God’s Costly Gift
Selected Passages
December 12, 2004
Advent Message 3
Introduction
One Christmas many years ago I had seen a new toy that was the first of its kind. It was something so special that it had quickly become the hottest item at Christmas. It was an Atari game system and I wanted it really bad. There was one problem, it was a very expensive item and the likelihood of me getting it was slim to none but I wanted it anyway.
You know the same kind of feeling. It comes at various times in life to children and adults. It is a desire for something that will make you life “better” Have you ever wanted something so bad that you could almost taste it? Sure you have and it’s been since you’ve been an adult.
· The desire for that new job
· The desire for the fresh start
· The desire for the baby to arrive
· The desire for the new house
You know what I’m talking about. It’s the desire for something more.
As Christmas morning came that year I rushed out to the living room to start opening presents only to be forced to wait until everyone was ready to start unwrapping the gifts. The wait was agonizing and I was tired of waiting because I wanted to search for the Atari. As I scanned through the presents with my name on them, there was one, way in the back that was big enough to be an Atari. In fact, I was sure that the Atari was sitting there just waiting for me to open it.
My Mom had a rule that year and I hated it. It was the dreaded one present at a time rule. This did not mean that I could only open one present at a time but instead it meant that the whole family only opened one at a time. Let me tell you, to a kid at Christmas it was torture. To make matters worse, Mom made me open the big present last.
After what seemed like an eternity, I finally got to the big present and I started ripping that paper like a madman. You know what that present was? I honestly can’t remember. I just know that it wasn’t the Atari. It wasn’t the gift I had been wanting.
I was disappointed and dismayed that the gift that I wanted was nowhere under the tree that year. I felt like my hopes had been dashed. You know what I’m talking about because you’ve been there.
It may not have happened under a Christmas tree but the feeling of hopes being dashed and dismay setting in are nothing new for you. You know this feeling because it came
· When the relationship you invested in for so long crumbled
· When the child you loved so much was now gone
· When the job you loved booted you out the door
· When the life you wanted so badly seemed to never materialize
I will never forget that Christmas morning, because after a few minutes Mom asked if I was ready for my real gift. There were no more presents under the tree, so I had no idea what she was talking about.
I was told to go out on the front porch and look on the patio seat. All I saw was one of Mom’s old blankets piled up on the seat and to be honest I was not impressed. I started to go back in the house when my sister said that there might be something under the blanket. So we pulled the blanket off and there was a brand new Atari game system. There under that old blanket was exactly what I wanted so badly. I got the expensive gift.
The real gift of Christmas doesn’t always come under the tree. The real gift of Christmas sometimes comes to us in ways we might not expect. The real gift of Christmas comes from one who loves us enough to give us the most costly gift of all.
"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
As we look at the reality of Advent and the hope of Christmas I believe that it is impossible to do so without looking at the real gift of Christmas. The real gift of Christmas was wrapped in swaddling clothes.
Open your bibles to the book of Isaiah as we look at some of the precious promises about the real gift of Christmas.
The Desire for a Costly Gift (Isaiah 9:6)
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. Isaiah 9:6
During the time of Jesus, Israel had a deep desire for the Messiah to come but they had many different ideas about what the Messiah would come to accomplish. They were expecting a great leader like David who would lead them into times of great prosperity.
Israel’s desire for the Messiah
· National Leader: Make Israel an independent nation. Israel had been a conquered nation for hundreds of years. They seemed to move from one enemy occupation to the next and there was a desire to be free from enemy control.
· Military Leader: Lead Israel to great military victories. Israel had believed that the Messiah would be a great warrior like David and would have many great military victories. Not only would occupying forces be removed but the former Kingdom of David would be restored and expanded
· Religious Leader: Lead the world in God’s righteousness. Israel had believed that the Messiah would also bring a great spiritual bounty. They believed that the Messiah would come straight from God with supernatural power and authority.
· Personal Leader: Lead the world to an everlasting peace. Israel had believed that the Messiah would be a great military leader who would bring the world to peace that would never end.
These were the desires they expected to find in the Messiah when he came. The problem was that they were looking for the Messiah to do everything at once. They were looking for the Messiah to do everything as they expected.
Jesus fulfilled these expectations in ways they could not imagine or even expect. The gift was far better than what they had expected.
· Wonderful Counselor: Israel believed that the Messiah would have the wisdom of God. Jesus was God’s appointed leader to help the people find their way into a right relationship with Him. Jesus was the divine guide to show us the way to heaven.
· Mighty God: Israel believed that the Messiah would have the power of God behind them. Jesus was God in flesh. He was the perfect promise of God wrapped in human flesh and lived among us. The reality is that we have been given the greatest gift of God in Christ.
· Everlasting Father: The people of Israel used the term father to apply to the care that sustained the children. The Messiah was believed to be a person who would not only carry the wisdom and power of God but also the great care of God for His people.
· Prince of Peace: Israel believed that the Messiah would bring peace. Jesus brings a different kind of peace than what Israel expected. Jesus offers us a deep spiritual peace that passes our ability to understand.
I believe that every person has the desire for the costly gift that God has given they just won’t accept it.
The Expectation of a Costly Gift (Isaiah 7:14)
Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. Isaiah 7:14
The hope of Israel was that the Messiah would come and restore the kingdom of David. However, Jesus came to this earth not to restore David’s kingdom but rather to establish a spiritual kingdom. The understanding that the Messiah would come from God is continued here and simply stated the hope was that God would send His great king.
Immanuel was not a title or some position but it was a description of what God was going to do through Jesus. Immanuel literally means God with us and Jesus was the embodiment of God with all of humanity. He came to bridge the gap that sin had created.
The message of Immanuel is that God has met us on our level. God is bringing His presence into the world in a whole new way. The Old Testament records the presence of God in numerous ways, a burning bush, a prophetic vision, a pillar of cloud, a fire from heaven but this is something very new and very different. God was coming to his people through the womb of a virgin.
The God of the universe would experience human life as a human being. Jesus saw things through human eyes. Jesus heard things through human ears. Jesus even tasted food through a human mouth. This may seem rather insignificant but stop and think about it for just a moment. Jesus experienced life on our level and He has seen life up close and personal. Not only does he understand the very basics of life but also He knows the reality of human suffering and pain.
Jesus knows what it is like to loose a loved one. Jesus knows what it is like to be betrayed. Jesus knows what it is like to have physical pain. Immanuel means that we have a God who understands us because he has been through the realities of life.
The Receiving of a Costly Gift (John 1:12-13)
12 Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God-- 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. John 1:12-13
Story of accepting a gift
Jesus makes an incredible offer to you and it is one that you cannot afford to miss. He has willingly died for your sin and accepted the punishment you deserved, so you can gain an eternal life. He then offers something more, He offers the opportunity to become a member of the family of God. He offers you the opportunity to share in the blessings of God’s personal family.
The gift of God must be received into your life for it to make an impact. Jesus cannot make you a part of the family of God until you accept the gift that God has so graciously offered to you.
Conclusion
Have you settled for less than God’s greatest gift? Have you given up on God doing something more in your life? Are you ready for the real gift of Christmas to flow into your life?
