Thistles and Thorns: A Good Friday Reflection

There’s something painful and persistent about a thorn. A few days ago, while tending to our rosebush, I brushed too close and got a tiny splinter in my finger. It was almost invisible, but it stayed with me—nagging, sharp, and irritating. And it reminded me of something deeper.

On Good Friday, we reflect on Jesus's suffering. But one detail often overlooked is the crown He wore—not gold, not royal—but woven from thorns. It wasn’t just a cruel joke by Roman soldiers. It was a divine callback to the curse given in Genesis 3, when thorns first appeared as a sign of the fall. From that moment forward, thorns symbolized pain, toil, and brokenness.

Jesus didn’t just endure the cross—He wore the curse.

The same word used for “thorns” in Matthew’s gospel is the one used in the Greek Old Testament to describe the thorns that sprang from cursed ground. It’s no coincidence. Jesus, in wearing that crown, was taking on more than mockery. He was taking on the weight of the curse itself.

In Galatians 3:13, Paul tells us that Christ “became a curse for us.” That’s the good news of Good Friday. The thorns that sin sowed were pressed into Jesus’ skin so that the curse would not have the final word over us.

Romans 8 reminds us that even creation groans under the weight of the curse, but because of Christ, we now look forward with hope.

If you’re walking through the thorns—wrestling with regret, shame, grief—know this: Jesus wore them so you don’t have to. He took the curse so you could walk free.

At Lifehouse, we remember this at the Communion table, where we break bread and lift the cup, remembering the body broken and the blood poured out to make us whole.

This Easter weekend, I invite you to come—not just to a service but to the Savior who wore your curse and offered you His crown.