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A Reed or a Scepter?
“When they had twisted a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand. And they bowed the knee before Him and mocked Him, saying, ‘Hail, King of the Jews!’” (Matthew 27:29).
We can easily see the mockery of a crown of thorns – not being one of gold or some other precious material, but instead a painful material. So what about the reed? In what way did it serve as a symbol of mockery to Jesus?
Many Bible passages refer to the delicate nature of a reed. A reed can easily be broken (2 Kings 18:21; Eze. 29:6-7); it can be easily shaken (1 Kings 14:15; Matt. 11:7). Christ the King is nothing like a reed, not being broken or shaken at all. What a mockery for anyone to represent Him in such a way!
Instead of a reed, a scepter is used to represent the authority and power of a king (Esther 4:11). It serves as a symbol of strength (Ezek. 19:11, 14). The Father said to Christ His Son, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom” (Hebrews 1:8 – a passage to keep in mind when speaking with those who do not believe the Bible teaches that Jesus is God).
Do we give Jesus a reed or a scepter? None of us literally hand him either, but figuratively we do by the degree to which we allow Him to control our lives.
We hand Jesus a reed when we refuse to completely submit to Him. Many people say they believe in Him as having all authority (Matt. 28:18), but then they do not obey His word in all things. “These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me,” and their worship is as vain as that given by the soldiers who gave Him the reed (Matt. 15:8-9). As Jesus asked, “Why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?” (Luke 6:46). Why give Him a reed?
We hand Jesus a scepter when we give Him total control of our lives. We must have the attitude of Paul when he said, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me” (Gal. 2:20). We must mean what we say when we sing that we “crown Him Lord of all.”
What about in your life? Who is really in control? Have you given Christ a reed or a scepter?
