Upon arriving at the designated meeting place my family and I received an over the top gift that simultaneously met a pressing need. It was one of those presents that you are at a loss for words as to how to express your appreciation. In moments like this all you can say is, "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" As the words come out of your mouth you realize that human words do not do justice for such gospel generosity!
This real life story serves as a great illustration of 2 Corinthians 9:15 where Paul writes, "But thanks be to God for His indescribable gift." Other translations say, "But thanks be to God for His inexpressible, unspeakable, too wonderful for words" gift!
The greatest gift of gifts is the Lord Jesus Christ. "For God so loved the big bad world that He gave His one of a kind Son that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3:16). The eternal Son left the glories of heaven to give His perfect life as a substitutionary sacrifice for sin (2 Cor. 5:21). In coming, living, dying, and rising again the Son of God met our greatest need (Romans 3-5). He paid off our debts. He satisfied the wrath of God (1 John 4:10). He brought us near again (Eph. 2:13).
Paul is not exaggerating when He labels this an "indescribable gift."
"When we were dead in our sin, lost in our rebellion, far from home in a distant country, the Father sent us a Savior to seek and save us."
Is it any wonder why believers, past and present, regularly find themselves at a loss for words when trying to express our thanks to God for this "too wonderful for words" gift? "What language shall we borrow to thank Thee dearest friend?" As we gather around the Lord's Table each month my congregation and I love to sing, "Jesus, Thank You" but "thank you" just seems so inadequate for such gospel generosity! It feels that way because it is. This is one of the first lessons of grace.
The gift of salvation and the incarnation of the eternal Word of God fuels Christian THANKSGIVING and the giving of gifts at Christmas. 1 John 4:9-11, "By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another."
This holiday season may God's people be thankful for God's inexpressible, unspeakable, too wonderful for words gift. And may such grace and kindness motivate us to reciprocate deeds of charity and love (John 12:1-8; 13:34-35.
