The Crimson Crown

“Crimson Letters Series”

The Crimson Story: From Beginning to End

In the opening words of Genesis, the curtain of Scripture rises: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Gen. 1:1).

Before there was a world, there was already a plan—a Redeemer in the mind of God.

In the garden, when Adam fell, a promise was whispered: “The seed of the woman shall crush the serpent’s head” (Gen. 3:15).

Christ stands as that Seed, bruised at the cross, but victorious in the resurrection.

Turn the page to Exodus and the story goes deeper.

The blood of the lamb on the doorposts cried out of another Lamb to come.

Jesus is the true Passover, the One of whom John declared: “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29).

In Leviticus, every priest’s robe, every sacrifice’s smoke, every drop of blood pointed beyond itself.

He is our High Priest who ever lives to make intercession for us (Heb. 7:25).

In Numbers, when the people thirsted, He was the Rock struck for their salvation (1 Cor. 10:4).

In Deuteronomy, Moses promised: “The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me” (Deut. 18:15).

That Prophet is Jesus, greater than Moses, speaking life and truth.

Move forward. In Joshua, He stands as Captain of the Lord’s hosts, a warrior who never loses.

In Judges, when men did what was right in their own eyes, He was the true Deliverer.

In Ruth, He is the Kinsman-Redeemer, buying us back with His blood.

In Samuel and Kings, He is the Anointed One, the eternal King whose throne will never end (2 Sam. 7:16).

In Esther, though His name is hidden, His hand is not—He is the unseen Protector who preserves His people.

Listen to Job: “I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth” (Job 19:25). There He is!

In the Psalms, He is the Shepherd who walks us through the valley of shadows (Ps. 23:1–4).

In Proverbs, He is wisdom crying in the streets. In Ecclesiastes, He is the meaning in life’s vanity. In the Song of Solomon, He is the Bridegroom whose love is better than wine.

Isaiah lifts Him high as the Suffering Servant: “He was pierced for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities” (Isa. 53:5). Jeremiah names Him the Righteous Branch. Ezekiel sees the glory of God returning. Daniel beholds the Son of Man coming with the clouds (Dan. 7:13).

Hosea calls Him the faithful Husband to an unfaithful people. Micah promises His birth in Bethlehem (Mic. 5:2). Zechariah shows us the Pierced One, and Malachi closes the Old Testament with the Sun of Righteousness rising with healing in His wings (Mal. 4:2).

But then—silence. Four hundred years of silence. Until a cry pierces the night in Bethlehem.

In Matthew, He is King of the Jews. In Mark, He is the Servant of all. In Luke, He is the Son of Man, seeking and saving the lost (Luke 19:10). In John, He is the Word made flesh, dwelling among us (John 1:14).

The crimson story explodes in Acts—He is the risen Lord, sending His Spirit, building His church, turning the world upside down.

In the epistles, His glory shines in different hues: Romans calls Him our Justifier. Ephesians calls Him the Head of the Church. Philippians says He has “the name that is above every name” (Phil. 2:9). Colossians proclaims: “In Him all things hold together” (Col. 1:17).

Thessalonians points to His return with trumpet and shout. Titus names Him our blessed Hope. Hebrews declares Him the better sacrifice, the better priest, the better covenant.

James calls Him the Lord of glory. Peter names Him the Cornerstone. John calls Him love in flesh and blood. And Jude assures us He is the One who keeps us from falling.

At last, Revelation flings open the doors of heaven itself.

He is the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last (Rev. 22:13). He is the Lion of Judah and the Lamb that was slain (Rev. 5:5–6). He is the Rider on the white horse, Faithful and True, wearing many crowns (Rev. 19:11–12). And one day, every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father!

From Genesis to Revelation, from Eden’s garden to heaven’s glory,

the Bible has one Hero, one Redeemer, one King: Jesus Christ.

The crimson thread runs through the Bible unbroken.

And the story is not over—because He is still writing it in us.

Part 1: The Crimson Crown – The Suffering Savior

Text: Isaiah 53 1 Who has believed what he has heard from us?

And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?

2 For he grew up before him like a young plant,

and like a root out of dry ground;

he had no form or majesty that we should look at him,

and no beauty that we should desire him.

3 He was despised and rejected by men,

a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;

and as one from whom men hide their faces

he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

4 Surely he has borne our griefs

and carried our sorrows;

yet we esteemed him stricken,

smitten by God, and afflicted.

5 But he was pierced for our transgressions;

he was crushed for our iniquities;

upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,

and with his wounds we are healed.

6 All we like sheep have gone astray;

we have turned—every one—to his own way;

and the Lord has laid on him

the iniquity of us all.

7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted,

yet he opened not his mouth;

like a lamb that is led to the slaughter,

and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent,

so he opened not his mouth.

8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away;

and as for his generation, who considered

that he was cut off out of the land of the living,

stricken for the transgression of my people?

9 And they made his grave with the wicked

and with a rich man in his death,

although he had done no violence,

and there was no deceit in his mouth.

10 Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him;

he has put him to grief;

when his soul makes an offering for guilt,

he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days;

the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.

11 Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied;

by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant,

make many to be accounted righteous,

and he shall bear their iniquities.

12 Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many,

and he shall divide the spoil with the strong,

because he poured out his soul to death

and was numbered with the transgressors;

yet he bore the sin of many,

and makes intercession for the transgressors.

-Pray

Three Points:

I. His Rejection vv. 1-3

II. His Redemption vv. 4-6

III. His Reward vv.10-12

Main Idea: The crimson letters of prophecy point us to the cross, where Jesus bore our sins in His suffering and sacrifice.

Introduction:

In 1936, the world was stunned when King Edward VIII renounced the throne of England.

He gave up a golden crown for the love of a woman.

Newspapers across the world ran headlines calling him “The King Who Abdicated.”

He surrendered glory for romance.

But church, Isaiah 53 tells of a King who gave up more than a throne—He gave up His life.

He exchanged the crown of heaven for a crown of thorns.

He did not renounce in weakness; He came in obedience.

He was not pushed off His throne; He laid it down for our salvation.

W.A. Criswell once wrote in The Scarlet Thread: “From the coats of skins in Eden to the robe washed white in the blood of the Lamb in Revelation, there is a crimson stream of redemption running through every page of Holy Writ.”

Isaiah 53 is probably the clearest portrait of that crimson stream.

This morning, we will look at three pictures in Isaiah of Christ’s suffering: His rejection, His redemption, and His reward.

I. His Rejection (vv. 1–3)

"He is despised and rejected of men; a Man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not."

Isaiah wrote these words around 700 years before Christ.

To the Jews of Isaiah’s day, this prophecy was mysterious.

They expected a conquering Messiah—a son of David who would overthrow oppressors and establish an earthly kingdom.

Yet Isaiah paints Him as despised, misunderstood, and unwanted.

Language Insight: The word “despised” (Heb. בָּזָה bazah) means to count as worthless, to dismiss as unworthy of attention.

The Servant would be so common in appearance that people would turn away in disrespect.

Historical Context: In context, the New Testament shows how perfectly this prophecy was fulfilled.

John 1:11 declares, “He came unto His own, and His own received Him not.”

The very people who longed for Messiah crucified Him when He came.

He was mocked by Roman soldiers, betrayed by Judas, denied by Peter, and abandoned by His disciples.

Illustration: Picture a king walking the streets of his kingdom disguised as a beggar.

His own citizens spit at him, slam the door in his face, and call him worthless.

That is what the world did to Jesus—the King in rags, the Lord of glory hidden in humility.

Application: Adrian Rogers once warned: “The same world that nailed Jesus to a cross will not pin medals on you for following Him.”

If Christ was rejected, His followers should not expect applause.

To follow Jesus is to embrace the possibility of rejection—but it is also to know the joy of acceptance with God.

II. His Redemption (vv. 4–6)

"Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed."

Day of Atonement Ritual and the Scarlet Cord

On Yom Kippur, after the High Priest placed the sins of Israel onto the scapegoat, Jewish tradition says a scarlet cord (or strip of cloth) was tied either to the scapegoat’s horns or to the temple door.

According to the Mishnah (Yoma 6:8):

When the scapegoat reached the wilderness and the sacrifice was accepted, the scarlet cord turned white.

It became a visible sign to the people that God had truly forgiven their sins and that atonement was complete.

This tradition comes directly from Isaiah 1:18: “Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”

Christ as the Fulfillment

Isaiah 53:6 says, “The LORD hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all.”

Just as the High Priest transferred guilt to the scapegoat, God transferred our sins to Christ at the cross.

Like the sacrificial goat, Jesus shed His blood to satisfy divine justice.

Like the scapegoat, Jesus carried our sins outside the camp (Hebrews 13:12–13), removing them forever.

Like the scarlet cord, His blood testifies that our crimson guilt has been turned white as snow.

Early Jewish writings tell us that in the last forty years before the destruction of the Temple (30–70 AD), the scarlet cord no longer turned white.

The Talmud (Yoma 39b) records this detail.

Think about that: around the time of Christ’s death and resurrection, God was showing that the old system no longer atoned for sin.

The true sacrifice had come—Jesus the Messiah.

Illustration

Picture a crowd of Israelites waiting anxiously outside the temple on the Day of Atonement.

The priest returns and shows the cord—white!

A shout rises up, joy floods the people, and families embrace: “Our sins are forgiven!”

Now fast-forward to Calvary.

The crimson blood of Christ runs down the cross, and in that moment the scarlet becomes white.

The ledger of sin is clean. The cord of guilt is cut forever.

Application

Friends, in Christ you don’t have to keep waiting every year for the cord to turn white.

It already has.

His blood has done what the blood of bulls and goats could never do—remove sin once and for all (Hebrews 10:4, 12).

Your past sins? Washed.

Your present struggles? Covered.

Your future failures? Forgiven.

The crimson crown He wore… has made your record white as snow.

III. His Reward (vv. 10–12)

"Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand."

**The chapter that begins in suffering ends in triumph.

After the crimson crown comes the golden crown.

Isaiah foresaw not only the death of the Servant but also His resurrection and reward.

Language Insight:

“Justify many” (יַצְדִּיק yatzdiq) – a legal term meaning to declare righteous, to acquit.

Christ’s suffering purchased our full acquittal in the heavenly courtroom. (“Jesus dropped the charges…)

“Portion” (חָלָק chalaq) – an inheritance or allotment. Christ’s portion is a redeemed people who worship Him forever.

Historical Fulfillment: Jesus Himself said in John 12:24, “Except a grain of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.”

His death gave life to His seed—the church.

The resurrection vindicated His suffering, proving He was God’s chosen Servant.

Illustration: Think of a soldier returning from war.

He is scarred, weary, and wounded, but he looks into the eyes of his children and says, “It was worth it.”

Just the same, when Christ looks upon His redeemed people—the fruit of His sacrifice—He declares that His suffering was not in vain.

Application:

We are His reward.

Adrian Rogers said, “You are the joy that was set before Him. When He went to the cross, He had you in mind.”

Christ endured the crimson crown because He saw beyond it to you—His eternal inheritance.

Conclusion – The Crimson Crown

Isaiah 53 shows us Jesus wearing not a crown of gold, but a crown of suffering crimson with blood.

He was rejected that we might be accepted.

He was crushed that we might be cleansed.

He was wounded that we might be made whole.

Friend, our sin cost Christ His suffering—don’t treat lightly what He bore heavily.

Life Applications

Live Courageously – be a fishermen…Don’t fear rejection. If Christ bore rejection for you, endure rejection for Him.

Rest Securely – Your sins are not just forgiven; they are fully paid. Stop carrying what He already bore.

Love Deeply – You are His reward, His joy, His inheritance. Live in gratitude for the One who wore the crimson crown.

-Pray

-Invitation