Jesus – His Story

• In a nutshell, the Bible is God’s story about His Son: Jesus, our Savior.

• The more we grow in Christ the more we see Him through a variety of shadowy pictures.

• Thorns – as revealed in the Scriptures – are just one of these pictures and foreshadows that point to our Savior.

In the beginning

• The first encounter with “thorns and thistles”. Gen. 3:1-18ff

• Why “thorns and thistles”? • No doubt, it serves as a physical (and painful)

reminder of sin that entered the world.

What Imagery

• The very ground from which came the fruit of blessing became cursed.

• Through the curse, the thorns were forever tied to toil, pain and death.

Acacia Wood & Worship?(The tabernacle)

Of all the wood used to create the articles for the tabernacle… thorny wood.– Ark of the covenant. Exo. 25:10– Tabernacle courtyard. Exo. 26:15– Bronze altar. Exo. 27:1– Altar of incense. Exo. 30:1

Covered in silver,

gold, and bronze!

The thorny Crown(John 19:1-5)

• How painfully symbolic and fitting that the King and Redeemer would be crowned with thorns:– The very kind used for sacrifice under the Law.– The very kind that was introduced when sin

entered the world.

Followers of Christ(Hebrews 6:4–8, NKJV)

“For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they fall away, to renew them again

to repentance, …

Followers of Christ(Hebrews 6:4–8, NKJV)

…since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame. For the earth

which drinks in the rain that often comes upon it, and bears herbs useful for those by whom it is cultivated, receives blessing from God; but if it bears thorns and briers, it is rejected and near to being cursed, whose

end is to be burned.”

Back to the Future(Revelation 22:1-3)

“And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him.”