Part 3 of 5 –
God’s
Indescribable Gift
2 Corinthians
9:15 (NIV) Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!
Mary was not a queen or
princess with a huge estate or a great prophetess with a large following. She
was the humble young (15 year old) Jewish daughter of Heli. She was engaged to
Nazareth
’s local carpenter, a good man named Joseph. When it was time to give birth
Mary was not pampered or given special care and attention. Instead, after
riding a donkey over rough roads to accompany her husband to
Bethlehem
to be taxed, she ended up in a rustic stable – more likely a cave,
surrounded by barnyard animals. There, on a bed of straw, she gave birth to
literal “the Son of God,” now as “the Son of
Man,” wrapping Him in rough linens she laid Him in a hay-filled
animal food trough called “a manger.” I’ve often thought
this animal food trough used as a cradle was fitting since we know Jesus says
He is the real eternal spiritual food, “the Bread of life”
for mankind.
The Scriptures tell us that
Jesus’ first visitors were not among society’s elite, the religious
leaders of
Israel
, the wealthy, or the powerful. Instead, angels announced Jesus’ kingly
entrance into the world to the lowliest, and the poorest people of all –
shepherds who watched their flocks by night, outside the city. They had come
to find the Lord. The King of Glory had come to dwell among them and they came
to find Immanuel – which means, “God with us.” Thus,
common people like you and I could come into the very presence of divinity and
have fellowship with the Son of God in His human form!
Isaiah 7:14
(NIV) Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin
will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him
IMMANUEL (meaning “God with us”).
Isaiah 9:6 For
unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the
government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful,
Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince
of Peace.
This “child”
who came to earth is none other than “The Mighty God” and
“The Everlasting Father” – He is “the gift of God”
come to redeem the world of sin by giving His life and shedding His Royal
Blood. As incredible as it seems, down through the ages, from the very
beginning, starting with Cain, the murderous son of Adam and Eve, mankind has rejected
“the gift of God.” To date, the chosen nation of
Israel
has chosen to reject the Messiah; yet we know one day they will “look
upon Him whom they have pierced” (Zechar 1:10) and be converted.
Yet, there were Old
Testament saints who were in fact saved and redeemed exactly as we are – by
faith in God’s promise of a Savior, and salvation - the difference being
that Jesus, the Messiah, had not yet come. Though they had no understanding of
the full scope of the significance of those Old Testament animal sacrifices
that were the means of their forgiveness of their sins, they could be saved by
faith in God’s promise. The believing Jews offered the blood sacrifices of
animals, as designated by God through Moses. Yet, those sacrifices were only
sufficient to cover their sins; animal blood was not
sufficient to actually take away their sins. It would take the
“Innocent Royal blood” of Jesus Christ to “take away the sins of the
world.”
Now today we may receive
God’s gift of Christ’s shed blood and also His resurrected “Spirit of
life.” His blood was the only blood and His life was the only sinlessly
qualified life that could take away the stain and penalty of our sins… if we
simply believe... trusting in God’s great gift of Jesus’ Royal
Blood for our redemption.
What’s more,
today, after Christ’s crucifixion, under “the dispensation of the grace
of God” (Eph 3:2)… the crucified Jesus, who shed His Royal Blood to
redeem mankind of sin, has been resurrected as “both Lord and Christ”
(Acts 2:36); He has become “the life-giving Spirit” (1Cor 15:45)
to come and indwell the human spirit of every genuine believer (Col 1:27, 1Cor
6:17). To this Apostle Paul says; “Thanks be to God for his
indescribable gift!” (2 Corinthians 9:15 (NIV)
