"Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!”
“Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!” (2 Corinthians 9:15)
In case you haven’t noticed yet, it’s getting awfully close to Christmas (only four shopping days left!). If you’re starting to get nervous and can’t figure out what to get that special someone, I thought I’d pass on a few shopping tips to you. Most of these come from the Neiman Marcus Christmas Catalog - you know the one used in the lifestyles of the rich and the aimless? The gift of choice this year is to send your special loved one on a trip to outer space. You heard right. For a mere $1.7 million you can send your loved one into orbit. Neiman is offering a charter on Virgin Galactic, who promises that regular private space travel will begin in 2009. “Your six-passenger charter begins with three days of medical assessments and training for the astronauts-to-be. When your systems are go, your group will board ‘Space-Ship-Two’ and fly off attached to a launching aircraft,” the Neiman catalog says. “About 10 miles up, the countdown will occur in mid-air. “Space-Ship-Two” will then detach, fire its custom-designed hybrid rocket, and propel you into the majesty of space. (Admit it now – you know someone you’d like to send into outer space; don’t you? Perhaps you can charter the whole flight!) But if space travel doesn’t tickle your fancy how about a little something more down to earth – like a $200,000 restored Camero? Or perhaps you’re looking for a little bling, bling? There’s a custom-made, jewel-encrusted saddle for a pony, a 7.5 carat diamond laced cell phone for $73,000, or how about a $30,000 designer dress for your four-year-old? Looking for something out of the ordinary? How about a $40,000 seven-foot-tall skyscraper made of pencils? And of course let’s not forget about a little something for man’s best friend. This year Neiman is selling a $7,000 indoor pet home, complete with interior rug and coordinating wallpaper, as well as an armchair of plush Italian leather. Who among us wouldn’t want to give our faithful pooch Italian leather for Christmas?
The world may think these “fantasy gifts” will bring indescribable joy. But the only gift that is truly indescribable came wrapped in swaddling cloths many years ago in Bethlehem. In 2 Corinthians 9, Paul at first is writing about human gifts. The Church in Corinth was taking up offerings to give to the poor Christians in Jerusalem. He commends them for their eagerness to help, & reminds them that those who sow sparingly will also reap sparingly, but that those who sow generously will reap generously. Then he shifts his attention from human gifts to God’s gift of sending Jesus to earth for us. As he contemplates the matchless value of Jesus, he cannot find words to describe it. He simply says, “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift.”
Paul stops for a moment and says I just want to thank God for all that Jesus has done for us – Just for a moment I want to describe who Jesus is – but I can’t he’s just so indescribable! He’s the gift that everybody really needs. This year, just like every other year, millions of people, both children and adults, will open millions of gifts. Some won’t fit. Some will be the wrong color. Many will be returned or exchanged or broken and then discarded and forgotten. But there’s one gift that meets everyone’s need, one gift that will never wear out, never break or need repairing. A gift that is appropriate for a small child, teenager, adult, or senior adult. Boy or girl, man or woman, it makes no difference. The gift we all need, the most valuable gift of all, is that baby in the manger - the only reason for the Christmas season. On Christmas, we celebrate the fact that God gave us the gift of His own Son, Jesus Christ, so that through faith in Him we could be forgiven of our sins and have eternal life. T. W. Tozer reminds us: “If our greatest need had been information, God would have sent an educator. If our greatest need had been technology, God would have sent a scientist. If our greatest need had been money, God would have sent us an economist. If our greatest need had been pleasure, God would have sent us an entertainer. But our greatest need was for forgiveness - so God sent us a Savior.”
At Christmas we’re reminded that God sent the best he had for our most pressing need. Jesus went from the cradle to the cross in an indescribable display of his love and mercy towards us. If you really want to give an out-of-this-world-gift this Christmas, why not introduce someone to Jesus? No matter how much you spend as you shop this year, chances are your gift will soon be forgotten. The only gift that will be remembered in eternity is the forgiveness that comes through the cross of the Savior.
In Joy,
PT
In case you haven’t noticed yet, it’s getting awfully close to Christmas (only four shopping days left!). If you’re starting to get nervous and can’t figure out what to get that special someone, I thought I’d pass on a few shopping tips to you. Most of these come from the Neiman Marcus Christmas Catalog - you know the one used in the lifestyles of the rich and the aimless? The gift of choice this year is to send your special loved one on a trip to outer space. You heard right. For a mere $1.7 million you can send your loved one into orbit. Neiman is offering a charter on Virgin Galactic, who promises that regular private space travel will begin in 2009. “Your six-passenger charter begins with three days of medical assessments and training for the astronauts-to-be. When your systems are go, your group will board ‘Space-Ship-Two’ and fly off attached to a launching aircraft,” the Neiman catalog says. “About 10 miles up, the countdown will occur in mid-air. “Space-Ship-Two” will then detach, fire its custom-designed hybrid rocket, and propel you into the majesty of space. (Admit it now – you know someone you’d like to send into outer space; don’t you? Perhaps you can charter the whole flight!) But if space travel doesn’t tickle your fancy how about a little something more down to earth – like a $200,000 restored Camero? Or perhaps you’re looking for a little bling, bling? There’s a custom-made, jewel-encrusted saddle for a pony, a 7.5 carat diamond laced cell phone for $73,000, or how about a $30,000 designer dress for your four-year-old? Looking for something out of the ordinary? How about a $40,000 seven-foot-tall skyscraper made of pencils? And of course let’s not forget about a little something for man’s best friend. This year Neiman is selling a $7,000 indoor pet home, complete with interior rug and coordinating wallpaper, as well as an armchair of plush Italian leather. Who among us wouldn’t want to give our faithful pooch Italian leather for Christmas?
The world may think these “fantasy gifts” will bring indescribable joy. But the only gift that is truly indescribable came wrapped in swaddling cloths many years ago in Bethlehem. In 2 Corinthians 9, Paul at first is writing about human gifts. The Church in Corinth was taking up offerings to give to the poor Christians in Jerusalem. He commends them for their eagerness to help, & reminds them that those who sow sparingly will also reap sparingly, but that those who sow generously will reap generously. Then he shifts his attention from human gifts to God’s gift of sending Jesus to earth for us. As he contemplates the matchless value of Jesus, he cannot find words to describe it. He simply says, “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift.”
Paul stops for a moment and says I just want to thank God for all that Jesus has done for us – Just for a moment I want to describe who Jesus is – but I can’t he’s just so indescribable! He’s the gift that everybody really needs. This year, just like every other year, millions of people, both children and adults, will open millions of gifts. Some won’t fit. Some will be the wrong color. Many will be returned or exchanged or broken and then discarded and forgotten. But there’s one gift that meets everyone’s need, one gift that will never wear out, never break or need repairing. A gift that is appropriate for a small child, teenager, adult, or senior adult. Boy or girl, man or woman, it makes no difference. The gift we all need, the most valuable gift of all, is that baby in the manger - the only reason for the Christmas season. On Christmas, we celebrate the fact that God gave us the gift of His own Son, Jesus Christ, so that through faith in Him we could be forgiven of our sins and have eternal life. T. W. Tozer reminds us: “If our greatest need had been information, God would have sent an educator. If our greatest need had been technology, God would have sent a scientist. If our greatest need had been money, God would have sent us an economist. If our greatest need had been pleasure, God would have sent us an entertainer. But our greatest need was for forgiveness - so God sent us a Savior.”
At Christmas we’re reminded that God sent the best he had for our most pressing need. Jesus went from the cradle to the cross in an indescribable display of his love and mercy towards us. If you really want to give an out-of-this-world-gift this Christmas, why not introduce someone to Jesus? No matter how much you spend as you shop this year, chances are your gift will soon be forgotten. The only gift that will be remembered in eternity is the forgiveness that comes through the cross of the Savior.
In Joy,
PT
posted by Larry | 3:25 PM
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