The Unspeakable Gift!

2Co 9:15 Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.

The word translated unspeakable (anekdiegetos) is used only here in the Bible.

Thayer defines it as the unspeakable, indescribable

James Swanson, Dictionary of Biblical Languages describes it as indescribable, beyond words (neb), unspeakable (kjv, asv), inexpressible (rsv), beyond all telling (njb), beyond all praise (reb)

Spiros Zodhiates, The Complete Word Study Dictionary says: Incapable of being adequately expressed or uttered, unspeakable, inexpressible, unutterable, ineffable

Though I am able to speak with the tongues of men and of angels I am yet unable to explain and describe God's gift that came wrapped in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. The appearance of the glorified Christ beggars description as John's use of human words fails in his effort to convey what he saw in Revelation 1.

God's gift came to us wrapped in human flesh, wrapped in Mary's womb, wrapped in swaddling bands. He was stripped of his clothing and unwrapped on Calvary releasing His life for all mankind. How can you refuse Him?

In what way is God's Gift unspeakable?

1. HE IS UNSPEAKABLE IN HIS PRESENTATION

Well expressed in Mary's question: How shall this be seeing I know not a man? His Incarnation was in a way totally impossible to man! Luke 1:30-37 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. 31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. 32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: 33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. 34 Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? 35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. 36 And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren. 37 For with God nothing shall be impossible.

How indeed? As Paul said: And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory. 1 Timothy 3:16 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. Colossians 2:9

How can we begin to understand the mystery of God Manifest in the flesh? Looking at the tiny baby wrapped in swaddling bands lying in a manger can you grasp the concept...that Almighty Eternal God had integrated Himself within a human baby? It may be a million times easier to visualize holding all the world's oceans in a tiny teacup! For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. Colossians 2:9 Or as the Amplified version renders it: For in Him the whole fullness of Deity (the Godhead) continues to dwell in bodily form [giving complete expression of the divine nature]. Colossians 2:9 AMP

Yes! His very coming into the world was in a manner indescribable! Unspeakable in His presentation! If good things come in small packages then by comparison there was never a package so small and the thing in it so good! And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. Luke 1:35 KJV

Illustration: The Unspeakable Gift

Long ago, there ruled in Persia a wise and good king. He loved his people. He wanted to know how they lived. He wanted to know about their hardships. Often he dressed in the clothes of a working man or a beggar, and went to the homes of the poor. No one whom he visited thought that he was their ruler.

One time he visited a very poor man who lived in a cellar. He ate the coarse food the poor man ate. He spoke cheerful, kind words to him. Then he left. Later he visited the poor man again and disclosed his identity by saying, “I am your king!”

The king thought the man would surely ask for some gift or favor, but he didn’t. Instead he said, “You left your palace and your glory to visit me in this dark, dreary place. You ate the course food I ate. You brought gladness to my heart! To others you have given your rich gifts. To me you have given yourself!”