THE GIFT FROM HEAVEN

Galatians 4:1-7

Intro: We all know that the Bible tells us that it is “more blessed to give than to receive.”

However, at this time of year, in the midst of all the giving and the receiving, even the biggest Scrooge among us likes to receive a gift. For many, including myself, one of the best parts of receiving a gift is the anticipation and the excitement that accompanies the unwrapping of that gift. We are thinking, “I wonder what it is?”; “Is it what I want?”; “I hope I won’t look disappointed if it isn’t!”. Everyone in this room knows exactly what I am talking about!

Well, regardless of whether you get a new tie, a new set of bunny slippers, or that new car you have been dreaming of, nothing you will receive this Christmas will come close to measuring up to the gift God gave the world on that first Christmas.

Paul put it this way in 1 Cor. 9:15, “Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.”

2 Corinthians 9:15 KJV 1900

Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.

He said that the gift God gave the world was great beyond description! What was the gift that God gave to the world 2,000 years ago? It was His Own darling Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, John 3:16.

He gave His Son to this world so that sinners like you and me might be saved from our sins and from the wages of those sins, death in Hell forever, Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

In this passage, Paul writes about the great, unspeakable gift of God. He helps us to understand Jesus, His mission and His ministry a little bit more clearly. In effect, he helps us to unwrap Heaven’s gift. I would like for us to take some time today to look into this passage. I want us to see what the Lord gave us when He gave us His Son. I want us to be excited about His gift and I want us to fully appreciate who Jesus is and what He has done for you and me. I want to preach for a few minutes on this thought: Unwrapping Heaven’s Gift.

I. THE MISSION OF HEAVEN’S GIFT-VS. 4-5

A. The Origin Of His Mission

His mission was conceived in Heaven and carried out on this earth. Contrary to popular belief, Jesus Christ did not have His beginning in Bethlehem! He was born there as an infant, but He has been around for all eternity. In fact, He is the great “I AM”!

He is the agent behind creation, Colossians 1:15–17 “Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.”

His mission was planned before the world was created, Rev. 13:8; but it was carried out on this earth some 2,000 years ago, 1 Pet. 1:18-21!

(Note: This wasn’t man’s plan or religion’s plan. It was a plan born in the heart of God - Rom. 5:8, born in His love for you!)

The “fulness of time”.

The time was right Religiously:

The Jews were free from idolatry, they were looking for Messiah, they had finished their Old Testament, and they had created a system of synagogues and religious schools. All of this made the propagation of the message of the Messiah much easier.

The time was right Culturally:

The common language of the day was Greek. A very expressive language, known around the world. Greek was the trade language of the world.

The time was right Politically:

The Roman empire was the dominate power in that day. They provided three tremendous assets to the spread of the Gospel message. 1.) Pax Romana - The Roman peace provided social, economic and political stability. This allowed the early missionaries and preachers to travel freely throughout the Roman Empire. 2.) Lex Romana - The Roman Law gave the citizens living in the Empire many rights that also helped spread the Gospel. 3.) Rio Romana - The Roman roads. These highways, many of which are still in use today, served to aid in the spreading of the Gospel message.)

B. The Objective Of His Mission

Verse 5 tells us that He came to “redeem them that were under the law”. The word “redeem” means “to buy in the slave market through the payment of the redemption price. To buy for oneself and to forever remove from the sale.”

Jesus Christ came to this world for one purpose: to die for the sins of humanity! This was His clear statement and the sole passion of His life, Luke 19:10 “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

Even the prophet Isaiah saw that this would be the ministry of the Messiah, Isa. 53:1-12. (Note: He did not come to this world as a great teacher or leader of men. He did not come as an example for us to follow. He came “to give His life a ransom for many”,

Mark 10:45 “For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.”

C. The Outcome Of His Mission

- If you don’t know Jesus as your personal Savior, then you might not know this but, His ministry was a resounding success! When He went to the cross for the lost, He paid a price that no one else could have ever paid.

He was able to declare from that cross: “It is finished!”, John 19:30 “When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.”

According to Hebrews, the work Jesus did on the cross was sufficient for all men for all time, Hebrews 9:12 “Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.”

Hebrews 10:10–14 “By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.”

(Note: His sacrifice on the cross was and is sufficient to save you and keep you saved forever! Have you experienced the power of His redemptive work in your own heart and life?)

II. THE MINISTRY OF HEAVEN’S GIFT-VS. 5

A. It Was A Personal Ministry

Notice the use of the words “we, ye, our, your, thou” in verses 5-7.

This lets us in on the truth that the ministry of Heaven’s gift was very personal in nature. He did what He did for people He knew. He did what He did for people He loved. He did what He did as a personal ministry!

His death on the cross was sufficient to save anyone who will trust Him by faith,

Revelation 22:17 “And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.”

B. It Was A Peculiar Ministry

Jesus did what no other Person could have ever done! Any of the billions of people who have ever lived could have been nailed to that cross and not a single sin would have been paid for, not even their own!

He was sinless and He was God in the flesh!

John 1:1 KJV 1900

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

John 1:14 KJV 1900

And the Word was made 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.

Philippians 2:5–8 KJV 1900

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

The French mathematician Auguste Comte was talking about religion one day with the Scottish essayist Thomas Carlyle. Comte suggested they start a new religion to replace Christianity, based on positive thinking and mathematical principles. Carlyle thought about it a moment and replied, “Very good, Mr. Comte, very good. All you will need to do will be to speak as never a man spoke, and live as never a man lived, and be crucified, and rise again the third day, and get the world to believe that you are still alive. Then your religion will have a chance to get on.”

C. It Was A Powerful Ministry

According to verse 5, the ministry of Heaven’s gift accomplished two great things for you and me.

1.) It delivered us from the authority of a Law we could never keep, James 2:10 “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.”

2.) It reconciled us to God and placed us in the family of God, Eph. 2:12-22.

That is something religion and human effort could never achieve! This powerful ministry of Christ is available only by grace through faith, Eph. 2:8-9.

III. THE MESSAGE OF HEAVEN’S GIFT-VS. 6-7

A. A Message About Our Father

The phrase “Abba, Father” could roughly be translated, “Daddy, Father”.

It is a phrase that expresses the intimacy God’s children can enjoy with Him.

This speaks of a relationship that allows us to enter the presence of God at any time to worship, to seek His help, etc.

Hebrews 4:16 KJV 1900

Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

The Lord has literally become our Father! We can be as intimate with Him as we desire to be! (Note: This was a new idea, particularly to the Jews. They had many names for God. He was Jehovah-Jireh; Jehovah-Rohi; Jehovah-Shammah; Jehovah-Rapha, etc. When they prayed to God, they used whatever name they felt was appropriate for their current circumstances. When the disciples came to Jesus to ask Him about praying to God and how to approach Him, Jesus told them to pray, “Our Father....”, Luke 11:1-2

Luke 11:1–2 KJV 1900

And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples. And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.

We don’t have to memorize lots of names for God, we just need to remember that regardless of what we face in life, He is our Father!

We are no longer servants to sin and death, but by grace and through the blood of Jesus, we are the son’s of God, v. 7. The Prodigal son wanted to return home a servant, Luke 15:18-21, but his Father had other ideas for him, Luke 15:22-24; 20. It is amazing but true, God saved us to be His sons,

1 John 3:1–3 “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.”

B. A Message About Our Family

Notice what verse 6 says. It tells us that we are in this thing together. Notice “ye are sons” and “into your hearts crying, Abba, Father.” The idea here is this: God has done a work of grace in us that has made us one family in Him!

We are a people saved by the same blood, headed to the same heaven and indwelt by the same Spirit.

In other words, there is a common thread that runs though our lives. This makes us one in Him!

C. A Message About Our Future-vs. 7

We are reminded here that we are His “heirs”. What belongs to our Father belongs to us as well! This is what Paul told us in Romans 8:17. We are heirs of the greatest estate that has ever existed. Now, when we think of being an heir, our “spiritual” minds always think of money first.

We think of all our Father possesses and how He will move heaven and earth if necessary to meet the need of His child. I am glad that this is true, Phil. 4:19; Psa. 37:25, but what we have in Him is far deeper than just the financial and the material. Think about it!

We serve a God Who is eternal and immortal and we will inherit that also.

John 10:28 KJV 1900

And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

We serve a God Who is infinitely holy. We will inherit that also some day - 1 Corinthians 15:53 “For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.”

What God has for us is far beyond our comprehension today!

Conclusion:

2 Corinthians 9:15 KJV 1900

Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.

As I think about unwrapping Heaven’s gift, I get excited to think about all Jesus is and all He has done for us.

But, I wonder about you! Are you saved? You know, before a gift can become what it was designed to be, it must first be given, then it must be received. God has given His gift to the world. We have tried to unwrap Him just a bit this morning. God has given the gift. Have you received His gift for yourself? If not, there would be no better time to do that than right now.

Some of us have received the gift, but we don’t really seem very thankful for it. Don’t you hate giving someone something and they respond with ingratitude?

I wonder how God must feel when He sees how we treat His gracious, priceless and perfect gift. Maybe you need to come and thank Him for His “unspeakable gift”. Maybe you need to come before Him and get back to the place in your life where you lived like His gift meant something to you.

Only you and the Lord know your heart today. You do what He is telling you right now.