What Is The Value Of Jesus To Us?
Categories: Church of Christ Bulletin ArticlesExodus 21 lists various penalties for different offenses. In Exodus 21:28-32, injuries that could be caused by an ox are discussed, along with the consequences of these injuries for the owner of the animal. In the event that an ox killed a man or woman, the ox was to be stoned and its flesh uneaten. The owner of the ox was without guilt.
If the ox was known to gore, and the owner had been warned, the owner was responsible if he did not confine the animal. If a person was killed by the ox, the ox was to be stoned and the owner was to be put to death. However, if the relatives of the dead person would permit it, the owner could ransom his own life by paying whatever they demanded.
If it was a slave that was killed, the owner of the ox had to pay the slave’s master the average price of a slave, which was 30 pieces of silver.
The phrase, “thirty pieces of silver,” reoccurs in scripture with a heart-rending significance. In the highly Messianic book of Zechariah, Jehovah is depicted as a shepherd who led, fed, and cared for Israel, only to be rejected and insulted. In Zechariah 11:12-17 NASB, we see Jehovah giving the people up to dissolution and destruction because of their rejection of Him:
“And I said to them, If it is good in your sight, give me my wages; but if not, never mind! So they weighed out thirty shekels of silver as my wages. Then the Lord said to me, Throw it to the potter, that magnificent price at which I was valued by them. So I took the thirty shekels of silver and threw them to the potter in the house of the Lord.“
Jesus was rejected by the Jewish nation as a whole and valued at the same level as that of an injured slave. In the prophecy, the casting away of the paltry sum at which Jehovah had been prized, was done publicly to testify to the insult thrust upon God by the people.
Later, when God would send His Son as “the good Shepherd” (John 10:11), the Jews would continue their rejection and place upon Him an equal value of thirty pieces of silver. Israel’s contempt for Jehovah was repeated in their contempt for His Son.
In Matthew 26:14-15 NASB, we read regarding Judas:
“Then one of the twelve, named Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests, and said, What are you willing to give me to deliver Him up to you? And they weighed out to him thirty pieces of silver.“
It is interesting that Philippians 2:7 NASB, tells us that Jesus took upon Himself the “form of a bond-servant.” That is the estimate of value that was placed upon Him by the Jewish leaders and by Judas, who accepted that price.
On reading Matthew 27:3-10, we can readily see that the agreement between the prophecy in Zechariah, and its fulfillment in Matthew 27:9 is striking.
The thirty pieces of silver was a sign of ingratitude and contempt on the part of the people for the shepherd. That shepherd ultimately was Jesus (Hebrews 13:20). By allowing only thirty pieces of silver to the traitor, Judas, the Jews illustrated their contempt for Jesus.
What is the value of Jesus to us? To the Jews, Jesus was only worth the price of an injured slave. To Judas, only a small sum in today’s silver currency, was accepted to betray Him, yet Jesus appraised our value when He willingly gave His precious life! (John 10:17-18; Romans 5:6-10).
In return, will we give Him first place in our life (Matthew 6:33; cf. Matthew 16:24-26; Matthew 19:16-22), or will we only give Him one or two hours a week, and say that’s payment enough?