A Crown Awaiting You
The intrigue of the Olympics is most attractive. The ancient games were begun in 776 BC and ended in 393 AD. Being held along with the Olympic Games for years were the less known Isthmian Games. Most renowned games of the period awarded the winners with crowns.
Ancient athletic game winners were crowned with wreaths or crowns made of leaves or flowers, depending on the game and the Greek god being honored.
Winners of the ancient Olympic Games received a wreath of wild olive leaves from a sacred tree near the temple of Zeus. The olive wreath became a symbol of peace. Delphi: Winners received a laurel crown. Corinth: Winners received a pine crown. Nemea: Winners received a wild celery crown. The Isthmian Games originally awarded a crown of dry wild celery, but in Roman times it was changed to a pine wreath because pine was sacred to Poseidon. Games honoring Zeus: Crowns were made of olive branches. Games honoring Apollo: Crowns were made of laurels.
Herod the Great (Yes, the Herod of the Bible) built an imposing stadium in Caesarea Maritima, but had difficulty attracting competitors. He devised a new technique as an attraction. Instead of crowning a single winner he awarded first, second, and third place. Instead of a crown he awarded the three winners gold, silver, and bronze metals. Such was attractive feature for athletes. This practice is still used.
The analogy of crowns is used in the Bible regarding rewarding participants in the game of life.
The Imperishable Crown – (1 Corinthians 9:24-25) “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate [disciplined] in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown” (NKJV).
The Crown of Rejoicing – (1 Thessalonians 2:19) “For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming?”
The Crown of Righteousness – (2 Timothy 4:8) “Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.” We inherit this crown through the righteousness of Christ which is what gives us a right to it, and without which it cannot be obtained.
The Crown of Glory – (1 Peter 5:4) “And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away.”
The Crown of Life – (Revelation 2:10) “Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation for ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.” This crown is for all believers.
Like the Twenty-four Elders of the Revelation we can ultimately say, “‘You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being’” (Rev, 4:10–11). Practice now.