What If Christmas Never Came Series

What If Christmas Never Came

If Christmas Never Came

December 18, 2005

We’re in the midst of a new Bible Series I’ve called, If Christmas Never Came. Here are some fun thoughts. “If Christmas Never Came…”

7. (You have to groan or cheer when I read this first one) The Fruit Cake industry would

completely collapse!

6. Our otherwise boring, uneventful lives would have no stress at all!

5. Eggnog would just be a slimy, high cholesterol beverage.

4. Three words— “No Christmas bonuses!”

3. You would have to spend your own money buying stuff that doesn’t fit.

2. We would never wonder if reindeer really know how to fly.

1. Santa would be a strange fat man with poor fashion sense!

But Jesus was born into our world, and Christmas is a reality. On the night Jesus was born into our world the Angel said,

Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.

11Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord.

Luke 2:10-11

But the question on the floor is “What if”. What If Jesus Never Came? What’s the big deal?

Toward the end of the Christmas classic It’s a Wonderful Life, George Bailey cries out, “I want to live again! I want to live again!" Immediately he’s flashed from the previous scene and finds himself standing once more on the snow-covered iron bridge where earlier he had considered suicide: the dark swirling river below.

With help from Angel Second Class Clarence Oddbody, George had just discovered, to his horror, what life would be like had he never been born.

Anyone who’s watched this film can recall how without George Bailey the quaint town of Bedford Falls is reduced to Pottersville (ooh). It’s a creepy place. Main street is suddenly a red-light district with loud music and the flashing of flesh-peddling neon signs. Life is dark. All because George had never been born.

One person can make an enormous difference in the lives of others.

But we’re talking about Jesus here. As we saw last week, Jesus was and is the greatest man who ever lived. He has affected virtually every aspect of human life. Yet so many seem to refuse to even acknowledge it.

What if Jesus had never been born? What difference would it have made in history if that Bethlehem stable hadn’t served as a makeshift delivery room 2,005 years ago? What difference would it make in our daily lives?

Well actually, a great deal. Much of what we take for granted finds its roots in Christ and His teachings.

So in the time we have left, I would like for us to consider some specific areas where Christ has had a significant impact on civilization, as we know it. To help us with this, look what the Bible says,

You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, 27for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3:26-28

This verse was written in a time and in a culture where Jews thought they were better than Greeks, the free thought they were better than slaves, and men thought they were better than woman. But something amazing began to happen in the early church. People of all walks of life were coming to faith and suddenly race, or social class, or gender didn’t matter. They were just excited that people were coming to Jesus.

Hang me as a heretic, but can you believe the great Apostle Peter struggled with prejudice. But look what happened when he was filled with the Holy Spirit. The Bible says,

Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism 35but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right.

Acts 10:34

That’s what Jesus does. Faith in Christ transcends our differences and puts all believers on an equal plane. In Christ no one is superior and no one inferior. We are all sons of God.

So let’s take these areas one at a time and see how Christ impacted them.

1. Without Christmas RACIAL DISCRIMINATION is the norm. The Bible says,

(In Christ) There is neither Jew nor Greek…for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Gal 3:26-28

One day Jesus was traveling from Judea back to Galilee. The shortest route was through the region of Samaria. Now Jews hated Samaritans and would do everything they could to avoid them. In fact most Jews wouldn’t travel that direction, but would instead go clear out of their way by first heading east. The reason: Samaritans were a mixed race. They had intermarried with foreigners, and in the Jewish culture that was disgusting. Unclean. It just isn’t right.