THE UNSPEAKABLE GIFT
2 Cor. 9:15
INTRODUCTION
A. HUMOR: CHRISTMAS JOKES
1. I heard about a dad recently who suggested that his family get him a gift that everyone could get something out of. So they did they bought him a new wallet!
2. It’s not easy to know what to buy your spouse, is it? One husband asked his wife what she wanted for Christmas. She said, “Just surprise me!” So he did. At 3:00 a.m. on Christmas Day, he leaned over in bed and shouted, “Boo!”
B. TEXT
“Thanks be to God for his unspeakable gift” 2 Cor. 9:15.
C. THESIS
1. The occasion of this statement was the gift of the Corinthians to the poor believers in Judea. It was undoubtedly meager, by earthly standards, but in many ways it reflected God’s divine gift of Christ to us. It was the result of love. It was sacrificial. It had value. It would be a blessing when received.
2. So we’re looking at the Unspeakable Gift, the Gift of Jesus. He was a Gift that came from Unspeakable Love, which involved Unspeakable Sacrifice, and had an Unspeakable Effect on us.
3. God’s Unspeakable Gift...
I. COMES FROM UNSPEAKABLE LOVE
A. HOW COULD GOD COMMUNICATE HIS LOVE?
1. When God looked at our confused world nearly 2,000 years ago. He saw Roman soldiers marching in the streets; He saw people looking for peace & meaning & depth in life, and He wanted so urgently to communicate His love. But how? "How shall I communicate my love?”
2. “If I appear IN PERSON -- in all my glory, they’ll be frightened, they’ll be scared away. They will never feel that they can come to Me & talk with Me. They’ll be much like Moses who stood on the mountain & took off His shoes because he was on holy ground."
3. "IF I SPEAK, if they hear the thunder of my voice, they may never grasp the words of my love. IF I SEND DOWN ARMIES OF ANGELS, perhaps they will not know how to respond. Maybe they will never be able to experience my love."
4. GOD SAID, “I KNOW! I WILL SEND A BABY! Babies aren’t threatening. Babies don’t frighten anyone. Babies are so tender & soft & helpless. Maybe they will hold the baby in their arms. Maybe they will hear the gentle sighs of the baby. Maybe they will experience my love if I send a baby."
5. So in the fullness of time, God sent His only begotten Son, as a baby. What unspeakable love!
B. “SO GREAT A SALVATION...”
1. God sending His Son for us didn’t originate from a human scheme. God’s thoughts are too far beyond us. Humans have devised many ways to save themselves from sin – good works, religion, philosophy or morality – but none of them work. They are like trying to rescue a drowning man with a rope that is too short.
2. Notice that God must save us Himself. ONLY A REDEMPTION ORIGINATING OUTSIDE OF THE REALM OF SIN COULD SAVE US! That’s why the Virgin Birth is essential.
3. The greatest expression of love in the universe was when God gave up His only genetic Son to die for us! “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Rom. 5:8. Paul said, “Christ’s love is greater than anyone can ever know -- beyond comprehension -- but I pray that you will be able to know that love” Eph. 3:19, EXB.
4. Christ died for us while we were still enemies of God: when we didn’t love Him, didn’t serve Him, and were opposed to the holy standard He represents.
5. It was a costly gift. It cost Jesus His life in heaven. It cost Him shame and spitting, abuse and torture, and finally, it cost Him a cruel and inhuman death on the Cross.
6. Jesus said, “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. And you are my friends...” John 15:13. It was an Unspeakable Love!
II. INVOLVES UNSPEAKABLE SACRIFICE
1. Whatever human traits we possess, God possesses them in heightened form. Why? Because we’re made IN HIS IMAGE, that is, we are similar to Him.
2. So if we experience a finite love, God experiences a love that is infinite and perfect in degree. And if we experience sadness, suffer loss, and feel pain, God also has these feelings, except in infinite proportion.
3. That God – as the Being of all power – would willingly subject Himself to suffering, sadness, and loss is one of the most shocking truths in the universe. None of US – having all power – would be willing to do such a thing; but God did.
A. THE SUFFERING OF THE CROSS WAS REAL
1. I want you to know that the Cross of Jesus was real. There was no stunt man, no fake blood, no rubber nails, no paper cross -- it was real.
2. When they beat him in the face, it was real. When they spit upon Him, it was real. When they whipped Him, it was real. When they pounded the nails into His hands and feet, it was real.
3. The Journal of the American Medical Association (1986) gave a chilling analysis of Jesus’ death on the cross. They outlined that crucifixion was one of the most horrible deaths ever devised by the twisted minds of evil people – yet Jesus suffered it for YOU!
B. THE SHAME OF THE CROSS WAS REAL
1. Matt. 27:35, “And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots.” Jesus had His outer clothes stripped off. The crucifixion took place along a road-side, before a hostile crowd.
2. Rubber-neckers mocked and gawked at this ghastly freak show. He was made a public spectacle before the world and He bore the shame we should have borne.
C. HIS SEPARATION FROM THE FATHER WAS REAL
1. From the Cross “Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, ‘My God, my God, why have You forsaken Me?’” Matt. 27:46.
2. Jesus’ unity with the Father had been eternal; “You loved me before the foundation of the world” Jn. 17:24. They had been One, forever. They had never known separation.
3. But when Jesus took the blackness of all the world’s sins on Him, God the Father had to withdraw from Him. God’s “eyes are too pure to look on evil” nor can evil dwell with Him, Hab. 1:13; Ps. 5:4.
4. No human can know the profound loss suffered by the Father and the Son. Jesus was NOT forsaken because of HIS sins; He was forsaken because He took the guilt of OUR sins upon Himself. All this sacrifice God suffered for You!
5. But His unspeakable love and sacrifice had...
III. UNSPEAKABLE EFFECTS ON US
A. ILLUSTRATION: The King's Pardon
1. A man was once being tried for a crime, the punishment of which was death. The witnesses came in one by one and testified to his guilt; but there he stood, quite calm and unmoved. The judge and the jury were quite surprised at his indifference; they could not understand how he could take such a serious matter so calmly.
2. When the jury retired, it didn’t take them long to decide on a verdict "Guilty." The Judge had him stand & delivered the verdict, expressing his surprise that he could be so unmoved in the prospect of death. When the judge had finished, the man put his hand into his jacket, pulled out a document, and walked out of the dock a free man.
3. Ah, that was how he could be so calm; it was a free pardon from his king, which he had in his pocket all the time. No wonder he was not fearful of the result of the trial. So will we be confident on the great Day of Judgment: we’ve got a pardon from the King, sealed with the blood of His Son! [Moody's Anecdotes and Illustrations]
B. PERSONAL EFFECTS
1. The first effect of Jesus coming into our life is the forgiveness of our sins. What tongue can tell the ineffable joy that comes into a heart, when the great burden of sin and guilt are lifted away and a peace that passes all understanding takes their place? Only those who experience a presidential pardon and are released from long imprisonment to be restored as an innocent member of society, have an earthly sense of this heaven blessing! To describe this joy is to struggle with Paul who said what he heard in third heaven was too sacred to be uttered. So it is with God’s gift of forgiveness!
2. Another unspeakable benefit is to know Jesus. To know Him is more wonderful than can be told, because it’s knowing your Creator in all His intellect and love.
3. In addition, when I accepted Christ I received the gift of His Holy Spirit to live within me. Now He guides & counsels me; protects & empowers me.
4. I’m also given His peace. Not the peace of the world, but the peace that passes all understanding. Peace that allows me to cope with everyday situations. Peace that allows me to look beyond the smug & smog of our world to see the great pure air of Almighty God in heaven.
C. FUTURE BLESSINGS
1. And when we accept Jesus we’re adopted into God’s family and guaranteed citizenship in His eternal Kingdom. Before we were foreigners to the covenants and promises; but now, because of Jesus, we’re adopted into the Royal Bloodline of Heaven! Everything that belongs to Jesus also belongs to me, because I accepted the indescribable gift of Christ.
2. Lastly, because of Jesus, my mansion in heaven is paid for, a dwelling place that will last for all eternity. And that’s indescribable, too.
CONCLUSION
A. ILLUSTRATION: GOD CARES
1. One day a couple of church members were out distributing loaves of bread in a low-income housing complex. They came to an apartment where they heard arguing through the door, but they decided to knock anyway.
2. A man opened the door and asked what they wanted. One of the visitors said, "We don't want anything. We just wondered if you know anyone who could use some loaves of bread?"
3. "Why are you doing that?" the man asked. "Just to let people know that God loves them." "What did you just say?" the man asked, rather anxiously. "We're just handing out loaves of bread to let people know that God loves them."
4. The man stared and said, "I can't believe this. We just buried our three-week-old son yesterday, and now here you are at our door."
5. The visitors offered to pray with them, and the couple accepted their offer. As they were leaving, they heard the husband say to his wife, "See, honey? I told you God cares. We thought He wasn't paying attention to us, but He sent those people here to make sure we knew."
B. THE CALL
1. What can you give Jesus for Christmas? Vance Havner said, "Christmas is based on an exchange of gifts: God’s gift to us -- His Son; and our gift to God – the gift of ourselves!"
2. Why don’t you start by receiving the Greatest Gift of Christmas – Jesus Himself! Let’s pray and ask Him in as our Savior and Friend. PRAYER.
3. Christmas season is a great time to show the love of God to others by taking a load of groceries to someone, or buying them a tank of gas, or picking up some Christmas gifts for kids who are in needy families. Or you can call those who are homebound or sick and give them encouragement. Just showing that you care means a lot to people!
[This is a rewrite of Melvin Newland’s “A Gift Beyond Description.”]
