What If Jesus Had Never Been Born?

WHAT IF JESUS HAD NEVER BEEN BORN?

John 15:22

INTRODUCTION

A. HUMOR

1. There was a guy who thought that 5 was his special number. He was born on 5-5-1955.

2. He lived on 55th Avenue. He had 5 children and 5 cats.

3. One day he went to the horse races. He put his life savings -- $50,000 – on horse #5, and sure enough … it came in 5th!

B. Movie: “It’s a Wonderful Life.”

1. Jimmy Stewart plays the part of George Bailey, a small town Savings & Loan, loan officer.

2. One disappointment after another occur until it looks like financial and social disaster are certain and George is pushed to the point of suicide.

3. But people are praying and God sends an angel (Clarence) to save him from a river.

4. George tells the angel that he wishes He’d never been born. And the angel makes it occur.

5. George goes back to a town that has been given over to gambling, drinking, and vice. The people he had formerly known as kind and nice were hard vulgar and cruel.

6. George finally begins to comprehend the incredible difference his life of suffering had made on that community and begs the angel to reverse the terrible scene.

7. George is once again glad to be alive, despite his terrible difficulties, because he can now see the impact for good that his life had upon his town, friends, and family.

C. IF JESUS HAD NEVER BEEN BORN?

1. If we were to extend this idea to the Lord Jesus Christ, how would we all be affected? How would the world be different?

2. This is especially significant since we live in an era when the media is hostile to Christianity – perceiving it as out-dated, pre-scientific and mythological.

3. But Christianity is the greatest force for good in human history.

4. So how would things be different if Jesus had never been born?

I. NO CHRISTMAS! NO JOY! NO HOPE!

A. NO CHRISTMAS:

1. No Children’s joy, no singing, no family get-togethers; gone is all the Christmas food/ feasts, gone is the excitement, etc!

2. No Christmas shopping. No sales to satiate the spending urges/ excuses of both men & women.

3. No Black Friday sales. Think how the U.S. economy would crumble/ nosedive/ crater!

4. There’d be no joy, no hope – because Jesus would never have come into the world.

B. “A CHRISTMAS CONTEMPLATION” POEM

1. “Twas evident God’s gracious plan of salvation

Could only succeed with Christ’s participation.

2. “Had He been unwilling to come down to Earth,

It’s not hard to guess what your soul would be worth.

3. “Just for a moment imagine the worst,

The whole Creation hopelessly cursed.

4. “The wrath of God poured out on every nation,

No way could He temper eternal damnation.

5. A world without joy full of darkness and gloom,

The ravage of unrestrained sin seals its doom.

6. “No Christmas, no Easter, no Thanksgiving either,

& don’t look for peace or goodwill (you’ll find neither).

7. Devoid of significance would be the Cross,

No blood atonement to cover sin’s loss.

8. “No gospel to tell us of God’s divine purchase,

No missionaries, no pastors, not even our churches.

9. “Gone would faith, hope, charity too;

For only the wages of sin would accrue.

10. Men’s hearts would be hateful, spiteful, & scornful,

But wait! There’s no reason why you should be mournful!

11. For what I’ve described here can never take place –

The world has received such abundance of Grace!

12. Christ DID come to Earth on that 1st Christmas Day,

So all men could know He’s God’s chosen way!

II. IMPACT ON WESTERN CIVILIZATION

A. BOOK “HISTORY REWRITTEN.”

1. Several years ago a group of historians authored a book

called, “IF – OR HISTORY REWRITTEN.”

2. Some of the “IFS” those scholars considered were:

a. What if Robert E. Lee hadn’t lost the battle of Gettysburg?

b. What if the Moors in Spain had won?

c. What if the Dutch had kept New Amsterdam?

d. What if Booth had missed when he shot Abraham Lincoln?

e. What if Napoleon had escaped to America?

B. HOW HISTORY WOULD BE DIFFERENT:

1. When the Roman Empire fell, no church would hold it together.

2. No Crusades – the Muslim religion would have dominated Europe and eventually come to America.

3. Columbus, who acted under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, would not have discovered the New World.

4. Slavery would still continue. The leaders of the “abolition” movement were all Christians. Muslims still have slaves today!

5. Women worldwide would be 2nd class citizens, not able to drive a car or vote. They are considered as barter material, mostly without rights.

6. There would probably be little freedom in the world, politically. The Muslim religion controls politics and most aspects of private life.