THE GIFT THAT IS INDESCRIBABLE

"Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!"
(2 Corinthians 9:15 ESV)

One of the most common traditions at Christmas is the giving of gifts. At our house we start out with the opening of our stocking gifts. These are usually things like candy, surfboard wax, sunscreen, makeup, and gift cards for Starbucks, funny trinkets, and various small items. After this we begin unwrapping the gifts under the tree and always save the best gift for last as the grand finale. After Christmas, we will undoubtedly be asked by someone what we received for Christmas and will be proceed to describe each gift that we received.

But when the Apostle Paul thought about gifts there was one gift that he had received that he could not describe, he calls this gift inexpressible. In our text in 2 Corinthians 9, the apostle Paul at first is writing about human gifts. The church in Corinth is taking up offerings to give to the poor Christians in Jerusalem. He commends them for their eagerness to help, and reminds them that those who sow sparingly will also reap sparingly, but that those who sow generously will reap generously.

But the subject of giving turns his mind to God and the gift of Christ to His people, which is the greatest of all possible gifts, and he ended his comments by referr­ing to this divine bounty. He said, "Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift"

This text contains only eight words, yet it points us beyond words. It points us to a gift which, if we have it, makes us richer and happier than any earthly gift could possible do. When Paul speaks of Jesus as God's "inexpressible gift" it is evi­dent that he is not merely toying with words or exaggerating by an undisciplined use of superlatives. He is only saying what is patently true and is as true for us as it was for him.

His gift was so above and beyond the norm that Bible translators have had difficulty choosing adjectives to describe the gift. Their dilemma is obvious when reviewing how they struggled to translate the last sentences of 2 Corinthians 9:15. Translators of The Living Bible, the New Century Version and the Contemporary English Version refer to God’s gift of Jesus as one “too wonderful for words.” The Message translates the same verse this way: “Thank God for this gift, his gift. No language can praise it enough!” The King James Version describes it as “his unspeakable gift.” The New King James Version, The New International Version, and New American Standard Version have it as “his indescribable gift.” And the Amplified Version combines these and says: “His gift precious beyond telling His indescribable, inexpressible, free gift!”

What is an inexpressible gift or indescribable gift? Indescribable simply means: that cannot be described; surpassing description. It is a gift of such magnitude and worth that it goes beyond our understanding and ability to describe it. Some things are beyond description, definition and explanation. What then does Paul mean when he says the gift of Jesus Christ is 'inexpressible'?

I. IT IS INEXPRESSIBLE BECAUSE OF THE INFINITE GENEROSITY OF GOD’S GIFT
The prophet Isaiah spoke of this inexpressible gift. “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6). Then in the New Testament John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son.”

God is a most generous and giving God. Every moment of our life God is giving us something. James tells us that “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”(James 1:17). He gave the most astounding gift imaginable when the Lord Jesus Christ. God loves as no other being can love. That is why Paul says that His love surpasses all knowledge (Ephesians 3:19). He has given us undeserving sinners the greatest gift of love that He could possibly give us; He gave us His only Son.

God has loved us by providing the ultimate gift and bringing to us the highest good possible. This is the most loving thing imaginable and beyond imagination that God could do for us. “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine” (Ephesians 3:20). He has given a gift more valuable, more worthy, and more important than anything we could possibly give to anyone or any gift we could desire on this earth. In short, it is inexpressible, indescribable, inconceivable, and incomprehensible.

God is the giver, par excellence; God gives a gift, not because He feels obligated to give a gift but because His love is so overwhelming. It’s a gift of grace. And when you stop at the manger at Bethlehem & look at the Christ child, you must realize that He is a gift of grace. And there are no words adequate enough to describe God’s grace towards us in Jesus

II. IT IS INEXPRESSIBLE BECAUSE OF THE GIFT ITSELF-JESUS CHRIST
The embodiment of God's greatest gift is Jesus. Who can begin to describe God's tiny present, lovingly wrapped in swaddling clothes on that first Christmas morning? Within Jesus' fragile frame, undiminished deity and true humanity existed together as God's supreme gift of grace to us-a gift too wonderful for words!' How can I begin to describe such an indescribable Person? If the heavens could open and we could all get a glimpse of Christ in His glory, we would be struck speechless and would fall at His feet as if we were dead (Revelation 1:12-17). We cannot begin to imagine the splendor, the glory, and the riches that Jesus Christ has and gave up to come to this earth. We can rightly say,

A. None was richer than Christ was.
He was rich in supremacy and power: “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For in Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on the earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him” (Colossians 1:15-16).

He was rich in glory: “And He is the radiance of His glory, and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power” (Hebrews 1:3). He is one with the Father, having shared His glory before the creation of the earth (John 10:30; 17:5). He receives the worship of myriads upon myriads of angels, who bow before His throne proclaiming, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts, the whole earth is full of His glory” (Isaiah. 6:3). Of Isaiah’s vision John wrote, “These things Isaiah said, because he saw His [Christ’s] glory, and he spoke of Him” (John 12:41). We cannot begin to imagine the riches of Jesus Christ before He came to this earth. Yet,

B. None became poorer than Christ became. “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.” (2 Corinthians 8:9) Jesus became poor in that He voluntarily gave up the use of certain divine attributes during His earthly life. He did not cease to have these attributes; He simply gave up His use of them. He could have struck His persecutors dead on the spot. He could have done many other things as God, but He chose not to. Instead, He took on human flesh and became a servant, obedient to death on the cross. Paul profoundly speaks of this in Philippians 2:5-11, “Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”

He could have been born in a palace; He was born in a stable. He could have been born with a superhuman body, not subject to pain, hunger, and tiredness; He was born with a body like ours, except for sin. He could have come to earth as an adult, strong and ready to assume power; He was born as a weak infant, who had to be rescued from Herod’s murderous threats. He could have been born into wealth, where His hands would never be rough from calluses; He worked as a carpenter. He could have begun His ministry as a miracle-working child or young adult; He waited until He was about thirty. He could have been waited on by a contingent of servants; He became a servant. Good men rightly should have died for Him; He died for sinners.

Who can describe the chasm between the glory of heaven and the humiliation of the cross? If billionaire Bill Gates were to give up his wealth and possessions and go to Calcutta, clothe himself in rags, eat meager food and serve the poor, it would not compare to what Jesus Christ did in giving up the riches of heaven to take on the poverty of our sinful humanity through His birth and death on the cross! From highest heaven He descended to the shame and agony of Golgotha. From the glory of perfect holiness, He was made sin on our behalf. “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). None was richer than Christ was! None became poorer than He did for our sakes so that we might become rich through Him! He is God’s indescribable gift to us!

III. IT IS INEXPRESSIBLE BECAUSE JESUS SATISFIES OUR DEEPEST NEEDS
God’s gift is also in­expressible for the effects it produces. This is unmeasurable by human beings. The gift of God accomplishes everything in those who believe. At Christmas many are thinking about their felt needs as they think about gifts and advertising and the media and a therapeutic society don’t exactly help. Marketers, salesmen, therapists, self-help gurus, and popular religion all pander to our felt needs (which our corrupt nature is deceived to think are our actual needs); but God’s determines and therefore knows our deepest needs and His gift of Jesus Christ meets and satisfies our deepest and real needs:

1. The need for salvation: The Bible says, "All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). "It is appointed to man once to die and after that comes judgment." (Hebrews 9:27). We will give an account to God for our lives. Jesus Christ came and suffered and died and rose again from the dead to pay the price for our sins. The angel told Joseph “Jesus… will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21) and the shepherds “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”(Luke 2:10-11) .When we trust him as Lord and Savior of our lives we have peace with God, our sins are forgiven, and there is no more condemnation (Romans 5:1; 8:1; Ephesians 2:13-16).Jesus is God's inexpressible gift to meet this need

2. The need for eternity with God: The Bible is clear on this: there is a heaven and there is a hell. Both last forever. And where we spend eternity is chosen in this life. And Jesus is the way to heaven, the only way. "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whoever believes on him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16). Jesus is God's inexpressible gift to meet this need.

3. The need to satisfy our empty hearts: Jesus said, "I am the bread of life; he who comes to me shall not hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst" (John 6:35).Everybody is thirsty. Everybody is searching for a fountain of everlasting joy. When you find Jesus the search is over. Jesus is God's inexpressible gift to meet this need.

4. The need to know God: We can know God — just as personally and intimately as you know anyone in this world. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God; all things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. . . And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; we have beheld his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father" (John 1:1-4,14). God in the person of His Son has become flesh - human. And Jesus said to Philip, "If you have seen me you have seen the Father" (John 14:9). Jesus is God reaching out to us. God wants to be known. He wants to be loved. He wants to be a Father and a Friend. And though he is great beyond all imagination, he came near in Jesus so that we could know him. "If you had known me, you would have known my Father also; henceforth you know him and have seen him" (John 14:7). Jesus is God's inexpressible gift to meet this need

5. The need to change: Paul said, "I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me" (Galatians 2:20). And the life Paul lived by faith in the Son of God was an incredible life of love and sacrifice and joy for the good of people and the glory of God. Paul had no doubt at all that there is a power that really changes people. Namely, the power of Jesus Christ when we trust in him. Jesus is God's inexpressible gift to meet this need.

IV. OUR EXPRESSIVE RESPONSE TO GOD’S INEXPRESSIBLE GIFT A four-year-old boy asked his father, “Daddy, what does ‘ignore’ mean?” His father explained that it meant not to pay attention to someone. The boy responded, “I don’t think we should ignore Jesus.” Puzzled, the dad replied, “I don’t either.” Then the boy explained, “But that’s what the Christmas carol says, ‘O come let us ignore Him.’” Many people really sing it that way, don’t they? Could you be ignoring Jesus this Christmas? Would you slow down to take the time to reflect and respond to God the Father in the only appropriate way to respond to such an indescribable gift of His Son Jesus? I close with this thought. Even though the gift of God in Christ is "inexpressible", it is nevertheless to be spoken of. And the primary reason is because it is so wonderfully, profoundly, amazingly, inexpressible.

To whom shall we speak of it? Well, to God first of all! This is the other half of the text, for 2 Corinthians 9:15 does not speak merely of God's gift. It says, "Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift." Have you thanked God for his great gift of salvation through Jesus Christ? Have you thanked God for anything? At Christmas you and I thank will thank all kinds of people for gifts. But what of God? If that gift is as great as the Bible says it is, then we should literally cry out with Paul in worship, praise, and thanksgiving, "Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!" Thanks be to God for Jesus!

And when we are crying out thanks, let us not forget that the best thanks are not in word alone. Thanks are expressed in deeds too that express our love and gratitude towards Him. What deeds? If you have never received the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, your first deed should be to receive him and wor­ship him, as the shepherds, wise men and others of the Christmas story did. That is, you should receive and take the gift God gives you. “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God – children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God”( John 1:12). Do not think of it in terms of your worthiness. You are not worthy and never will be worthy. Just take it. Let it be yours. Receive it as that treasure in the field or that pearl of great price for which the wise men and women of this world sell all that they have.

Secondly, you can also express your thanks by service. You have much, but there are others who have little. Reach out to them in Christ's name. Let God's generous gift be the pattern for your giving of your money, possessions, time, self, and your very life and his service be the pattern for your service.

Finally, know that you are not merely under obligation to speak to God about his indescribable gift. You have an obligation to speak to others also. I notice that in the Christmas story nearly everyone spoke to others about God's gift. The wise men said, "We have seen his star in the east and have come to worship him" (Matt. 2:2). The shepherds "spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child" (Luke 2:17). Simeon "praised God" (Luke 2:28). Anna, the prophetess, "gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem" (Luke 2:38).

That last is the perfect combination: thanks to God and testimony to other people. May we together with Paul say to God and others with joy, awe, gratitude, and praise: Thanks be to God for his inexplicable gift!