Jesus the jeweler

Matthew 13:45-46…

The merchant in the parable is Jesus. He left the glories of heaven (Philippians 2:5-11) to bring many others to glory (Hebrews 2:10 / 1 Peter 3:18).

The merchandise is the Church. The pearl in this parable is not a Savior whom the sinner has to “buy.” It is the sinners who are bought by the Savior (1 Peter 1:18-19). The Church is the pearl bought with a price (Acts 20:28), which includes all believers (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).

The means of payment is the life of Christ given up to save others (John 3:16 / 1 Timothy 1:15, 3:16 / 1 John 2:2, 4:9-10). Consider how an oyster makes a pearl. The formation of a pearl begins when a foreign substance slips into and irritates the oyster. The mantle covers the irritant with layers of a substance called nacre, the same substance that is used to create its own shell. This eventually forms a pearl. So a pearl is the product of suffering, where a foreign substance is covered with the essence of the oyster, also called mother-of-pearl. The church is the fruit of the suffering of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21 / 1 Peter 2:24).

The iniquity of man had caused the injury to Jesus, but now it has been covered by Him and shares His beautiful nature (Colossians 1:27 / 2 Peter 1:3-4). The Church is clothed with a beauty not its own but with the beauty of the One it had been against. Because of the power of Jesus the jeweler, the germ has now become the gem (Zechariah 9:16 / Malachi 3:17-18).

“Living For Today With An Eye For Tomorrow”©

Treasure hunt

Matthew 13:44…

Everybody is looking for what they value, their treasure, but whether or not you find it depends on what you are looking for and where you are looking for it. Of course, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. A hidden treasure is something others miss. Sometimes we may come across something that doesn’t seem like treasure, but indeed it is.

Discovering something that you know will greatly benefit you is an experience that motivates us all. Imagine finding such a treasure, one that was worth dropping everything else. Jesus is saying exactly that. When we continually discover all that the gospel implies it is like finding a treasure that has no end, a fountain that ever springs, and a well that never runs dry (Colossians 2:3).

The question is have you discovered this treasure? I didn’t ask if someone had told you about it, I am asking if you truly have it. Perhaps you have seen it and experienced some of it, but haven’t yet dug deep enough to discover its depths. Keep digging, the treasure is just below the seemingly dry and dusty surface.

People say they treasure God but they want it their way, without much digging, or hiding, or buying by selling everything else. When someone is truly in love with something, they will go all out for it; nothing will stop them from getting what they so desperately desire. Jesus said that where your treasure is, that is where your heart will be. He is telling us that the kingdom of heaven is worth everything you have and so much more. We might not believe it yet, but the more God and the gospel become real to us, the more it becomes a joy to sell out for Jesus (Colossians 3:3).

“Living For Today With An Eye For Tomorrow”©

Angelic Agriculture

Matthew 13:36-43…

Here we have the big picture of the close of this age and the final results of the only two kingdoms there are. Make no mistake, Jesus is telling you that all people will be on one side or the other. There is no neutral ground; it is all a battle ground.

Jesus pictures this as an agricultural battle. We have one field, two farmers, with two types of seeds, and an end time and for all time harvest.

The field of farming is the world. The two farmers are Jesus and the Devil. The seeds of Jesus are the sons of the kingdom of God, those saved by Christ. The seeds of Satan are the sons of his kingdom, the rest of the world. The sowing continues until the time of final revelation.

At the end of this age, Jesus will fully reveal His victory, and His angels will act as the reapers of the harvest. The destiny of the seeds is different (Daniel 12:2). The evil seeds will be sent into eternal destruction along with their father (John 8:44 / Revelation 20:10-15). The good seeds will be sent into eternal glory in the kingdom of their Father (Daniel 12:3 / Revelation 21:1-5).

Jesus says this is no joke; it will go down just like He says (2 Thessalonians 1:5-10).

“Living For Today With An Eye For Tomorrow”©