Jesus answered, “If you knew the gift of God, ….” John 4:10a
The gift of God is available all year to everyone. Do we really know” the gift of God” and what Christ’s words meant in John 4:10?
By the end of John 4 we see a Samaritan woman, who culture may have given up on, being the first to proclaim: “He (Christ) told me everything I ever did…” with joy, confidence and a desire for others to know Him. That is the real Jesus and His gift. He knows us fully and loves us completely and wants us to know Him as Savior of the world. I call this chapter the Fireworks of the Gospels! Christ reveals Himself as Messiah, Savior of the World!
I don’t know all the reasons Jesus made that statement but I do know Him as Savior, and can repeat the woman’s words in celebration and truth because He is so forgiving, accepting, all-knowing, loving, gracious and merciful and I so want others to know Him too.
May our hearts turn to God in pursuing a greater understanding and recognition of the Gift of God. May this post, the gift I hope to share, give you a glimpse of the greatness of the Gift of God.
How to define the Gift of God as an overview? In John 4:10, Jesus is revealing Himself as Messiah to what most people would say is an unlikely recipient. God purposes to speak to us through His choice. Books have been written on this subject and chapter.
In John 4 Jesus says “the gift of God” and it is the only time “gift of God” is in the Gospels. A highlight of this passage is that it is the only time in the entire Bible that Christ actually says He is Messiah! He is offering Himself as the Living Water that brings eternal life to those that believe in Him. Salvation and all that comes with new birth and life in Christ is what the gift of God is all about. Christ offers us Himself! The grand riches that come with belief in Him cannot be earned or deserved: all are part of the gift of God.
Christ restores us, refreshes us, redeems us, enables us by His Holy Spirit and the multitude of gifts we receive through the Gift of Christ are eternal and unequaled on earth through any other source!
Romans 3:23 tells us, “the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Eternal life starts on earth by knowing Christ: “This is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and the one you have sent —Jesus Christ.” John 17:3.
Our five year old grandson just this past week spontaneously told us: “Sin causes death but Jesus came and died for our sins!” This is the Gift of God in a nutshell through “the mouth of a babe”! We are thrilled that he voiced the essence of the Gospel, the gift of God through Christ Jesus our Lord. We are thrilled that by things he shared that He knows Jesus as Savior!!!
If interested: https://www.gotquestions.org/the-gift-of-God.html gives a great overview of the gift of God in John 4.
To know the Gift of God is to know Jesus!
That word “know”, it is so important. So is the word Gift. Not just any gift but the very “gift of God”
Knowing and receiving is the transformative gift of God.
What do we know?
God Sent Jesus: 1 John 4:9 New Living Translation (NLT): God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. And: English Standard Version (ESV): In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.
The Gift of God is so epic to discuss it adequately in one blog post would be lengthy and challenging.
As December approaches, despite the fact we do not know the actual date of Christ’s birth, the church typically celebrates his birth at Christmas. Remembering His birth and the reason for his name is part of knowing the gift of God.
Jesus is born of a Virgin: Matthew 1:18-24 & Luke 1:26-38 we read of a young virgin named Mary who was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph. God sent the angel Gabriel to speak to Mary. Gabriel says: “Greetings, you are highly favored! The Lord is with you!”
Mary was troubled and tried to think what the angel meant.
Gabriel told her not to be afraid, that she would become a mother and give birth to a Son and to give him the name Jesus. He said, Jesus would be very great and called the Son of the Most High and that The Lord God would make him a King on the throne of his ancestor David to reign over Israel forever and that his Kingdom will never end!”
Mary did not know how this could happen. But Gabriel told her “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will cover you. The baby born will be holy and called the Son of God.”
Mary responded by saying: “I am the Lord’s servant, May it happen to me as you have said.” Then the angel Gabriel left her.
To summarize, the virgin Mary was visited by a real angel named Gabriel. Gabriel told her that she was going to have a very special, holy baby: God’s Son and she would name him Jesus.
Why was Jesus named Jesus?
***Jesus was born to save us from our sins: ***
Matthew 1:21 says: ”She (Mary) will give birth to a son, and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins”.
Luke 2:6-7 (ESV): And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. (Chapter 1 of Matthew and chapter 2 of Luke are the main chapters about Jesus’ birth.)
The Gospel is the power of God for salvation to all who believe: Romans 1:16 (ESV): For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
God the Father is pleased with God the Son, Jesus Christ: Matthew 3:17 (NLT): And a voice from heaven said, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy.” And the English Standard Version: and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”
Matthew 3:17 (ESV) and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”
Matthew 17:5 (NLT): And a voice from heaven said, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy.”
Matthew 17:5 (ESV): and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”
The Holy Spirit is upon the Son: Luke 3:22 (ESV): and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” (PURPLE = the voice of GOD the FATHER!)
Jesus says we must be born again: John 3:3 (ESV): Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” JESUS IS SPEAKING AND HIS INVITATION IS TO ALL!
God loves us, and wants us to be saved through His Son Jesus: John 3:16-17 (ESV) “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”
CHRIST IS RISEN!!! 1 Corinthians 15:14 (NLT): And if Christ has not been raised, then all our preaching is useless, and your faith is useless.
Born again Believers in Christ receive the Holy Spirit and can be daily filled with the Holy Spirit and benefit from the grandness and greatness of the Holy Spirit. {https://www.gotquestions.org/Spirit-filled.html#:~:text=When%20we%20are%20filled%20with,5:21%2C%20NLT)}
WE can pray for knowing Christ better by His Spirit: Ephesians 1:17(NIV): I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. Holman Christian Standard Bible: I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, would give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him. International Standard Version: I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus, the Messiah, the most glorious Father, would give you a wise spirit, along with revelation that comes through knowing the Messiah fully. NET Bible I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you spiritual wisdom and revelation in your growing knowledge of him,
- Got Question quote: “The gift of God is a new life sourced and supplied by the Holy Spirit (John 3:5–8; 6:63; Romans 8:10; 1 Corinthians 15:45; 2 Corinthians 3:6). This gift is for everyone (John 3:16), and it is free (Romans 5:15; 6:23; Revelation 22:17). The apostle Paul said this gracious gift of God is too wonderful for words (2 Corinthians 9:14–15). God’s gift of the Holy Spirit equips and empowers believers to be ambassadors for Christ and to triumph over dark forces in this world (John 14:16; Romans 8:26–27; Acts 1:8; 2:16–17; 6:9–10; 10:44; 1 Corinthians 12; 14: Hebrews 2:4; 1 Peter 1:12). Believers are led by the Spirit of God (Romans 8:14) and sanctified through the Spirit’s work (Romans 15:16; 2 Thessalonians 2:13). This gift of God also inspired the writing of Scripture (2 Peter 1:20–21). The gift of God is the soul-sustaining living water of eternal life, and it is ours in Jesus Christ through the gift of the Holy Spirit. What an indescribable gift!
- A I uses Got question’s answer to state the gift of God this way:
- Empowerment: The gift of God equips believers to:
- Be ambassadors for Christ
- Triumph over dark forces
- Be led by the Spirit of God
- Be sanctified through the Spirit’s work
- Inspired the writing of Scripture
- Walk in a manner worthy of the Lord
- Experience life to the fullest
JESUS CAME, WAS CRUCIFIED AND DIED, ROSE FROM THE DEAD TO BRING SALVATION, forgiveness of sin and born of GOD, TO ANY WHO WOULD BELIEVE!
There are so very many reasons Christ came to earth. Each is important and can inspire belief, celebration, devotion, worship and openess to Christ!
Christ and all He is and all He offers is the Gift of God!
So very much to be thankful for IN CHRIST JESUS OUR LORD! Happy Thanksgiving, an early MERRY CHRISTMAS 2024 and a HAPPY 2025!!!!,
