A Seamless Transition

Thanksgiving weekend seems to be the transition between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Thanksgiving reminds us to give thanks—to God. Christmas reminds us about the birth of Christ, which was all about salvation. In fact, the two holidays overlap, and the one seamlessly transitions into the other, teaching us that we should be ever thankful for the birth of Christ and for salvation.

The Apostle Paul wrote in II Corinthians 9:15, “Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.” What is this unspeakable gift that is indescribable in its value, in its extent, in its grace? What is this gift that exceeds human comprehension? It is Christ. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son” (John 3:16).

God freely gave His Son, born of a virgin. The Father gave His only begotten, beloved Son, who would give Himself as a ransom for many. He gave His back to the smiters. God didn’t charge us money for His Son—we could never pay enough for Him. He didn’t require self-punishment—we could never suffer sufficiently. He didn’t require surrender beforehand—“while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

God did the only thing that He could do in providing our salvation—“He gave His only begotten Son.” Christ also submitted to His will and came to be the Savior of the world. He gave this unspeakable gift out of love. To receive Christ, a sinner must be thankful for the gift of salvation that God offers and humbly receive it. As believers, we should continuously be mindful of the unfathomable gift God gave us in His Son, and on that basis, give thanks to God “for his unspeakable gift.”