Words of Inspiration - The Greatest Gift

Send us Fan Mail As we spend time with friends and family this Christmas Day, make sure you take time to truly thank the Father for the greatest gift ever given. Not just the gifts under the tree, but the Gift from the tree—the cross. Not just the celebration of His birth, but gratitude for His life, death, and ongoing intercession.

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  Welcome to The Bible Speaks with your host, Elgin Kerelock. The Bible Speaks is a daily podcast dedicated to sharing the good news of Jesus Christ, rightly dividing the Word of Truth, and learning how to apply it to our daily lives. You may contact Elgin at the address given at the end of the broadcast. And now, here's Elgin.

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  Brothers and sisters, I welcome you, in the name of Jehovah, Shalom, to another edition of Words of Inspiration. Today, we're taking a break from our regular series to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. On this Christmas Day, we want to reflect on the greatest gift ever given to humanity. Our scriptural text is Isaiah, Chapter 9, Verses 6 through 7. And from the New International Version, it reads, "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given,

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  and a government will be on his shoulders, and he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness, from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this." Seven hundred years before Jesus was born, Isaiah prophesied his coming.

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  So today, we celebrate the fulfillment of that promise and the fullness of who Jesus is.

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  Let us pray.

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  Heavenly Father, on this Christmas Day, we pause to thank you for the greatest gift, your Son, Jesus Christ. Thank you that he made us, died for us, and interceded for us. Help us understand the significance of Jesus becoming human, so he could fully understand our journey. As we celebrate with family and friends today, keep our hearts focused on the true meaning of Christmas, that you loved us enough to send your Son. In Jesus Christ's name we pray, amen.

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  When you understand the fullness of who Jesus is, you understand the magnitude of God's gift. Isaiah called him "wonderful counselor, mighty God, everlasting Father, prince of peace." These aren't just poetic titles, they're declarations of his complete divinity and authority. First, he made us. John 1:3 says, "Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made." Before Jesus came to earth as a baby, he existed as the eternal word through whom God created everything.

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  The hands that formed stars in space were the same hands that would be pierced on a cross. The voice that spoke galaxies into existence would cry from a manger. The Creator became part of his creation.

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  Second, He died for us. John 19 verses 28 through 30 records His final moments. It reads, "Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, 'I am thirsty.' A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on the stalk of a hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus's lips. When he had received the drink, Jesus said, 'It is finished.' With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

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  It is finished. The work of redemption was complete. The Creator died for His creation. The sinless one took the punishment for the sinful. The gift of Christmas leads directly to the cross of Good Friday. You cannot separate the baby in the manger from the man on the cross.

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  And finally, He went back to heaven to intercede for us. Hebrews 9 and 24, reading from the New Living Translation, reads, "For Christ did not enter into a holy place made with human hands, which was only a copy of the true one in heaven; He entered into heaven itself to appear now before God on our behalf." Right now, Jesus stands before the Father in His seating for you. When the enemy accuses, Jesus defends. When you fall, Jesus advocates. When you're weak, Jesus strengthens through His intercession.

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  But here's what makes Christmas so profound. The significance of Jesus coming to earth was so he would understand our journey, not just through omniscience, but from actual experience. As God, Jesus knew everything intellectually, but by becoming human, he experienced everything personally. Hebrews 4:15 explains, "For we have not an high priest, which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but was in all points tempted, like as we are, yet without sin."

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  Jesus felt hunger, thirst, exhaustion, pain, rejection, and temptation. While he did not sin, he certainly learned what it's like to be a human firsthand. He experienced family misunderstandings. He felt betrayed. He knew grief. He endured physical suffering, being beaten, mocked, and crucified. He experienced every human emotion and trial, yet remained sinless. This makes his intercession for us that much more effective. When you pray, you're not approaching a distant God who doesn't understand.

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  You're coming to the One who knows exactly what you're going through because He's been there. He doesn't just sympathize, He empathizes. He doesn't just observe your struggles, He's experienced them. And because of this, us allowing Him to be Lord in our lives is true wisdom. Proverbs 9:10 reads, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy is understanding." When you submit to Jesus as Lord, you're submitting to the One who made you, knows you completely, died to redeem you,

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  and now intercedes for you with perfect understanding of your human condition.

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  So as we spend time with friends and family this Christmas Day, make sure you take time to truly thank the Father for the greatest gift ever given. Not just the gifts under the tree, but the gift from the tree. Not just a celebration of his birth, but gratitude for his life, death, and ongoing intercession. 2 Corinthians 9 and 15 declares, "Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift."

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  Unspeakeable, which means beyond words, beyond comprehension, and beyond measure. That's what Jesus is, the greatest gift heaven could give to earth. Father God, we thank you for the gift of Jesus Christ. Thank you that he is our Creator, our Redeemer, and our Intercessor. Thank you that he didn't just observe humanity from heaven, but came down to experience our struggles firsthand. Thank you that he understands our weaknesses, our temptations, and our pain, because he lived them without sinning. As we celebrate Christmas today,

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  help us remember that it isn't just about a baby in a manger. It's about God becoming human to save humanity. We surrender our lives to Jesus as Lord, recognizing that submitting to him is the wisest decision we could ever make. Thank you for your unspeakable gift. In Jesus Christ's name we pray, amen. I thank you for spending time with me on today. I wish you all a very, very Merry Christmas, and I look forward to our conversation on tomorrow. Until then, God bless.

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  The Bible Speaks is sponsored by C Squared Realty and New Gen Construction Group to help spread the gospel to the corners of the earth. If anything you've heard poured into your life, please share it with someone. You can find The Bible Speaks on Spotify, Amazon Music, Deezer, and many more. Follow us on YouTube at The Bible Speaks Online. You may contact Elgin at P O Box 5582, Ocala, Florida 34478, or by email at [email protected].