Go! And Treasure the Pearl of Great Price
Exploring the Significance of Pearls in the Bible
It’s always a joy to share the Word of God with you. Today, I invite you to open your hearts and minds as we explore one of the most vivid and compelling symbols in the Bible—the pearl.
Now, when we think of pearls, we may think of necklaces, earrings, or some treasured heirloom tucked away in a jewellery box. But in Scripture, pearls are far more than pretty adornments. They are pictures—heavenly metaphors—used by our Lord Jesus Christ to help us grasp the incomparable worth of the Kingdom of God, and the immeasurable value of a life surrendered to Him.
Let’s begin with the words of our Saviour:
Matthew 13:45–46 (NLT): “Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant on the lookout for choice pearls. When he discovered a pearl of great value, he sold everything he owned and bought it!”
Let’s pray.
1. The Merchant’s Quest: Searching for What Truly Matters
Jesus begins by describing a merchant—a man whose entire life revolves around finding things of value. He is not a beggar stumbling upon treasure by accident. He is actively seeking. He knows what he’s looking for.
Now, I wonder, do you see yourself in that merchant?
All around us today, people are searching. Searching for happiness. Searching for purpose. Searching for meaning in money, relationships, careers, hobbies, or fame. But like the merchant, what we really crave is something of true, lasting value. We may not always know how to describe it, but our souls long for it.
And then—just like the merchant—we find it. Or rather, He finds us. We encounter the truth of the Gospel. The message that Jesus Christ is Lord, that He died to save us, that He rose to give us eternal life, and that He invites us to live with Him now and forever.
When we truly grasp this, we realise that everything else we’ve clung to is like costume jewellery compared to a flawless pearl.
2. The Pearl’s Worth: The Kingdom of God is Incomparably Valuable
Jesus says the Kingdom of Heaven is like this one pearl—this “pearl of great value.” In the original Greek, the word used is "polytimos", meaning “extremely precious, beyond price.”
This is not a pearl among many; this is the one worth everything.
Let me ask you—what would you be willing to give up to gain something priceless?
Paul understood this perfectly. He wrote:
Philippians 3:8 (NLT): “Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For His sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ.”
The Kingdom of God is not some bonus add-on to your life. It is your life. Knowing Jesus is not a luxury—it is eternal treasure. He is not one pearl among many; He is the only pearl that matters.
3. The Merchant’s Sacrifice: A Life Fully Surrendered
The merchant didn’t just admire the pearl. He didn’t just take a selfie with it and walk away. What did he do?
Matthew 13:46 (NLT): “He sold everything he owned and bought it!”
Now this is radical. This is costly. This is complete surrender.
And that’s what Jesus calls us to.
Let’s be clear: We are not saved by what we give up. We are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. But that salvation produces a heart that says, “I would rather have Jesus than anything this world offers.”
We don’t barter with God. We don’t bring our works to the table. We bring our empty hands. And when He fills them with the treasure of His Kingdom, we gladly release everything else.
4. The Pearl’s Formation: From Pain to Beauty
Here’s something beautiful to consider. Pearls are the only gems that are formed inside a living organism. They begin as irritants—grains of sand, little injuries to the soft body of the oyster. And through time and layer upon layer of nacre, what was once a wound becomes a treasure.
Doesn’t that sound like God’s grace?
Some of the most beautiful Christians I know are those who have been through the greatest trials. They’ve been wounded. Life cut them deep. But in their suffering, Christ met them. He wrapped them in His grace. And over time, what was pain has become a testimony, a pearl of great beauty.
God doesn’t waste pain. He transforms it.
Isaiah 61:3 (NLT): “He gives a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair.”
5. The Gates of Heaven: Entering Through the Pearl
In Revelation 21:21, John describes the New Jerusalem: “The twelve gates were made of pearls—each gate from a single pearl! And the main street was pure gold, as clear as glass.”
Twelve gates. Each made from a single pearl.
What an image!
Why did God design the gates of Heaven this way? Could it be that He wanted us to remember that entry into eternal life came through the wounding of One—Jesus Christ?
The pearl is born of suffering, just as our salvation was purchased at the cost of the cross.
The only way into the presence of God is through the blood of Jesus. His wounds. His sacrifice.
Ephesians 2:8 (NLT): “God saved you by His grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.”
6. The Pearl and Discernment: Do Not Cast It Away
Jesus gave this challenging warning:
Matthew 7:6 (NLT): “Don’t waste what is holy on people who are unholy. Don’t throw your pearls to pigs!”
This may sound harsh, but Jesus is calling us to wisdom and discernment. The truths of God’s Word are not to be mocked, mishandled, or diluted for the approval of the world.
Don’t trivialise your testimony. Don’t treat your faith like it’s common. You are carrying heavenly treasure within you—don’t throw it to pigs.
This doesn’t mean we refuse to share the Gospel. It means we do so with prayerful boldness and spiritual wisdom, recognising the sacredness of what we have received.
7. Gospel Call: Come to the Pearl of Great Price
Friend, maybe today you realise you’ve been chasing after many little pearls, but you’ve never laid hold of the one that truly matters.
Let me tell you the Good News: Jesus Christ is the pearl of great price.
He left the glory of Heaven for you. He suffered and died for you. He rose again to give you life. And now, by grace, He offers Himself to you—not as a religion, but as a relationship; not as a concept, but as your Saviour and Lord.
Will you receive Him?
Will you trade the temporary for the eternal?
Will you treasure Christ above all?
Matthew 6:33 (NLT): “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need.”
Conclusion: Go! And Treasure the Pearl of Great Price
Church, let us not be content with surface-level faith. Let us go deeper. Let us treasure Christ. Let us live like the Kingdom is worth everything—because it is.
When the world offers you fake pearls—popularity, money, pleasure—say, “No thanks. I’ve found the real thing.”
Let us go and proclaim that Jesus is our pearl of great price.
Let us live for His glory. Let us shine like pearls of grace in a darkened world.
And one day, we will enter the gates of pearl—not because we earned it, but because Jesus paid it all.
Amen.
