What's It Worth?

The second verse in Ecclesiastes says: “Meaningless! Meaningless! Everything is meaningless!  Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless!” 

Now if you look up the definition of ‘meaningless’ it says: 'Having no meaning; that which is without purpose; or that which is without worth.'

Take a minute and think of all Jesus suffered.  And how we attribute his WORTH to that one final moment on the cross, where he became the lamb that saved humanity.

I wonder if anyone had any IDEA of his worth, if his life would have been different.  If the innkeeper knew that a savior was to be born that night, would they have been turned away?  Would the inn have been free of charge?

I wonder why no one ever noticed how much he was WORTH?  I see people use a months mortgage payment on a Gucci handbag, because it's WORTH it, and our Messiah was a minimum wage carpenter with sweat-stained clothing and no shoes?

Wasn’t he WORTH more?

A lot of people only consider Jesus’ crucifixion as the place where His suffering began and ended.  But the plan for Jesus’ suffering began before He was ever even born.

Consider the circumstances:  A LONG hot journey for a demanded census.  A closed inn.  A rude innkeeper.  A stable, completely full of travelers animals… just imagine the smell and filth.  A long journey home with a nursing infant.  A penniless upbringing.  A minimum wage job.  A bachelor’s lonely life.  An unappreciated teacher.  A doctor and healer who never received payment for any bill.  A mocked religious fanatic.

From the moment Jesus became an idea in the mind of the creator, his suffering began.  How is it that NO ONE recognized his worth?  How is it that NO ONE was willing to pay him his due?  Recognize his potential?  Was Jesus worth so little to us that we wrote him off PRIOR to his even being born?  Think that idea is weird? Well, consider Mary. No compassion for her, she’s just another pregnant teen, another product of the system, and hey… I hear she wasn’t a virgin anyway, so write her off.  What a waste.  Worthless…

I wonder at what point in his life Jesus really KNEW he would be the sacrificial lamb?  The bible says he first mentions it as a grown teacher.  But being all knowing, we can possibly assume he knew it all along?  And if he did, why bother learning a carpenters trade?  Why learn to teach?  Or read or write, or make friends?  Why bother leaving the house? Just sit and count the minutes until the soldiers come.  Tick… tock…   If Jesus knew all along and was just counting the days until he was crucified, then wasn’t his time spent here on earth worthless? 

NO!  Jesus worth, was what was mentioned in Ecclesiastes.  Read on…

ECC2:24 “A man can do nothing more than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work.  This too, I see is from the hand of God.” 

2:26 says: ‘To the man who pleases him, God GIVES wisdom, knowledge and happiness.  But to the sinner, he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God.” 

It makes me wonder, during His life, was Jesus worth anything to anyone?  YES!  The Father knew that ONLY Jesus, the Son of God, the Son of Man, the Alpha and Omega, Host of Hosts, the Omnipresent, would be WORTH the sacrifice to keep us – all of God’s precious children – away from the result of a path of self-destruction.  He was the ONLY lamb worth the sacrifice.  And made us worthy of salvation. 

Today, let's make sure we remember that Jesus was the only one worth the sacrifice to give us an eternal home in heaven.  Make sure you are the light for others to clearly see His worth as well.


Would you like to learn more?  Come visit us at New Covenant Church!  Wednesdays, 7pm.  Saturday Night Live Service, Saturdays at 6:30pm.  Sunday School Covenant Connection Classes, Sundays at 9:45.  Sunday Morning Worship, 10:45am.