JESUS THE ROSE OF SHARON
When I opened my Bible this morning, the room was still quiet, and for a moment I just sat there looking at the pages. The thought came to me—“this Book blooms.” In the quiet fields of Scripture grows a single flower whose fragrance fills the whole world. He is called the Rose of Sharon and the Lily of the Valleys (Song of Solomon 2:1). In the dry soil of a broken world, Jesus blooms with beauty that never fades. His love grows in places where nothing else can live. Like a rose pushing through thorns, He stands untouched by the rot of sin. The sweet scent of His grace reaches even the ones who’ve lost their way, calling them to breathe in life again (Isaiah 35:1–2).
That name—the Rose of Sharon—comes from the old coastal plain of Israel, a stretch of land known for its wildflowers. The “rose” there probably wasn’t what we picture. It might have been a wild crocus or tulip, something simple, humble, blooming in open fields. Nothing rare, nothing fancy. Just quietly beautiful. That’s what I love about it — because that’s Jesus. He didn’t come dressed in royal robes or surrounded by luxury. He came lowly, gentle, approachable. The holiness of His life grew right out in the open, right where hurting people could find Him and be made new (Isaiah 35:1–2).
And He’s no fragile flower. He’s gentle with the weary, but strong enough to carry the sin of the world (Isaiah 53:4–5). Those thorns that tore His brow weren’t random. They were a message. He took our curse and turned it into blessing. Every petal of His mercy tells the story of love that would rather bleed than let us be lost. And when He stepped out of that grave, it was as if spring broke through the long winter forever (Matthew 28:6).
To the one far from God, He’s beauty undeserved. To the believer who knows His name, He’s joy that never runs dry. His grace turns the wilderness of our hearts into gardens again (Isaiah 51:3). Even when we walk through valleys where shadows hang heavy, His light makes flowers grow where fear used to live (Psalm 23:4). The Spirit of God waters those dry places, softening what time and sorrow had made hard (Ezekiel 36:26).
When we look at Jesus, we’re not just seeing a figure from long ago. We’re seeing heaven’s colors shining through human flesh. His compassion runs red like the rose that bled to make us whole. His purity glows white like lilies untouched by sin. His truth shines golden like morning light after a storm (John 14:9). Everything good, everything pure, everything lasting finds its meaning in Him (Colossians 1:17).
So today, let His name fill your home like the fragrance of flowers after rain. Let His presence light up your heart even when the world feels dark. The Rose of Sharon still blooms in every soul that seeks Him. His fragrance lingers in every act of love and every prayer whispered in faith. One day we’ll see Him face to face and breathe the full sweetness of His glory (2 Corinthians 2:14–15). Until then, may every breath we take carry His beauty, and every word we speak spread the scent of His saving grace.
Bryan Dewayne Dunaway
