
It was put together hurriedly by the rough hands of Roman soldiers.
It was not placed on His head with pomp and ceremony,
but in mockery and blasphemy.
I am reminded of the lyrics of a song we sing in church: “Amazing Love, how can it be, that You my King would die for me.” What an awesome and incomprehensible exchange, indeed! Peace, Linda
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I sing that song too. It is the unanswerable question while still in this human body. We cannot comprehend such love – but praise the Lord, we can EXPERIENCE the REALITY of it.
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Angela,
| Even if we were able to collect all the royal crowns and tiaras of the world together, they would be mere trinkets when compared with Christ’s crown. |
Until reading your post, I had never thought of this comparison. Reading this truly created a paradigm shift in me. Earthy value is finite and will someday amount to less than nothing. Christ’s value, including all of his attributes, is infinitely and eternally intrinsic to his nature and character, his very being, the one and only Living God. He is therefore the source of value against which all value is measured, and all that he is not within will someday perish as if it had never been. Isaiah 65:17 [NASB] says, “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; and the former things will not be remembered or come to mind.” Apart from Christ, value literally ceases to exist.
Thanks for this Angela.
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Hi Todd
>> “Apart from Christ, value literally ceases to exist”
So true! All the wealth in the world is but dust by comparison (and will actually be so one day)
And the incredible thing is that He gave all His value to His redeemed people.
He TOOK my sin and GAVE me His righteousness. 2 Cor 5:21
Can ANYTHING be more incredible than that?!
What a Saviour!
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The way you started out, talking about crowns . . .and then led up to the fact that the crown of thorns was yours/mine . . .it took my breath away. I deserved that crown of thorns, and He one of jewels and gold. Thank you for helping to humble me tonight and keep me thinking about the exchange Jesus made for this world to know Him and be saved. God bless you and these precious messages He sends us through you.
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Thank you Debbie. The inequality of the exchange He made has always been inconceivable – and yet we believe it because we know and experience the REALITY of His life in us.
What a Saviour!
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Hi Angela,
I am so, so grateful, that Christ took my crown of thorns, and gave me His crown of life! I want to share the lyrics from the song titled, “The Greatest Exchange.”
—————————————————————————————————————————
Verse one: Oh what a sacrifice you made, Your life for mine, what an uneven exchange, You knew that death would be the price You’d have to pay, but despite the cost, You paid it anyway.
Verse two: The righteous for the unrighteous, the Holy for the unholy, the sinless for a sinner like me, the worthy for the unworthy, the perfect for the imperfect, the sinless for a sinner like me.
Verse three: The greatest exchange, that was ever made, was when you came down and took my place, You took all my sins, and gave me Your grace, You gave me your life, just so I could be saved. (Repeat)
Thank you for sharing! May God bless you!
Paulette
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Hi Paulette.
Thank you for those words. I have copied them and will put them on a bookmark.
It is incomprehensible that our great Saviour would make such an exchange . . . my sin for His righteousness . . . but praise God He did, for there is no other way.
Angela
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Thank you, Angela
“I deserved to wear that crown.
I deserved to feel the thrust of the thorns.
I deserved to feel the blood on my brow.
I deserved the agony.
But Christ TOOK MY crown of thorns
and He GAVE ME HIS crown of life.”
My heart is moved to tears … thank you so much for sharing Easter in the middle of Summer… God bless you.
Grateful,
ann
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>> “thank you so much for sharing Easter in the middle of Summer”
It is the middle of winter here . . . (although I haven’t needed to wear winter clothing yet)
It isn’t Easter either, but isn’t the message of Easter for every day . . . for every moment of every day? I KNOW you agree that His gift is so great that we can never cease to think on the amazing, incomprehensible love that caused Him to make such an exchange.
What a Saviour!
Angela
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Angela,
What a great posting…. just as His crown is greater than all the crowns of this world, so too His life is of far greater value than all the human lives of this world. He, as the very Son of God, through the sacrifice of His one life is able to redeem the lives of many.
Thanks for this wonderful reminder of His greatness and our need.
Rob
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Hi Rob.
Yes, His crown is greater, His life is greater, and HE is far, far, far, above all. When we think of His perfection, His holiness, His greatness, His total supremacy . . . we are forced to think of our sinfulness and complete unworthiness. Yet His love is such that He was willing to give His all . . . what amazing love!
What a privilege it is to be a child of God!
What a Saviour!
Angela
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