“Then I said to them, ‘If it seems good to you, give me my wages; but if not, keep them.’ And they weighed out as my wages thirty pieces of silver.” – Zechariah 11:12
As Christmas Eve dawns and we prepare to celebrate the birth of our Savior, this verse reminds us of the price that had already been placed on His life centuries earlier – the rather ordinary sum of 30 pieces of silver. That babe in the manger, the Lamb of God, God’s precious gift of salvation grew up to be betrayed for 30 pieces of silver. Wise men searched for Jesus to give Him precious gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And yet, one of His disciples would sell Him out for a mere 30 pieces of silver.
At Christmas, God the Son came to us in flesh. He lived a perfect, sinless life full of extraordinary teaching and miracles. Then He went to the cross to pay the penalty for our sins, sent there by the powers of the world who paid just 30 pieces of silver for the opportunity. As you prepare to make much of Jesus today and tomorrow, take time to meditate on His infinite worth and glory. But don’t forget to consider the paltry sum for which He was betrayed. The eternal Son and King of Kings was born into humble circumstances in Bethlehem and was betrayed for a humble price in the end. And yet, it wasn’t the end. Today, Jesus reigns over the universe in glory and one day, perhaps soon, He will return to make all things new. #FollowJesus