The Expectant, the Affected and the Unspeakable- 3

The one who is Christmas. 2 Cor 9:15.

An article about badly chosen gifts, Oh, you shouldn't have... no, REALLY you shouldn't have (About.com. EDITED BY SALLY BROOK. Accessed. Dec 22, 2011.), mentions a quote from Psychologist and relationship counselor, Ron Bracey who believes the gift you buy someone is a reflection on your understanding of them. He says: "It should show thought and also that you have taken an interest in them and what they like. The thought put into it is much more important than the money spent, so this is why it can cause a real problem between a couple if the person receiving the present feels their partner got it wrong. I want to talk to you about the most thoughtful gift ever given. Also, I wonder if you ever got a gift that left you speechless, because I want to talk to you about one gift that will leave you just that. It is also something that I received years ago. Speaking about Jesus Christ the Bible says: 2 Cor 9: 15. Thanks [be] unto God for his unspeakable gift. We have been doing a series on characters from the Christmas narrative, and Jesus is the most important and its main character. A series like this would not be complete without talking about Jesus. Also, Christmas season is probably the best time as any to talk about Jesus the best gift ever. The Unspeakable Gift. unspeakable?, What is it that makes Him Unspeakable? The word unspeakable appears three times in the New Testament (and even in the entire Bible). 2 Cor 9:15. Anekdigtos: Means unspeakable, or indescribable 2 Cor 12:4. Arrtos: Unsaid, unspoken. unspeakable (on account of its sacredness). How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter. 1 Peter 1:8. Aneklaltos: Unspeakable. Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see [him] not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy
unspeakable and full of glory:

In the light of the context of these verses, we understand that Jesus is indescribable. Humanly speaking, it is indescribable that a carpenter from a remote village with a bad reputation would dream to have more than 33% of the humanity follow Him through centuries and that with about three years worth of work. See what people have to say about Jesus. One Solitary Life (Source unknown. Some have attributed this to Philips Brooks, the author of "O Little Town of Bethlehem.") He was born in an obscure village, the child of a peasant woman. He grew up in another village, where He worked in a carpenter shop until He was thirty. Then for three years He was an itinerant preacher. He never wrote a book. He never held an office. He never had a family or owned a home. He didnt go to college. He never visited a big city. He never traveled two hundred miles from the place where he was born. He did none of the things that usually accompany greatness. He had no credentials but Himself. He was only thirty-three when the tide of public opinion turned against Him. His friends ran away. One of them denied Him. He was turned over to His enemies and went through the mockery of a trial. He was nailed to a cross between two thieves. While He was dying, His executioners gambled for His garments, the only property he had on earth. When He was dead, He was laid in a borrowed grave through the pity of a friend. Nineteen centuries have come and gone, and today He is the central figure of the human race. All the armies that ever marched, all the navies that ever sailed, all the parliaments that ever sat, all the kings that ever reigned, put together, have not affected the life of man on this earth as much as that one solitary life. Yet Jesus is not unspeakable, nor indescribable because of these mere human statistics.

Why is Jesus Indescribable?

What makes Jesus unique?

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Author Max Lucado sums up Jesus uniqueness in this way: What do we do with such a person? We applaud men for doing good things. We enshrine God for doing great things. But when a man does God things? One thing is for certain, we cant ignore him. Why would we want to? There he was, the most significant person who ever lived. Forget MVP; he is the entire league. The head of the parade? Hardly. No one else shares the street. Who comes close? Humanitys best and brightest fade like dime-store rubies next to him. Dismiss him? We cant. Resist him? Equally difficult. Dont we need a God-man savior? Near enough to touch. Strong enough to trust. A next door Savior? There is something about Jesus that enshrines the greatness of God and vulnerability of man. Both Words and Minds fail to describe Him. 1.

Language

Gods Superlatives David C. Egner1 writes, Writers are supposed to avoid superlatives. The textbooks tell us that authors who use extreme adjectives like fabulous, magnificent, and splendid are usually overstating the case. These graphic superlatives are to be reserved only for occasions that actually merit their use, and then they are to appear very seldom. But when the writers of the Bible spoke of the blessings of God upon His children, they used the strongest of terms. So marvelous are the riches of Christ enjoyed by His own that the Holy Spirit, the author of Gods Word, used the most extravagant language to describe them. Here are a few examples: Gods pardon is abundant Isaiah 55:7 His love passeth knowledge Ephesians 3:19 His life is more abundant John 10:10. List goes on but in describing Christ, the Bible says: He is unspeakable II Corinthians 9:15

Indescribable! Jesus cannot be described fully because of the limitation of word and language.
Example: Somebody said to an old Scotch woman, "Well, you are converted now. "Aye, I am." "How does it feel? , asked the other. The woman replied, "Oh, it is better felt than telt . " Words are unable to describe what Jesus means to my soul.

Wiersbe in explaining the expression unspeakable gift says: (GOD'S UNSPEAKABLE GIFT (Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition
commentary (Lk 2:39). Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books)).

"Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift." This word literally means, "Not yet fully expounded." "Thanks be unto God for His not yet fully expounded gift. That is very suggestive; it tells me that someday I will understand this gift, though as yet I cannot do so. It tells me that God has wonderful things in reserve, which I am going to find out when I get Home to Heaven, but as long as I am down here in the world it will never be fully expounded. We read when the Queen of Sheba came to Solomon to question him concerning the name of the LORD (1 Kings 10:1), Solomon answered all her questions, and there was nothing in her heart that he did not explain. And when she saw his glory and all his servants, and the wealth that was His, she said, It was a true report that I heard in mine own land of thy acts and thy wisdom. Howbeit I believed not the words until I came, and mine eyes had seen it; and, behold, the half was not told me: thy wisdom and prosperity exceedeth the fame which I heard" (1 Kings 10:6, 7) . The glory of the name of the LORD. Jesus far exceeds our mere expression. Words are totally inadequate to use as wrapping paper to package this unspeakable gift. How beautifully the Hymn writes captures the emotion: "There are depths of love that I cannot know. Till I cross the narrow sea; There are heights of joy that I may not reach, Till I rest in peace with Thee."
2. Mind Forget expression, even in conception we fail to describe Christ. Trying to understand Jesus with our mind is impossible and yet belief in Him is rational. Faith in Jesus is about complete trust, and yet it is not blind faith. Even the Angels we read are not able to
1 Tan, P. L. (1996). Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations: Signs of the Times. Garland, TX: Bible Communications, Inc.

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comprehend the grace of God, when God took on the form of man. 1 Cor 2:9. But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. Knowledge Base: Our mind is not big enough to take in even 1% of the entire knowledge available in this world The various branches of Sciences, Arts, Sociology, Psychology, History, Archeology and the list goes on. Besides the knowledge on the earth, there is the knowledge of the heavens Cosmology, Astronomy, Astrophysics etc. It would be foolish then to believe we can understand God entirely, who is beyond the heavens and earth is merely his footstool. Romans 11:33-36.(33) Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! How can we even begin to explain Jesus? 100% man and 100% God. He is not man with God residing in Himwith a higher God consciousness. He is not God who became man --an avatar, but a God who took on manhood. God takes on a second nature, we read in Philippians chapter 2. He is both God and man at the same time. Why you may ask did God have to do that? A Saviour had to be both. It was Man who had to die for the sin, for the blood of bulls and lambs could not take away the sins of men. There was no adequate substitute on this earth. So Jesus takes on the form of Man.Yet He had to be God, for it is only God who can completely recompense the price of sin, and no man can.

Jesus is a mystery
100% man and 100% God? Rationally we would think Jesus is either a contradiction or a paradox. He is neither but a mystery. Contradiction? Law of non-contradiction: It cannot be and not be at the same time in the same relationship (Aristotles definition). If something is A, then it cannot be not A in the same relationship. I cannot say Dan is our son born to us, and then say Dan our son, not born to us. 1. However I can say, I am both a father and a son, and I would not break the law of non-contradiction. Since, I am a father to my son Dan, and a son to my father, Elias, that is because the relationship has changed in the second statement. Jesus is both God and Human. He is neither man who became God, nor God who became man. He is God who took on the second nature; the nature of Man. Jesus is both God and Man. Is it difficult to understand the law of non-contradiction? How much more to understand God Himself? Jesus has two distinct natures: divine and human. Jesus is the Word who was God and was with God and was made flesh, (John 1:1,14). This means that in the single person of Jesus is a human and divine nature, God and man. The divine nature was not changed when the Word became flesh (John 1:1, 14). Instead, the Word was joined with humanity (Col. 2:9). Jesus' divine nature was not altered. Also, Jesus is not merely a man who "had God within Him" nor is he a man who "manifested the God principle." He is God in flesh, second person of the Trinity. "The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word," (Heb. 1:3). Jesus' two natures are not "mixed together," (Eutychianism) nor are they combined into a new God-man nature (Monophysitism). They are separate yet act as a unit in the one person of Jesus. This is called the Hypostatic Union. (http://carm.org/jesus-two-natures. Accessed. Dec 23, 2011) It was this Jesus they saw for the first time on that Christmas day over 2000 years ago. 2. Paradox? Jesus is not a paradox. A Paradox is what seems like something else when placed alongside. In the famous poem, The Rainbow, William Wordsworth used the expression, "The child is father of the man." This expression means that all our positive and negative traits are established when we are young. Indeed, if you watch children at play, you will notice them demonstrate certain characteristics which remain with them forever. This is a Paradox because it feels like the statement is breaking the law of non-contradiction, but it is stating a truth that the Child has all that takes to be a man. In a Paradox two opposites may be paired to distill a new meaning. Jesus however is not a paradox, though God and Man are in the opposite ends of the spectrum.

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Jesus is not man who looked liked God, or God who looked like man. He is not God and Man mixing to become someone else. He is completely man and completely God.

3.

Mystery? Jesus is a mystery. A Mystery is something incomprehensible but not unknowable. Bible has revealed to us to the degree we can understand. There are parts of Him in the realm of the unknown. We can know Him, but cannot describe Him.

It is a mystery indeed when you think? How can someone who holds all things together be held in human arms of Mary, or Jospeh, or Simeon, or Anna or the many others who held Jesus.
One doesnt have to fully understand to accept. Physics provides an example. There are aspects of light that we dont understand. Is light a wave or a particle? We cant say for sure, but it doesnt prevent us from benefitting from light. Have I lost you? Thought you might enjoy a bit of mind circus. And just like you dont have to fully understand light before you can believe in it or even make it part of your daily life, even so Jesus though a mystery is and must be an essential part of your life here and life to come. Richard Dawkins in his book The God Delusion narrates the apparent development of morality and the formation of religion, with his usual atheistic bias. He certainly doesnt understand the mind of God, as he convincingly yet incorrectly weaves a viewpoint. In his book he quotes Einstein: "To sense that behind anything that can be experienced there is a something that our mind cannot grasp and whose beauty and sublimity reaches us only indirectly and as a feeble reflection, this is religiousness." In other words, he is saying, we must reject what our minds dont understand and thats only rational. This sentiment demonstrates how brilliant minds and the new atheists, in trying to understand God who is beyond our understanding have become deluded instead. I could go on. But one thing I want you to understand, it is this indescribable person who comes to us this season as a GIFT.

What difference does this Gift make this Christmas season?

1.

God with us (Matthew 1:23)

Introduction of Jesus begins with Him being God. Deut 4:7. For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as the LORD our God is to us, whenever we call upon him? That was the sentiment of the Nation of Israel, echoed by Moses. Beginning from the Garden of Eden it was always God who drew Himself close to men. Later He tells Moses, build me a tabernacle that I may dwell amongst them. There is the prophecy of Isaiah about Immanuel God with us fulfilled by Jesus Christ. Jn 1:14. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. It gets better. It is God on our behalf On the cross we see not just God with us, but God instead of us. Romans 5:8. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. It doesnt stop there. It is God in us. This happened on the Pentecost. The words of Jesus to His disciples were: John 14:23. Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. And not just that, it goes on to say that it is God for us. Romans 8:31. What shall we then say to these things? If God [be] for us, who [can be] against us? Then again, it doesnt end there. Not until we say, it is we with God. 1 Thes 4:16-17 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

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2. God as Father Jn 17:26. And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare [it]: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them. So what is the name that was declared you might ask? Remember the prayer that the Lord taught the disciples, Our Father World till that point in time never dared called God of heaven Abba or Daddy. God was revered to the extent that Jews only referred to God, as G_d or YWH; theyd even skip reading the name. Scholars and scribes translating the Torah would go and wash their feet every time the name of God appeared in the transcript. I remember reading a book by Bilquis Sheikh, I dared to call Him Father. It was beyond her that God could be called by such an endearment. We have called God our Father for so long that we have lost the sweetness and the privilege. Calling Him Father indicates that we have been included into His family and this is made possible only by Jesus. The ability to call God our Father does not reduce our reverence but increases our relationship. That in itself is indescribable, isnt it? How much more who made it possible, the one of whom we try to describe?

The world is irritated with Christians because of their claim to exclusivity. One way and no other way-- That is the tenant, the core principle of Christianity. The issue at hand though is not in its exclusivity, but in its radically different diagnosis. Jesus explains sin, and its consequence in a way that was never explained by anyone else. Let me explain, if someone is has a headache and the doctor insists that it is migraine and treats him accordingly. Imagine, the pain does not subside and so the man goes to a specialist, whose diagnosis indicates brain cancer with an urgent need for surgery. The specialist is not claiming exclusivity but is offering a different diagnosis. Sin was never treated as an offence against God that must be punished. Jesus points the error of diagnosis, and not just that but provides the cure for sin, as no one else can. Just like in the first instance where you go with the specialist whose diagnosis was accurate, you are required to choose what Jesus offers. And millions have experienced the accuracy of His diagnosis and the wonder of His cure. Would you be one of those today? His very name, Jesus, implies that man is in bondage; that our problem is not our circumstance, environment, condition, superior, upbringing or history. The problem is sin! Jesus in speaking to the Samaritan woman said, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, give me to drink; thou wouldst have asked of Him, and He would have given thee living water" (John 4.10). Oh that we would know the gift of God this season. It is the time to get in with God. It is time to know Jesus.

Application
Attitude of Gratitude The question is, what is our hearts response?, Are we grateful people? What do the words we speak belie about us? Are we busy counting our blessings and thanking the Blessor, or are we pulling down our neighbours, our friends, our enemies, just so that we will look good? Are we Mr & Mrs. Negative? The only ones who seem to be able to see the dark lining instead of the silver cloud? What have we been busy doing? Gift that keeps on giving The parable in the thirteenth chapter of Matthew is one that is generally turned upside down. A merchantman came seeking goodly pearls, and "when he found one pearl of great price, he went and sold all he had and bought it. " Almost invariably people make the merchantman the poor sinner, and the pearl God's salvation. But God's salvation is a free gift, and the pearl had to be purchased, so that interpretation is contrary to fact. We have nothing with which to buy God's salvation. The real meaning of that parable surely is that our Lord Jesus Christ came from Heaven as the Merchantman with infinite riches at His disposal, and here

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in this poor dark world He found one pearl of great price, that vast company of men and women who were sunk in sin and iniquity, but who are to be made into the Body and Bride of the Lamb; and having fixed His love upon that pearl, He went and sold all that He had and bought it. Where did He make that great exchange? At Calvary's Cross. There on the Cross He sold all that He had and He shed Hi s own most precious Blood, laid down His life in order that He might purchase the pearl which is to adorn Hi s crown for eternity. GOD IS A GIVER. (Wiersbe) Thats why the most famous verse in the Bible is John 3:16, For God so loved the world that He gave He is the gift that keeps on giving and the more you give, the more you get. That is why He trains His people to give. This is Christmas season and the end of the year. Take a quick second to be critical about yourself. How much have you given given of yourself, of your resources, your time. Not our intentions, but our actions. COMMIT TO THINGS. DONT BE AN ONLOOKER. Christmas is also a time for regifting isnt it. We get gifts we have no use for and so we gift it away or pass on to Goodwill. Jesus however, is the only regifting you will ever do because it is the best for you and you realize is best for your neighbor, your family, your friend and for the stranger on the street.

Paul describes Christ as the Unspeakable gift in light of the giving of the Corinthian Church.
Mary Catherine Ironside a missionary to Iran. She was not martyred, but she was one of many Anglicans from the church missionary society sent to share the gospel throughout the Middle East. An inscription on her tombstone reads, "Will you not follow if you hear the call?" (http://www.cbn.com/CBNnews/437006.aspx. Accessed. Dec 23, 2011). When a Christian practices grace giving, his money is not a substitute for either his concern or his service. He first gives himself to the Lord (2 Cor. 8:5) and then he gives what he has. His gift is a symbol, as it were, of the surrender of his heart. You cannot separate the gift and the giver when your giving is motivated by Gods grace.2 A humble worshipper in Jewish times loved enough to say that he would not offer unto God an offering that cost him nothing, and that loving height of self-surrender was at the highest, but a lowly imitation of the love to which it looked up. What about us?

2 Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (2 Co 9:14). Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books.

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