God's Indescribable Gift
- Rev. Jerry Lepasana
- Dec 4, 2005
- Series: All I Want for Christmas
All I Want for Christmas: (Part I)
GOD'S INDESCRIBABLE GIFT
Isaiah 9:6; 2 Corinthians 9:15
For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!
I'm sure most of us are familiar with the Christmas carol -"All I Want for Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth." Here are the first several lines of the song:
Every body Pauses and stares at me
these two teeth are gone as you can see
I don't know just who to blame for this catastrophe!
But my one wish on Christmas Eve is as plain as it can be!
All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth,
my two front teeth, see my two front teeth!
Gee, if I could only have my two front teeth,
then I could wish you "Merry Christmas."
How about you? What do you have in your wish list this Christmas? We all come up with our own wish list during Christmas time and just like the child who is wishing for his or her two front teeth, we often have the tendency to think that we won't have a merry Christmas without receiving the gifts we're wishing for.
As we approach our Christmas celebrations, I hope we can move away from a very materialistic emphasis, and highlight what the God would like us to really receive. On account of this, I would like to begin a series entitled; "All I Want for Christmas." For the next couple of Sundays, I will speak about some of the most valuable gifts we should seek to have and by all means share to others this Christmas. God himself is the source of all these and He is giving them freely to everyone. I believe it would be tragic if anyone fails to receive them.
This morning, I would like to begin with the most basic. If you revisit the Christmas story, everything is centered on the coming of the promised Messiah, Jesus Christ. He is the fulfillment of so many prophecies in the Old Testament, and the answer to man's greatest problem. The apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 9:15 referred to Him as God's indescribable gift. In a very limited way, I would like to offer three essential descriptions about this gift:
I THE PRICELESS GIFT
When giving a gift, price is always a major consideration. However, if the recipient is of great importance to the giver, the giver is willing to overlook the price.
More than five hundred years before the actual birth of Jesus Christ, the prophet Isaiah had declared - A Son is given. Think of this truth, God Himself gave His very own Son as a gift to us. He gave up His Son who is definitely worth more than anything else in this world.
To put this in perspective, let's say, if you are a parent and someone who is into cancer research comes to you and offers money in exchange for the life of your son or daughter so that a cure can be discovered, would you give up the life of your child? How much money would you ask? I believe if you are in your right mind, you will never be able to put a price on the life of your child. Then, how much more on the life of the Son of God? His life is priceless.
Back in Genesis 22, God commanded Abraham to go to mount Moriah to offer his only son, Isaac in the altar of sacrifice.
- Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, "Abraham!"
"Here I am," he replied. - Then God said, "Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about."
Today, knowing the Christmas story, it is obvious that God was not just testing Abraham; He was also giving a picture of what He himself will undertake.
Why did God do it? The answer is found in the verse many of us are familiar with:
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
God loves us so much despite of who we are. By giving us His only Son, He has fully expressed His love for us.
II THE PERFECT GIFT
Every year, right after the Christmas holidays, shopping malls are swamped by people who are returning or exchanging gifts. Some are returning gifts, which don't fit; some feel they prefer another brand, or something more practical.
In contrast, God's gift is perfect because it is exactly what we need. It is perfect for everyone regardless of age, gender or race. Listen to the announcement of the angel to the shepherds who were in the field when Jesus was born:
- And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.
- An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.
- But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.
- Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.
Notice the emphasis - A Savior has been born to you. Indeed, the Son of God was coming not just to be a teacher, a social reformer, or political leader; He came to be the Savior of the world. Since man's greatest problem is sin, God gave a Savior.
This truth was corroborated by John the Baptist when he saw Jesus going toward him:
The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
Now, for the Jewish hearers of John who were familiar with the idea of offering lambs at the temple for the forgiveness of their sins, they understood that Jesus will be God's ultimate sacrifice for the sin of the world.
Speaking of Jesus as a perfect gift, He was also a perfect sacrifice for sin. You see, the Jews don't just sacrifice any lamb in the altar. They know that God has given them a very strict requirement:
you must present a male without defect from the cattle, sheep or goats in order that it may be accepted on your behalf.
The apostle Peter affirms this fact about Jesus as a sacrifice without defect:
but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.
We, who live under the new covenant - through the blood of Jesus Christ, should be grateful that we no longer have to go to the temple to offer animals for the forgiveness of our sins. Jesus has already accomplished that for us. He was a perfect sacrifice for our sins.
III THE PERPETUAL GIFT
Lastly, we should not miss God's indescribable gift, because it is designed to benefit us forever.
Many of the gifts you will receive in life will fade, wear out, or even break. Nothing will last forever. But when we appropriate Jesus and the life He gives, they'll be with us forever.
Jesus again and again refers to this life as ETERNAL.
- My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.
- I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.
- My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand.
If you examine this passage, first, you should not miss the Lord's promise - I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish. When God says never, He absolutely means never. Then, notice the double protection He provided - No one can snatch them out of my hand (v.28); and then, No one can snatch them out of my Father's hand.
You see both the promise and the double protection guarantee ETERNAL LIFE. Once you received the gift, it's yours to enjoy forever.
Jesus Christ is truly the greatest gift of all. He is the priceless gift, the perfect gift, and the perpetual gift. He is available to everyone, but God will not force it on anyone. We have the option to either receive or reject the gift. Jesus himself expressed this reality:
- He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.
- Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God--
If you receive Jesus into your life, you will never be disappointed. He will bring into you life so much blessings beyond you could ever imagine. Make sure you celebrate Christmas with God's indescribable gift in your life.