Coronation Part I – Jesus’ Crime

I have been a Christian my entire life. I was born into an amazing family who raised me well, committed to the local church. Yet, in all my life growing up in kids church, youth and even as an adult, I had never heard the story of Jesus death on a cross told this way: Jesus’ crucifixion was actually His coronation.

Jesus, the Son of God, was born of a virgin into this world, to live as a human being – a man. He spent His life on earth helping people, performing miracles and pointing people to God the Father. He lived as a perfect man, without sin for 33 years until His journey on earth ended when He was arrested and ultimately crucified by His own people. 

But why would a perfect man have been crucified? What crime did Jesus commit that would compel the Jews of the day to crucify him on a wooden cross?

Throughout His life and ministry, Jesus was constantly questioned and accused of many things; “He’s possessed by demons”, “friend of sinners”, “He’s a sorcerer!” - to list a few. However, Jesus wasn’t crucified for any of these reasons. The crime that earned Jesus the capital punishment was written and nailed to the cross above His head. It read: “Jesus of Nazareth, king of the Jews”. 

“Silently You bore the weight of sin. A perfect man accused of all I did. Your only ‘crime’ inscribed above Your head, ‘the king of Jews’ who died that I might live.” - Coronation (Come & See)' by Calvary Worship

Jesus was crucified for the crime of blasphemy; claiming to be the son of God – the king of the Jews. Pontius Pilate wanted nothing to do with this conviction, but this ‘blasphemy’ and ‘treason’ was so offensive to the Jewish people that when given the opportunity on the day of Passover, to release either Barabbas (a notorious criminal and murderer) or Jesus Christ, the Jews pleaded for Barabbas. “We want Barabbas!” they yelled back at Pilate, “crucify Jesus!”, “We take responsibility - His blood will be on us and on our children!”

Jesus’ ‘crime’ was being the king of the Jews but, what they didn’t realise, what they were too blind to see, was that He would actually become King, by way of crucifixion.

This was always the Fathers plan; Jesus would live as a man on earth to restore the broken relationship between the Father and humanity. To create a way, so that when God looks at us, He sees Jesus’ perfection. It’s the greatest moment in history! Only Jesus could take what they said that day in anger - “We take responsibility, His blood will be on us and on our children!” – and turn it into the greatest blessing and act of love.

I think Philippians 2:6-9 says it best:

[Jesus] “who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name,”

 So, what does this mean for us?

CS Lewis once said one day we will all stand before God. On that day, we will either say, “not my will, but thy will be done”, or God will say, “not my will, but thy will be done”.

The crime Jesus was accused of was blasphemy, except that it would only be blasphemy if He isn’t, in fact, the Son of God – Right? Jesus would have plead guilty if the charges brought against him were just that He was King.

Isn’t that the question for you and me today? Isn’t this a Christian’s most essential question? Is Jesus God, or was He just a mad man? Even more to the point - Is Jesus MY God? 

Is Jesus king? Is Jesus MY king? 

The will of the Father is that you and I would live free from sin’s rule. With Jesus as king of our lives we can walk in the wide-open spaces of His call and purpose for our lives. No longer under the power of sin, but under the power of Jesus. In this freedom our eyes become open, looking for every opportunity to show others the love and grace Jesus first showed us. 

By Matthew Germon – Creative Director, Townsville Campus


Coronation (Come & See) - © 2019 Calvary Worship - Words & Music by Matthew Germon, Jordan Gage, Cameron Murison and Rebecca Spicer