The Value of Jesus

Jesus told a parable about a man who found a treasure in a field and joyfully sold everything he had to buy that field. The more we see who Jesus is and understand what He has done for us, the more we will cherish how much He is truly worth. It is because of this revelation that we gladly trade all else for the treasure that is Christ.

We see examples of this in the lives of the Apostles. In his letters, Paul often states that the value of Christ outweighs all else for him. He was willing to suffer and forsake all else for the joy of knowing Jesus. When Peter wrote, “to you who believe, He is precious,” he conveyed that recognition of the extreme value of Jesus is a distinguishing factor between believers and nonbelievers.

In Islam, under the teachings of the Quran, adherents are permitted—and sometimes even encouraged—to lie about their faith in Allah to protect themselves and their families from persecution. Allegiance to him does not have to be their highest priority. If they do choose to give things up or suffer somehow, it is usually a misguided attempt to secure a spot in paradise. Muslims struggle to comprehend that because Jesus gave up all for the love of us, we are willing to sacrifice everything because of our love for Him. He is, always and forever, our greatest joy.

Prayer

Father, I thank You for giving us the most precious gift of your Son, Jesus. I pray that You would strengthen our devotion to Him so that we may be effective witnesses to Muslims of the value of Christ to those who believe. May they also realize the surpassing worth of knowing Jesus as Lord.