A gift that leaves you speechless? This is the time of year for gifts. Choosing the perfect gift is hard. When you buy it, it costs more than you bargain for. You get it and wrap it. Then it’s time to give.
II Corinthians 9:15 “Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.”
As we observe communion and feet washing, think about the cup and the bread. These are ordinances of and symbols for something. How can they go with the trappings of Christmas? They are tokens of something ugly—painful. They bring to mind images we want to turn from: a torn, bleeding body, terrible beatings, a crown of thorns, a body nailed to the cross hanging unto the death. It’s beyond imagery.
On the other hand, Christmas is beautiful. The lights, decorations, brilliant colors, and all the songs to lift your spirits give us reason to celebrate. It’s a wonderful time of year. It’s wonderful because of the ugliness that was endured. It’s wonderful because of what he became. The horror of Calvary was a price to be paid so a gift could be purchased. Paul said it’s the gift that leaves you speechless.
There are some people you can’t pull anything on. They always have a comeback. Let that person get a gift he has always wanted and never thought he’d get, and you’ll see a speechless person. Our gift became available and is symbolized by the bread and cup. If properly opened and considered, this gift causes us to be speechless. In one word, it’s unspeakable. It’s love unspeakable that caused him to break his body and forfeit his life. He became our Savior when he laid down his life and became sin for us. We can never deserve this gift of God. It’s our eternal life. It defies description. There are no words to describe that love. How would you even frame them? It goes beyond the sacrament to a holy and sacred service because these tokens speak loud and clear. With a cup in one hand and bread in the other, Jesus sent a message that proves his love—while we were yet sinners, he died for us. It was his blood, not mine. It was his body that was broken, not mine.
It is unspeakable. Remember how Paul wrote it. It is HIS unspeakable gift. Never give the credit to others. All glory and thanks belong to HIM. It’s HIS gift. He bought it and paid it in full. “Jesus paid it all. All to him I owe. Sin had left a crimson stain. He washed it white as snow.”
“Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift” to us. His gift is in our heart and soul. As we hold and trust, and stay true to this gift, it remains in our hearts. It is the will of Jesus that we be where he is and be together forever.
May God’s gift always take our breath away and leave us speechless. May we live accordingly.
Adwolfe Freewill Baptist Church 