A GIFT BEYOUND DESCRIPTION
2 Cor. 9:15
Intro: This time of year most of us have concern about choosing just the right Christmas gifts to give to those special in our lives. Let me ask you, “Have you ever received an indescribable gift”?
Have you ever received a gift that was just beyond description?
What kind of gift would be beyond description? Maybe it carries a lot of emotional feeling with it, maybe someone very special gave it to you, and maybe because it was a complete surprise?
Illustration: Joan Lunden once featured some gift ideas that might be considered indescribable.
1. The Jaguar 220 at a price of $587,000
2. If you bought the Jaguar you might want the ultimate car wax, it retails for $3,400 for 8oz can.
3. A $300,000 gold and silver toilet seat inlaid with precious stones.
4. An $18,000 Frisbee, a $10,000 yoyo, a $12,000 mousetrap, & even a $27,000 pair of sunglasses.
5. for the grandparent who is wondering what to buy the new grandbaby, how about a $28,000 pacifier.
Such gifts stagger our imagination, don’t they? We may not be able to find words to describe such gifts, but they are not indescribable. I’m sure the advertisers can describe them. You see, every human gift is describable by someone.
Application: In 2 Corinthians 9, Paul at first is writing about human gifts. The church at Corinth is taking up offerings to give to the poor Christians in Jerusalem. He praises them for their willingness to help and reminds them that “He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly, and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.”
Then he shifts his attention from human gifts to God’s gift of Jesus. And he cannot find words to describe it. He simply says, “Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift.” (v. 15)
Some of the greatest musicians, poets, painters & sculptors have used their talents to describe this gift.
Let’s look at just four of the reasons why this gift is indescribable.
I. BECAUSE OF HIS NATURE
A. How do you describe Jesus?
1. What words would you choose?
2. How do you describe a baby born of a virgin?
3. How do you describe God in flesh?
4. How do you describe that which is spirit?
5. How do you describe what is indescribable?
B. Paul said we can’t. Words are not adequate. But yet men through out history has tried
1. In 451 the greatest theological minds of the time came together to describe Jesus.
2. “Perfect in Godhead & also perfect in manhood. Truly man of reasonable, rational soul & body. Consubstantial, co-essential with the father according to the manhood. In all things like unto us without sin. Begotten before all ages of the father according to the Godhead. And in these latter times for us & for our salvation, born of the virgin Mary & of the mother of God. According to the manhood, one and the same Christ, Son, Lord, only begotten to be acknowledged in two natures. Inconfusedly, unchangeably, indivisibly, inseparably & the distinction of natures being by no means taken away by the union, but rather the property of each nature being preserved.”
Summery: Did you understand that? Neither did I. That was mans attempt to describe the indescribable.
Even with great minds and big words we cannot adequately describe Jesus.
II. BECAUSE OF HIS PURPOSE IN COMING TO EARTH
A. The angels announced “Unto you this day is born this day in the city of David a savior which is Christ the Lord.”
What do we celebrate at Christmas? We celebrate that Jesus came into our world to save us.
When God looked at our world He knew that our greatest need is not more money, or better schools, or a better welfare system. Our greatest need is a savior from our sin debt.
B. The hopes of peace brought on by the break up of the Soviet Union have been shattered by civil wars that have broken out. None of the peace treaties can ensure peace because the nature of man has not changed.
C. Man cannot have peace apart from a change of their nature, which only God can do.
D. How do you describe that? How do you put into words what God does in hearts and lives?
III. BECAUSE OF THE GRACE BY WHICH JESUS IS GIVEN
A. We will give people gifts this year because they are family.
B. We’ll give gifts because we feel we owe them (because of something received).
C. We’ll give to the needy because we feel we owe them (because we’ve been blessed)
D. That’s what makes God’s gift so special, because He doesn’t owe us anything.
1. In fact we are in constant rebellion against Him.
2. Paul wrote, “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Rom. 5:8)
E. God gave the gift of a savior not because He felt obligated, but because His love is so overwhelming. It’s a gift of grace!
F. What words can we use to describe that!
IV. BECAUSE OF HIS EFFECT ON US
A. What happens when I receive God’s gift. Will the presents we open at Christmas make our lives different? The Bible teaches that when we accept the gift of God that we will never be the same again.
1. The first effect is the forgiveness of sin. “Never to be remembered against us again”
2. #2 Is that I am adopted into the family of God no more a foreigner & alien, separated from God, but now I am one of His own.
3. #3 I receive the Holy Spirit to live inside me, to guide, to protect and empower me.
4. #4 I am given a peace that only comes from knowing where I’ll spend eternity.
5. #5 My Jesus is gone to prepare a place for me. (it’s indescribable too)
B. The apostle Paul had his life changed by God on the Damascus road when he saw the light, but he couldn’t explain it.
C. Paul had gotten a glimpse of the glory of heaven but he couldn’t put into words (2 Cor. 12:2-4)
D. When God looked at our confused world some 2,000 years ago; He wanted to communicate His love. The angels must have thought:
But How? How can He communicate His love? If He appears in person, If He stands before the people in all His glory, they’ll be scared away. They will never feel that they can come to Him and talk to Him. If He speaks, if they hear the thunder of His voice, they’ll never grasp the words of His love. If He sends down legions of angels they might not know how to respond. God said I know, I’ll send a baby. Babies don’t frighten people. Babies are so tender & soft & helpless. Maybe they will hold the baby in their arms, maybe they will touch the baby, maybe they will hear the soft sighs of the baby. Maybe they will experience my love if I send a baby. That my friend is indescribable!
The good news is you don’t have to be able to describe Him, to accept Him
