Jesus told us a parable.
A merchant found one fine pearl that was worth a phenomenal amount and sold
everything else he had to raise enough money to buy it (Matthew 13:45-46). This
is a picture of God emptying the treasure chest of his love for us.
We
were no bargain. We did not look very much like a valuable jewel. Yet he took
us with all our worthless baggage, rottenness, debts, nastiness and wickedness.
He drew us to himself ignoring everything in us that was foul and corrupt. Then
like a heavenly valet, he cleaned us up, gave us a complete makeover, clothed
us in righteousness, girdled us with immaculate grace and made us fit to enter
the presence of the King in his beauty. That effort left him soaked in his own
sweat and blood on the trodden grass of Gethsemane. Then finally that awful
hour of devilish agony, hanging like a rag nailed to a tree. He was nailed to
the Cross for me and you. Praise God!
