Gtcotr/ss101820
Exodus 21: 32 "If the ox gores a male or female servant, he shall give to their master thirty shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned.”
The value of a slave under the law of Moses was established by God at a set price of 30 shekels of silver. Silver fluctuates in today’s market on a daily basis. Friday the spot price for silver closed at $0.78 per gram. The standard shekel referred to in much of the Bible contained 14 grams of silver making the 30 pieces of silver and the life of a slave worth $327.60 today. Imagine your life being worth only $327.60.
In the 12th chapter of John we read the account of a woman breaking an alabaster box and using the perfumed oil contents to anoint the feet of Jesus just prior to His arrest. One of the disciples, Judas Iscariot, complained openly and bitterly that the costly oil could have been sold for 300 denari. I am told that a denari (from Latin meaning containing 10 and derived from the cost of 10 asses) contains 3.898 grams of silver. Thus figured using today’s silver prices this perfumed oil would have brought just over $912.13. Of course Judas did not care about the perfume or about the poor, he only cared for the money and how he might gain control over its use. Judas got really upset that he missed that payday.
This same account is
also recorded in the Gospel of Matthew chapter 26 where we see an angry Judas
Iscariot who did not accept the explanation Jesus gave about the costly
perfume, but rather went out immediately to find how he might recover his
loses.
Matthew 26
14 … Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests,
15 and said, "What are you willing to give
me if I deliver Jesus to you?" And they counted out to him thirty pieces
of silver. ($327.60)
16 So from that time he sought opportunity to betray Him.
Matthew 27
1 ¶ When morning came, all the chief priests and
elders of the people plotted against Jesus to put Him to death.
2 And when they had bound Him, they led Him
away and delivered Him to Pontius Pilate the governor.
3 Then Judas, His betrayer, seeing that He had
been condemned, was remorseful and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to
the chief priests and elders,
4 saying, "I have sinned by betraying
innocent blood." And they said, "What is that to us? You see to
it!"
5 Then he threw down the pieces of silver in
the temple and departed, and went and hanged himself.
6 But the chief priests took the silver pieces
and said, "It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, because they
are the price of blood."
7 And they consulted together and bought with them the potter’s field, to bury strangers in.
A potter
worked with clay and often had no other place to discard his marred or cracked
pieces of pottery except in his field. These sharp shards of broken pottery
strewn on the land made it almost useless and good for nothing except perhaps
for a graveyard. 550 years earlier, the Prophet Zechariah prophesied this very
thing would happen:
Zechariah 11
12 Then I said to them, "If it is agreeable
to you, give me my wages; and if not, refrain." So they weighed out
for my wages thirty pieces of silver.
13 And the LORD said to me, "Throw it to the potter" — that princely price they set on me. So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the LORD for the potter.
Thirty pieces of silver, 30 shekels of shame, $327.60 - the price of a slave … that is the value this world set on our Savior Jesus. But …
What is Jesus worth to you?
You might say, “Preacher, are you telling me Judas sold Jesus for $327.60? NOPE!!! Do not miss the point of today’s message. You see - - -
Jesus was not the one for sale that night in the Garden … Oh no!!!
Judas Iscariot sold himself … and he sold himself real cheap!
Jesus was not for sale that day … Jesus was buying
Jesus, the Lamb of God, was not the one for sale, Judas sold himself into slavery to the devil and the evil demons of this world … and for what? Thirty shekels of silver … and even then, he threw that away which only goes to teach us that in the end:
·
We are worth nothing without Jesus – but – Good News …
·
We are worth everything to Him
Jesus is not for sale today – you are!
·
We
cannot buy Him … He longs to redeem you.
·
We
cannot bargain with Him … God has already set the price.
·
And
we cannot live without Him … But many will try.
Jesus is not for sale … you are!
·
Jesus
is buying, but
· So is the world
Do not sell yourself
cheap …
·
Not
for Gold, Glory, Power, Politics, Pride, Position, Anger, or Hate
·
Why
not sell yourself to the highest bidder … His name is Jesus!
·
Jesus,
the King of Kings and Lord of Lords … Sweet, loving Savior.
· He gave everything to redeem your soul from sin and His mercy is everlasting. He only wants to purchase your eternal freedom.
You are worth far too much to let yourself go so cheap …
Earlier I asked what Jesus was worth to you. However, the real question is: What are you worth to Jesus?
In
closing:
1.
Know it or not … You can be bought! (For Sale by Occupant!)
a.
What
is the prince of this world offering you today?
b.
What
is the King of Glory offering?
2.
How much are you worth?
Matthew 16:26 “For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?”
3.
You decide.
a.
Offer yourself to Jesus - Your Past; Your Present; Your Pursuits.
b.
Good News … He is still buying today!
