HoHum:
Love the movie, “It’s a Wonderful Life.” George Bailey has so many problems he is thinking about ending it all- and it’s Christmas! As the angels discuss George, we see his life in flashbacks. As George is about to jump from the bridge, he ends up rescuing his guardian angel, Clarence from drowning in the river. While Clarence and George are warming up next to a fire, we find this conversation, Clarence: So you still think killing yourself would make everyone feel happier, eh? George: Oh, I don’t know. I guess you’re right. I suppose it would have been better if I’d never been born at all. Clarence: What did you say? George: I said, “I’d wish I’d never been born!” Clarence: Oh, you mustn’t say things like that. You... wait a minute. Wait a minute. That’s an idea. (Glances up toward heaven) What do you think? Yeah, that’ll do it. All right (to George) You’ve got your wish. You’ve never been born.
WBTU:
Jesus Christ is in the upper room with his disciples the night before His crucifixion. Christ mentions many things but in John 15 he starts to think about the opposition that he and his disciples will have to endure. Jesus says that the world hates them. In John 15:25 Jesus goes back to the Psalms and says, “But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: ‘They hated me without reason.’” Jesus is about to be crucified without justice, he was declared innocent several times, and the disciples of Jesus will go through similar things. At one point in that section Jesus mentions that “If I had not come.” “If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. Now, however, they have no excuse for their sin.” John 15:22, NIV. Could say, “If I had not been born, they would not be guilty of sin.”
Thesis: If Christ Had Not Come then...
For instances:
No Justice
The eunuch in Acts 8 was reading from Isaiah and it said there, “In his humiliation he was deprived of justice. Who can speak of his descendants? For his life was taken from the earth.”” Acts 8:33, NIV. It was unjust for Jesus Christ to be crucified. Even so, with that sacrifice we are justified. Talk about “Just-as-if-I-had-never-sinned”- not true becausewe are as guilty as sin. Guilty but the penalty has already been paid by Christ so we are free. “God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished-- he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.” Romans 3:25, 26, NIV. Even so, from an earthly perspective it was so unjust. There is coming a day when God will make all things right. “For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead.”” Acts 17:31, NIV. Will our name be written in the Lamb’s book of life on that day, the day of Judgement?
No Salvation
This is the gospel. “That Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,” 1 Corinthians 15:3, 4, NIV. Had Christ not come there would be no gospel and no salvation. We would still be anticipating a Savior. O Come, O Come Immanuel and ransom captive Israel, that mourns in lonely exile here until the Son of God appear. Many people are still anticipating a Messiah to come. One modern “humanistic” rabbi wrote this when asked about the Messiah, “Years ago, a popular evangelical bumper sticker read, “I found it.” The Jewish version would read, “I’m still looking for it.” In contrast to Christians who assert that the Messiah has come, Jews would never be satisfied with any applicant for the job. Messianic claimants have all fallen short in the past and will in the future. Waiting around for messianic redemption is therefore a distraction from life’s immediate challenges. Our focus should be on bringing redemption in our own lifetime and with our own two hands.” How sad, always running but loosing the race were it not for grace. Zechariah prophesied when John was born, “to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God” Luke 1:77, 78, NIV.
No History
Our history has 2 sections. There is BC, before Christ and AD, Anno Domini, Latin for “in the year of the Lord.” People want to deny this today and have come up with BCE (before common era) and CE (common era). Today people like to use the BCE/CE format because it is associated with science and because it is more neutral. No matter, CE still begins when Christ is born! History can be said to be His story, the story of Christ and His people. History is linear as opposed to cyclical. Now we can see through history that things have an ebb and flow. A nation arrises, expands, stagnates, collapses and then it happens all again. We see this in the history of Israel. Even so, history has a beginning point, the Creation, and has an end, Judgement Day, the day of the new heaven and the new earth. Along this timeline, we see many events and all of these events are being orchestrated or used by God to cause the end. “And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment--to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.” Ephesians 1:9, 10, NIV. If Christ had not come, then history would be more cyclical, without an end. In this view, each end causes a new beginning. “What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.” Ecclesiastes 1:9, NIV. With this view, studying history is futile because we are always in a loop and the loop never ends. We use the word advent to describe the first coming of Christ, Christmas. We use the word advent to describe the second coming of Christ, the consummation of this age. “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.” Revelation 21:1, 2, NIV.
No Example
Socrates, the wisest man of his time and culture cried out: “We look for a god, or a god inspired man, who will teach us our duty and help us to live like we ought to live.” Thankful that we have the church where we have living mentors who show us our duty and help us to live like we ought to live. Not “Do as I say,” but “Do as I do.” Even so, mentors have imperfections. The best mentors know how to point others to Jesus- the only flawless mentor. Good spiritual leaders know full well that they are only shepherds, not saviors. They know they are leaders, not the Lord. They understand that they may be skilled guides, but they are not gods or God. Had trouble at one church where had a new member and got a key. Had copies of copies of the key and started having trouble with opening doors. Need to get back to the original key, the original pattern. Not “Do as I say,” but “Do as I do”
“To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.” 1 Peter 2:21, NIV. Christ’s obedience through unjust suffering has left us an example to imitate, an example of the kind of life that is perfectly pleasing in God’s sight. God said at Jesus’ baptism: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” Luke 3:22, NIV. “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” 1 Corinthians 11:1
No Hope
Our last enemy to be destroyed is death. Death is everywhere, we try to eliminate this from our minds, but it keeps coming back. Used to have graveyards on church property but that was too depressing so have stopped this practice in modern day. The graveyard emphasized mortality and that is such a downer. Someday death will reach his fingers into my life. Christ came to destroy him that had the power of death. “Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death--that is, the devil-- and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.” Hebrews 2:14, 15. Bethlehem led to Calvary which led to Easter. If Christ had not come there would be no resurrection. Except for a few passages, the OT views the afterlife, even for saints, with gloom. This gloom is lifted by the NT message of a living hope, hope beyond this life.
Some years ago a Christmas card pictured a world into which Christ had not come. A minister fell asleep in his study on Christmas morning. In his dream he found himself looking through his home, but no stockings hung by the chimney. No Christmas wreaths or holly decorated the house. He walked out on the street, but nowhere could he see a church with its steeple pointing to heaven. Returning to his library, he wanted to read a book on the Christian faith, but there were none. His doorbell rang. A messenger asked him to visit a dying woman. He hurried to her home. Sitting down beside this lady, he said, “I have something here that will comfort you.” He opened his Bible to look for a familiar verse but the Bible ended at Malachi. He could find no gospel, no promise of hope and salvation. He could only bow his head and weep with her in bitter despair. 2 days later he stood beside this woman’s coffin to conduct the funeral service. But there was no message of consolation. As the service ended by the grave, there was no word of a resurrection, no heaven, but only “dust to dust, ashes to ashes,” and one sad mournful farewell. Realizing that Christ had not come, the minister in his dream burst into sobbing. Suddenly he woke with a start. He heard the choir rehearsing next door. A shout of praise poured from his lips as he listened to the message of this song. Come and be saved today!
Sing “Oh Come Let Us Adore Him” as invitation hymn
