We saw last time that Ecclesiastes is the work of someone trying to understand the meaning of life, and throughout the book we’re going to see over and over that there is only really meaning in Christ.
The bulk of Ecclesiastes is written by “The Teacher”. He’s very wise, very perceptive. But he’s set a filter on his search for meaning: He’s only looking “under the sun” – at things he can see and experience. So he’s closed to anything spiritual or supernatural. Much like many people today. Maybe you.
But the thing is, we all look for meaning in things around us: In holidays and leisure, in study, in work. Even as Christians.
So as we look at where the Teacher goes wrong, we can find a better way: A way to gain meaning in Christ.
These notes accompany a sermon on YouTube delivered at Bromborough Evangelical Church, Wirral in November 2025. You can find more in the series in our sermon index.
Enjoy God’s Creation (1-11)
Read Ecc 2:1. That’s the summary of the first part. He looked for meaning in pleasure, but found it to have no meaning: It’s futile.
So he lists the things he tried to find meaning in. It’s quite a list!
- V2 Laughter and pleasure. It’s pointless. You can pay good money to see a stand-up comedian and have a good evening. But there’s no lasting point to it, really.
- V3 Wine. It’s generally assumed that you have to drink alcohol to have a good evening. You’re seen as weird if you don’t drink at all. But there’s no meaning in booze.
- V4 Building projects. Plenty of people do this, whether it’s a “grand design” project, an extension, or just decorating. But there’s no eternal value there either.
- V5 & 6. Gardens and parks. Many of us enjoy a bit of gardening. But if you left your garden for a year or two it would become a riot! No lasting meaning there.
- V7 Possessions – people and livestock. But while rich people may have lives that are easier in many ways, they don’t have more meaning or purpose.
- V8 Vast wealth, music, sex. The Teacher went for life. He knew how to “seize the day”.
- In v9 he makes it clear that he deliberately set out to enjoy as much of life as any man could – all the while being careful to ask: Is this meaningful? Am I satisfied?
You know the slogans: “You only live once.” “Live every day as if it’s your last.”
Pleasure, but not meaning
How did it go? Read Ecc 2:10-11.
Here’s the summary: It all brought pleasure, but not meaning. He was occupied, but not fulfilled. There was something missing. Of course, he was limiting his search to life “under the sun” (v11)
Jesus has a reply to that: Read Matthew 16:24-28.
What if you could gather up all this life’s pleasures in your hand and weigh them up against Jesus? “What will it benefit someone if he gains the whole world yet loses his life?” (v26). This world is, ultimately, meaningless – in the sense that it’s passing, fading, and has no eternal benefit to you. Only in Jesus is there eternal life. You can gain meaning in Christ – and only in him.
Give up your pursuit of happiness, purpose, meaning in the pleasures of life: Come to Jesus for eternal gain. Repent of your sin. Seek his forgiveness. And come to the eternal peace and contentment that he offers you freely.
Does that mean that pleasures don’t matter? Not at all!
God made all things beautiful, to be enjoyed. He himself is beautiful, full of delight, joy, and creativity! So enjoy food, fleeting sunsets, relationships, building things, gardening – remembering with delight the God of Creation.
But don’t search for eternity in Creation when you can know it in the Creator! Enjoy God’s creation.
Don’t filter out Christ; you can only gain meaning in him.
Learn God’s wisdom (12-17)
Verse 12 introduces a new topic: Read Ecc 2:12.
The Teacher says that wisdom is obviously better than folly, just as light is better than darkness (v13). Why? Wisdom protects you from harm at the very least. It helps you understand what’s going on around you.
But the Teacher has a problem: Read Ecc 2:14.
Everyone dies. The Teacher will be buried in the same graveyard as the fool. In Wirral’s graveyards there are soldiers, politicians, murderers, children, drunks, pastors, wise people and fools.
The Teacher sees that as such a problem that he grew to hate life itself: Read Ecc 2:17.
But again we notice that he’s only looking “under the sun.” There’s no room for the spiritual or supernatural. The assumption is that death is the end and that we’re all treated the same at that point – whether you’ve been wise or foolish, good or bad.
The Welsh poet Dylan Thomas wrote a poem believed to be about his dad as he was dying. He says this to his dying father: “Rage, rage against the dying of the light… Do not go gentle into that good night.”
That’s the rage that so many feel, faced with death.
For many people, death is only loss. It has no value or meaning.
Viewed only “under the sun,” that’s a reasonable view.
Death is not the end
But death is not the end. You can know this because Jesus rose from the dead.
He did die. And he was buried. And three days later he rose from the dead. That’s a universal game-changer for all humanity. When you die, there’s a “you” that can go away and then return. “You” don’t cease at death.
The lovely thing is that Jesus did that under the sun!
He smashed through the natural order of things with supernatural realities in a way that you can’t ignore!
So Hebrews 9:27 has a stark warning for everyone here: “…it is appointed for people to die once – and after this, judgement…”
The Teacher said that wisdom is better than folly just as light is better than darkness. In the Bible’s wisdom books (like this one), wisdom and folly are moral attributes, not intellectual. It’s not about being clever.
And fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom. Knowing God in Christ is wisdom, because Jesus himself is the knowledge and wisdom of God.
To know Jesus now is eternal wisdom – so much better than the eternal folly of rejecting him now, and being rejected by him in judgment after death. Turn to Jesus today. Pray. And then:
Serve God Gladly (18-23)
The Teacher switches to another topic that he’s tried to find meaning in. He’s tried pleasure, and wisdom, and now he tries work. I’ve had some brilliant successes in my career.
To achieve what we did there were many late nights, hours of hard work, lots of time away from home. And for what?
Read what the Teacher thought of it: Read Ecc 2:22-23.
So was all my hard work really for nothing? It might seem so, if we’re only thinking “under the sun.”
And yet: In giving my time and money to the church through those years I contributed to gospel efforts – not least in contributing to pastors’ salaries. And unknown to me at the time I was developing skills in leadership that were preparing me for ministry.
The point is this: even in our secular work and our service at church, we’re engaged in spiritual and supernatural work.
As one person comes to faith, their eternity is transformed from hell to heaven, death to life. Your labour is not only “under the sun.” Whether directly or indirectly – whether you’re spending time encouraging others, helping out, giving financially, or working in any way at all – your labour has an eternal perspective. Your work matters. It has meaning, inasmuch as you’re contributing to the kingdom work.
Labour is not in vain
1 Corinthians 15 is a long, long chapter explaining both Christ’s resurrection and the resurrection of all believers at his return. Death is not the end. All your labours for God have eternal dimension and meaning.
So he closes the chapter with this: 1 Cor 15:58 Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the Lord’s work, because you know that your labour in the Lord is not in vain.
Wherever you work, whatever you do, as you serve God where you are or contribute in some way here, your work is not in vain.
Your work is not futile (as the Teacher said it was).
Serve God gladly, and you will find meaning even in work.
Give Thanks in Everything (24-26)
The Teacher’s mis-steps are clear in what we’ve seen:
- He saw no meaning in pleasure under the sun.
- And he saw no meaning in wisdom under the sun.
- Nor did he see meaning in work under the sun.
But we can find meaning when we remove that filter.
Life under God is much richer than all you can see. So strip out the search filter. Come to God in Christ. Know God in all his rich grace and forgiveness.
Enjoy God’s creation by delighting in the Creator. Learn God’s wisdom and find hope even in death itself, anticipating an eternity with Christ – not meaningless oblivion. And serve God gladly, knowing that your work is not in vain but has an eternal perspective – because Christ is raised.
If you can live life like that, with the dreary melancholy filter of meaninglessness removed, then you see life in a multicolour kaleidoscope of rich gifts and blessing from the living God.
Not so the Teacher! Read Ecc 2:24-26.
He seems to think some people are just lucky.
And because he thinks no meaning can be found in these things then you might as well just seize the day! He could give lectures on mindfulness:
“Enjoy the now. You might as well. But don’t expect meaning or purpose or lasting value.”
Enjoy with thanks to God
But in Christ, do enjoy those things! You live under the sun, in a physical body. And you’ll be raised in a physical body in a beautiful world without suffering or pain, tears or grief.
As you adopt a heart of gratitude for your salvation, so too you can give thanks in everything.
- James 1:17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
- Know that in your bones. Count your blessings.
You can find meaning in the slightest, smallest pleasure. How? Colossians 3:17 “whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”
That gives meaning to every single thing you can fill your day with. Too many Christians forget the joy of the gospel, the joy of the Lord. Give thanks over meals, for every green traffic light, for beautiful music, for laughter.
They’re good “under the sun”, but they give opportunity for thankful praise when you take those things to the Lord in prayer.
Even as we grieve – and we do grieve – we give thanks that we don’t grieve without hope. We grieve in anticipation of being resurrected and seeing Jesus, worshipping him with our loved ones.
So come to God in Christ. Gain meaning only in Christ.
Then: Enjoy God’s creation, learn God’s wisdom, serve God gladly, and give thanks in everything – in Christ, every day.