the Third Week of Advent
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Daily Devotionals
Grace for Today
2 Corinthians 9:15
‘Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift’
Read Matthew 1:1-25
‘Unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given.’ The appearance of God in human flesh was the embodiment of the gospel. Surely nothing but good could result from the miraculous birth of the God-man. Well did the angels sing, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.’ As we now frequently meditate upon the incarnation and birth of Christ, we are compelled to employ the apostle’s language in our praise: ‘Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift!’ For thy Son, O Lord, we cannot give thanks enough. Words cannot be formed which would express the gratitude of our hearts.
Jesus Christ is the gift of God. We had no claim upon him. We felt no need of him. We did not desire him. But, freely, out of his abundant love and grace, God gave us his Son. ‘For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son.’ God the Father gave us his Son in the covenant of grace. He gave us his Son in his condescending incarnation. God gave his Son at Mount Calvary. And God gave us his Son in the new birth. In giving us salvation and eternal life, God gave us Christ and all that he is, and all that he has done and all that he possesses. Christ is our salvation, our life and our all. And all who have him have him by the free gift of God.
As the gift of God, Jesus Christ is unspeakable. Who can describe the glorious Godhead and perfect humanity of Christ? The complex union of the God-man is a mystery beyond human understanding. We can only say, ‘Great is the mystery, of godliness, God was manifest in the flesh.’ Is there a man who can adequately explain the vicarious life of Christ to accomplish our righteousness, or his substitutionary redemption to purchase our pardon? No. We can only say, ‘Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.’
But Jesus Christ is a gift of whom we shall speak very much. We shall speak of him to God in prayer and praise. We shall speak of him to men while we live. And we shall speak of him eternally among the hosts of heaven.
