God’s Unspeakable Gift

We celebrate this Christmas Day the birth of the Jesus Christ in the midst of exchanging gifts with one another out of love. We know not when Jesus was actually born and have no authorization in scripture for celebrating His birth on December 25 or any other specific day. However, we can celebrate His birth every day of the year. The greatest gift we have is not the perishable gifts we receive from loved ones but the gift of Jesus Christ.  Paul said, “Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.” (II Cor. 9:15).  Paul writes this in the context of giving to those in need. That indeed is a gift, but that could not be possible without the true “unspeakable gift” of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.  Words cannot effectively describe this perfect gift from God; He indeed is unspeakable. Then, we have the supreme gift of eternal life that comes through that perfect gift from heaven.  “And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.”  (I John 5:11).

We have every reason to be merry (gleeful and rejoicing) when we consider this gift from God as both the Son of God and the son of man.  A merry heart does us all good just as the Psalmist says, “A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.”  (Prov. 17:22).  Isaiah prophesies of this great gift in Isaiah 9:6;  “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”  Notice Isaiah says a “child is born” which indicates his humanity as He was made in the likeness of men but without the contamination of the sin of man. The angel announced the birth of this child to the shepherds by saying, “And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.”  (Luke 2:10-11).  This child was held by Simeon when He was about forty days old and Simeon said, “Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: For mine eyes have seen thy salvation,” (Luke 2:29-30).  Isaiah said a child is born unto “us”.  He was born to Mary and Joseph, but He was born unto us, the entire elect family of God whom He would die for at Calvary to save them from their sins.

To us a “child is born” but unto us, a “Son” is given.  This gift is the Son of God who has existed from all eternity.  Jesus was verily God and verily man.  The love of God was supremely manifest to “us” in the gift of His only begotten Son.  “In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.”  (I John 4:9).  “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  (John 3:16).  When Jesus gave up the ghost on Calvary’s cross, the veil of the temple was rent from the top to the bottom, and the centurion that heard His last cry cried, “And when the centurion, which stood over against him, saw that he so cried out, and gave up the ghost, he said, Truly this man was the Son of God.”  (Mark 15:39).  The centurion acknowledged that Jesus was the “Son of God.”  Certainly this fulfilled what Abraham told Isaac when he saw the fire and the wood but asked his father where was the lamb and, “And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.”  (Gen. 22:8).  God did provide “Himself” as a lamb for an offering as Jesus was God made manifest  in the flesh.

Just as sure as Jesus paid the supreme price for redeeming His chosen from the penalty of sin, the merits of that shed blood will be effectually applied to the depraved hearts of all the elect of God as they hear the voice of the Son of God in regeneration.  “Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.”  (John 5:25).  Thanks be unto God for this unspeakable gift as well.  We can now have joy unspeakable and full of glory as we are enabled to believe that Jesus was the “child” and also the “Son of God.”  Thomas was the first disciple to call Jesus the “Son of God” as he beheld His nail pierced hands and His riven side and said, “…My Lord and my God.”  (John 20:18).

It is the Lord Himself that shall return some day with a shout and the trump of God and the redeemed of all the ages shall come forth from the graves and forever be with the Lord. Paul tells us, “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” (I Thess. 4:16-17).  Jesus fulfilled His mission as a “child is born” but His mission as the Son of God will not be completely fulfilled until the resurrection morning.  Thanks be unto God for the unspeakable gift!–December 25, 2012–Elder Larry Wise