Hey podcast listeners. Thanks for streaming today's podcast from Pathway to Victory. Pathway to Victory is a nonprofit ministry featuring the Bible teaching of Dr. Robert Jeffress. And right now your generous gift will have twice the impact thanks to the Proclaim the Gospel matching challenge active right now through December 31st. To give a special year-end gift, go to ptv.org slash podcast and click the donate button or follow the link in our show notes. Now here's today's podcast from Pathway to Victory. This is Robert Jeffress. In response to the horrific attack on Israel, I've written a brand new book called Are We Living in the End Times?
Go to ptv.org to order your copy. Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift. The Living Bible says a gift far too wonderful for words. Why is God's gift indescribable?
Because it was occasioned by unparalleled love. Welcome to Pathway to Victory with author and pastor Dr. Robert Jeffress. Some Christians argue that the tradition of giving gifts at Christmas time is worldly and superficial.
They contend it's nothing more than the result of commercialism and greed. But today on Pathway to Victory, Dr. Robert Jeffress argues that Christmas really is about gifts, specifically the indescribable gift that God offers to each of us. Now here's our Bible teacher to introduce today's message.
Dr. Jeffress? Thanks, David, and welcome again to Pathway to Victory. You and I have watched the television news from Israel with heavy hearts.
It's hard to find words that adequately describe the despicable violence against innocent people. And I thought you'd be encouraged to learn that Pathway to Victory is reaching out to the nation of Israel through our ministry. Because of your generosity, we were able to begin beaming our program into Israel in the heart language of the people. It's just one of the many efforts we're making to pierce the darkness in our world with the light of God's word. And we hope to accomplish even more in the coming year. Unfortunately, because of the Proclaim the Gospel matching challenge, we have a potential to reserve $1 million for the coming new year to do even more ministry.
Because of this $500,000 matching challenge, your gift, when received before midnight, December 31st, will be multiplied by two, having twice the impact. Now, as a way to demonstrate my thanks to you, I'm going to make sure that you receive the brand new 2024 Pathway to Victory Daily Devotional. This impressive volume is bound in forest green leather with beautiful gold accents, and I've written a chapter for every weekday in the new year. This volume is more than 500 pages in length, and you'll be drawing inspiration from this daily devotional throughout 2024 and beyond. Well, we set aside the entire month of December to study and celebrate the incomparable Christ.
The title of today's message comes from a quote from the Apostle Paul. He referred to Jesus as a gift too wonderful for words. What is the best Christmas present you ever received? For some of you, it may be a gift that had a lot of monetary value to it. For the others of you, it might be a gift that didn't have a lot of monetary value, but sentimental value because of who gave it. Every parent knows the joy of receiving a homemade Christmas craft or a handmade Christmas card with the words I love you scrawled in crayon. Other people would say, you know, the best gift I got was one that was practical in nature.
It's something I really needed. A few years ago, I did a funeral service for an 84-year-old friend, and his daughter-in-law had written a tribute to her father-in-law about a special Christmas present he had purchased for his wife. She wrote, it was boxed and meticulously wrapped by Dad himself. It was undoubtedly one of the most precious gifts I've ever seen. Not diamonds, pearls, or a fur coat. It was a year's supply of all of Mom's preferred toiletries, multiple cans of hairspray, talcum powder, lotions, and so forth. To me, it was a beautiful expression of a mature love that said, I know you better and love you more than anyone else on the face of the earth.
And I know what you need and use every single day of the year, and I'm going to make sure you have it. The daughter-in-law said, I still get misty-eyed thinking of Dad going up and down the aisle at Sam's, lovingly shopping for those precious gifts for his beloved wife. And I have to tell you, if I got that kind of gift for Amy, I would get misty-eyed, not over the gifts, but over the divorce papers being delivered the next day. But, you know, again, people have their own kind of gifts they enjoy. But I think most of you would agree that the very best gift of all was one that had all three characteristics.
It was a gift of great value, it was a gift given by somebody who's important to you, and it's a gift that meets a very real need. And of course, the best example of that gift is the gift of Jesus Christ. Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift. What is it that made this gift so indescribable? In the few minutes we have today, I just want you to jot down three characteristics of God's indescribable gift. First of all, God's indescribable gift was preceded by elaborate preparation.
You know, the bigger the gift, the more important the gift, the more preparation it requires. God had been preparing for this gift for thousands of years, and now the time had come. It was the right time, first of all, culturally, when you think about it, for the coming of Christ. For the first time since the Tower of Babel, the majority of people in the world were speaking the same language. Alexander the Great had fashioned Koine Greek, Greek for the common man to be spoken. And that facilitated the spreading of the gospel when Christ came.
It facilitated the writing of the scriptures in a language everyone could understand. Secondly, it was the right time politically for the coming of Christ. The emperor was Caesar Augustus.
His real name was Octavian. And he had achieved and presided over the Pax Romana, the Roman peace. The world, for the first time in a long time, was relatively at peace. And there was a vast road system, like our interstate highways the Romans had created, again, that would allow for the quick spread of the gospel after the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. Thirdly, it was the right time spiritually for the coming of Christ.
The polytheism, the worship of many gods, of the Romans and the Greeks, had given way to the openness to monotheism, the idea that there is one God, not multiple gods. But most importantly, it was the right time prophetically. The right time prophetically for the coming of Christ. As you know, there are over 150 specific prophecies in the Old Testament about the coming of Christ, some of them hundreds, a few of them a thousand years old, that gave every detail about his birth.
Let me just give you one example. This prophecy was made 700 years before Christ was born. It's found in Micah 5, 2. Remember what Micah said? But as for you, Bethlehem, Ephrathah, too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you one will go forth for me to be the ruler in Israel.
His goings forth are from long ago, from the days of eternity. Of all of the places Christ could have been born, Micah pinpointed this little village that was so small it wasn't even listed on the registry of towns. He said this is where Christ is going to be born. That's an amazing prophecy. Now, fast forward 700 years from Micah 5, 2 to the time Christ was born. Barry and Joseph, the couple, are expecting the birth of the miraculous child. The only problem is they're not in Bethlehem where Micah predicted. They're up north, 90 miles north in Nazareth. So how in the world does God get this couple from Nazareth down to Bethlehem? Well, we find the answer in the first verse of Luke chapter 2. Now in those days, a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, Octavian, that a census be taken of all the inhabited earth.
While Mary and Joseph were in Nazareth contemplating the birth of this miraculous child, a half a continent away in the center of power, Rome, the emperor and his advisors are meeting together and you know what they're talking about? A government shutdown because of a lack of funding. So they were saying how are we going to make up for the shortfall of this lack of revenue?
And somebody comes up with a brilliant idea. Let's tax the people. Again, some things never change, do they?
They never think about decreasing spending. It's always let's raise the taxes on people. The only problem was unlike the IRS today that has computers that can track you down wherever you are and knows every amount of income you have, there was no way to track people down. So what did Octavian do? He made an order that everyone had to go to his hometown to register for a census that would lead them to the taxation. Look at verse three. And everyone was on his way to register for the census, each to his own city. Joseph also went from Galilee, the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem because he was of the house and family of David.
Think about it. The most powerful man in the world, Octavian, signed a decree, an order. Little did he know when he signed that command that it would cause a couple he had never met named Joseph and Mary to travel to a village he had never heard of named Bethlehem to give birth to the savior of the world. And that's just one example of the elaborate preparation that preceded God's indescribable gift. Secondly, God's indescribable gift was not only preceded by elaborate preparation, it was actually missed because of its simple appearance. Look at verses six and seven. While they were there in Bethlehem, the days were accomplished for her to give birth. And so she gave birth to her firstborn son, and she wrapped him in cloths and laid him in a manger because there was no room for them in the inn. You know one reason, the main reason most people miss God's indescribable gift?
It's because of the wrapping in which that gift came. The Jews believed that the greatest need they had was for liberation from the Romans. They wanted to be free from being underneath the Roman boot. They wanted liberation from Rome. But what they really needed was liberation from their sins and the consequences of their sin. They were looking for a political deliverer, and that's why they missed the coming of the Messiah. They expected when the Messiah came, he would come dressed in regal robes like a king ought to be instead of these simple cloths.
The same thing is true today. You know, most people you talk to, if you ask, what's the greatest gift God could give you? Most people would answer, boy, what I really need is an infusion of cash into my bank account. Or I need healing in my body or the body of somebody I love. I need reconciliation in a relationship that's gone south.
That's my greatest need. Those are all legitimate needs, but our greatest need is for God's forgiveness. And I think that explains why this announcement of Christ's birth came to the group it did. It didn't come to the religious leaders. It came to the most unlikely group, verse eight of chapter two. And in the same region, there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. Now, you have to understand, in the first century, you didn't get any lower on the socioeconomic ladder than shepherds.
They were the bottom rung. They were outcasts, which explains why they were the first to hear the news of the gospel. They understood their need. And that's why the angels said, in verse nine through 11, the angels suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terribly frightened. But the angels said to them, do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy, which shall be for all the people. For today, in the city of David, there has been born for you a what?
A savior who is Christ the Lord. That's the good news we have to share. Christ's coming is good news for everyone. How did the shepherds react to that news? Look at verse 15. When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, let us go straight immediately to Bethlehem then, and see this thing which has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.
They couldn't get to Bethlehem quickly enough. Now compare that to the religious leaders in Matthew 2, who had the same information. They knew about the Christ's coming, and what did they do? Absolutely nothing.
They stayed right where they were. They thought if the Messiah had come to provide forgiveness, he needed to forgive other people, but not them. The religious leaders were filled with pride and self-righteousness. They didn't understand that their need for God's forgiveness wasn't partial.
It was total. You know, I suspect some of you listening right now, some of you here today, if you're honest, you have a hard time getting excited about the Christmas message. You've heard it over and over and over again. If that's true of you, it's only because you don't understand the extent of your need for forgiveness. The Bible says all of us have sinned. All of us have fallen short of the glory of God. We all deserve God's punishment, not only in this life, but for all eternity. But Jesus Christ came to do for us what we could never do for ourselves, and that is to offer the forgiveness of our sins.
Let me illustrate that for you, if I could. I used to have a terrible habit that Amy just absolutely found disgusting. Every Saturday night after dinner, I would get out my shoeshine kit, and I would sit in front of the television set watching the news. I would lay out newspaper on our white carpet, and I would polish my shoes for Sunday morning.
Did that every Saturday night for years and years. And she always warned me about it. She said, you're going to get some of that shoe polish on our white carpet, and it's going to run. No, no, no, I'll be very careful, I said. I promised to be careful. One night, I was extra enthusiastic about my shoeshining, and I was rubbing that brush, and all of a sudden a little fleck of shoe polish jumped off of my brush, leapt over the newspaper, and landed on the white carpet.
I was panicked. So I went over, and I very carefully tried to remove that speck of shoe polish, and as I was doing it, it caused a little streak there. Now, that's a silly illustration, I know, but it illustrates a serious point. The fact is, all of us have stained our lives with sin, every one of us. Some of us have bigger stains than others, but it doesn't matter. The stain is still there. And there's nothing we can do to erase that stain.
In fact, usually the more we try to do, the worse it becomes. But here's the good news. God has a spiritual detergent that can remove the stain of your sin forever. It's called the blood of Christ. And the Bible says when you trust in Christ as your savior, though your sins be as scarlet, he makes them as white as snow.
Isn't that great news? If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive our sins and to cleanse us of all unrighteousness. God's indescribable gift was missed by many because of its simple appearance. Thirdly, why is God's gift indescribable?
Because it was occasioned by unparalleled love. Look at verses 13 and 14, and suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, glory to God in the highest and on earth peace among men with whom God is pleased. That verse gets mistranslated in some versions. And the angel said, glory to God in the highest and peace, goodwill toward men as if God was simply spreading and sharing goodwill, peace to everybody. No, it's to a specific group, peace to those with whom God is pleased. The fact is God is not pleased with us apart from Christ.
We've all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. But Romans 5 once says, therefore having been justified through faith, we have peace with God. Jesus is the mediator, the bridge builder, the one who came to restore our relationship with God.
And those who come to faith in Christ can be at peace with themselves, but most importantly, they can be at peace with God. You know, one of the most common images in the Bible of God the Father is of the wounded lover. The Bible says God loves you and me. He created us to have a relationship with us, but we are the ones who wandered away from God. We've allowed other people and other things to replace his rightful place in our heart. How has God responded to that wound, that insult? He could have left us where we are, separated from God in this life and in the next one, but instead God took the first step in reconciling that relationship with us.
The Bible says, but God demonstrated his love toward us and that while we were yet sinners, he sent Christ to die for us. It was God's love that occasioned this indescribable gift. In one of his writings, J.B. Phillips describes what the first Christmas must have looked like from the angel's point of view.
Listen to this. A senior angel is showing a very young angel around the splinters of the universe. They view whirling galaxies and blazing suns and then flit across the infinite distances of space until at last they enter one particular galaxy containing 500 billion stars. As the two angels drew nearer to the star, which we call our sun, and to its circling planets, the senior angel pointed to a small and rather insignificant sphere turning very slowly on its axis. I want you to watch that planet particularly, said the senior angel, pointing with his finger. Well, it looks very small and rather dirty to me, said the little angel.
What's so special about that one? He listened in stunned disbelief as the senior angel told him that this planet, small and insignificant and not overly claimed, was the renowned visited planet. Do you mean that our great and glorious prince went down in person to that fifth-rate little ball?
Why should he do such a thing as that? The little angel's face wrinkled in disgust. He continued, do you mean to tell me that he stooped so low as to become one of those creeping, crawling creatures of that floating ball?
I do, said the senior angel. And I don't think he would like you to call them creeping, crawling creatures in that tone of voice. For, strange as it may seem to us, he loves them. He went down to visit them, to lift them up to become like him.
The little angel looked blank. Such a thought was almost beyond comprehension. Such a thought was beyond Paul's comprehension too, which is why he said, thanks be to God for his indescribable gift. A gift far too wonderful for words.
Yes, Jesus is a gift that is far too wonderful for words. And at Pathway to Victory, we're praying that God would use today's message to rekindle your passion for Jesus. To help you fan the flame, I'm eager to remind you that I've written a brand new daily devotional for you.
This is one of the most beautiful and comprehensive books we've ever offered. Please get in touch with us today to request your copy of the Pathway to Victory Daily Devotional for 2024. It's yours when you give a generous gift toward the Proclaim the Gospel Matching Challenge. The amount of the matching challenge is $500,000. Because of this arrangement, every gift we receive is automatically doubled, having twice the impact for the new year. Today, your generous gift of $100 becomes $200. Your generous gift of $500 becomes $1,000.
Whatever amount God places on your heart to give will be automatically matched and doubled. You know, last year our financial partners helped us achieve so many great things. Recently, we expanded our broadcast ministry into Israel, where we reach a whole new audience with bold biblical and practical teaching from God's Word. Let me ask you to help us take Pathway to Victory to the next level in 2024 for God's glory alone, and in order to continue piercing the darkness with the light of His Word.
David? Thanks, Dr. Jeffress. When you give a generous year-end gift to support the ministry of Pathway to Victory, we'll say thanks by sending you the brand-new, leather-bound Pathway to Victory Daily Devotional for 2024. To request your copy, call 866-999-2965.
Or, it's even easier, simply go online to ptv.org. Now, when your gift is $100 or more, you'll also receive this month's Christmas teaching series titled The Incomparable Christ. We'll send it on both CD and DVD. Plus, you'll also receive Celebrate the Savior, Volume 2. That's a brand-new music CD featuring performances by the world-class First Baptist Dallas Choir and Orchestra.
You're listening to one of those Christmas favorites right now. Remember, your contribution right now will be doubled in impact through our Proclaim the Gospel matching challenge. So be sure to get in touch right away. Call 866-999-2965 or go to ptv.org.
You could send your gift by mail. Here's the address. P.O. Box 223-609, Dallas, Texas, 75222. That's P.O.
Box 223-609, Dallas, Texas, 75222. I'm David J. Mullins inviting you back next time for another Christmas message called The Name Above All Names. That's coming up Friday on Pathway to Victory. Pathway to Victory with Dr. Robert Jeffress comes from the pulpit of the First Baptist Church of Dallas, Texas. You've made it to the end of today's podcast from Pathway to Victory.
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