Have you ever thought about what the world would be like today if Jesus were never born? We have probably all seen the movie, “It’s a Wonderful Life”, where George Bailey is shown by the angel Clarence what the world would be like without him. It turned out that George Bailey, as ordinary and outwardly unsuccessful as he was, still profoundly affected everyone in his circle and far beyond.

Now imagine a world without Jesus in it. Would there be hospitals? Orphanages? Universities? Would there even be science in the modern sense? What would the literacy rate be? Would our rulers still be considered demigods? Would there be any thought of equality among people? Would there be any objective grounding for justice? Would there be any hope at all for the future? These are just a few questions that immediately come to my mind, but like George Bailey, I’m sure that if we thoroughly examined the impact of a world without Jesus the results would be far more profound - and terrifying.

These are just the everyday effects of the coming of Jesus. I haven’t gotten into the realm of his impact on our spiritual condition yet. So let’s think about that for a moment. First, let’s review our situation. God exists, God is holy, and our destiny does not end at the grave. Therefore, we have a problem. We are not holy, but God is. Our destiny does not end at the grave, it is ultimately determined by God in the final judgment. And since we are not holy our destiny can be nothing but bleak and terrifying.

Thankfully, God loves us. He was not content to leave us to our inevitable fate but personally took action to save us. That action was to send His only son to us. Taking on our humanity so we could know him, learn from him, and balance the scales of justice for us by taking the just penalty for our sins onto Himself. God is not indifferent, he is a loving God who willingly sacrificed to provide a way for us to be restored to Him as His children forever. The son and sacrifice is Jesus. And Jesus is now exalted to the right hand of God enthroned forever as the King of Kings.

Jesus changed everything in heaven and earth through his life, death, and resurrection. The Christmas season is dedicated to remembering where this all began so long ago in Bethlehem.

This Week

As we reflect on the life and promise of Jesus this week, let’s remember his teaching and his example as we wait in hope for his return and the final restoration of this broken world. Join me as we all join together in songs of joy, peace, and hope until that hope becomes reality at the return of the King.

Have a great week!

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