What If Jesus Was Not Born

Galatians 4:1-7

 

In this season, people like to send Christmas cards to each other. I know many of you enjoy receiving cards.

Some receive more, some receive less, Mr. Bean, a British comedian has an episode, in it he goes and buys a lot of Christmas cards and he sends it to his own address.

The very first Christmas card was made in 1843. Henry Cole had it designed, and printed 1000 of them. He sold them from a shop in London. The picture shows a family enjoying a happy Christmas party. Two pictures on both sides show the poor people being fed and given some warm clothes.

 

These days, email is another way of sending Christmas greetings to our friends. E-card technology is another advanced way of sending a greeting to someone.

1.9 billion is the number of Christmas cards sent to friends and loved ones every year, making Christmas the largest card-sending occasion in the United States.

 

Every year our family receives cards. I like to present some of them this morning:

1. Mary and Joseph going to Egypt; the baby is already born. Nice painting

2. From Iran: Mary Joseph and little baby Jesus and a Persian rug

3. From Egypt: Wise men on camels as if they are coming from Egypt. (they came from the East not West).

4. Armenian Icons –An angel giving the Good News

5. Shepherds and the verse written in Armenian

6. Peace on Earth- a drawing from Lebanon by a 6-year-old.

7. Peace in the hearts of the whole world

8. A beautiful scenery from Alaska by a famous photographer.

9. Joy in the music of season. (What season? Music of Christmas, some are calling their recitals winter recital.)

10. Christmas trees

11. A Christmas tree, which opens with a surprise picture of the kids.

12. Many sent their children’s picture. They are gifts from God.

13. YFC newsletter with picture of the youth

14. A special card I received years ago from Campus Crusade and I kept it.

The front is 9 pictures of famous people: “History is crowded with men who would be gods”

Alexander the great,   Pharaoh,  Julies Caesar,  Maharishi Mahesh Yogi,  Adolph Hitler,  Lenin,  Napoleon,  Buddha,  Mao Tse Tung.

 

Then you look inside and there is the famous saying:

“But only one God who would be man”

 

I love all he cards, but this card made me think. It is an unusual card. It does not have any color. It does not have Christmas colors and symbols. Yet it is a card that I like to share with you. “But only ONE GOD who would be man.” This is my Christmas message to you this morning. But only ONE GOD who would be a man.”

Since I started my message with Christmas cards, I read somewhere that a man received a Christmas card saying: “What if Jesus was not born.”

 

It made me think: “What if Jesus was not born.”

 

For some, it will not make any difference. For many, the story of the birth of Jesus is like a fairy tale. It does not make much of a difference.

 

The card I mentioned was sent to a preacher who goes to bed with this thought in his mind. He dreams a very strange dream. He sees his home in the month of December; no decorated trees, no nativity sculptures, no star, no lights.

In fact, he goes to his CDs and can not find anything for Christmas.

He looks for Handel’s Messiah, it is not there.

 

Well, he jumps to his car drives to his church. He finds that the block is empty; there is only a parking lot there. He is shocked.

 

Then someone calls him and asks him to come and help the patient who is dying. He grabs his Bible. He arrives to the hospital, opens his Bible, to find out that the Old Testament is there, but there are empty pages replacing the New Testament.

Next day the patient dies. The pastor wants to prepare a message of hope. He cannot find any verses for resurrections and hope.

 

It reminds me a classic movie “It’s a wonderful life” (1946) by James Stewart. It is a great story. This father, George Bailey, lost everything and is ready to commit suicide. An angel rescues him and brings him back to a life when he was not born. I mean, what if George was not born? Life was different; his family was different; the street was different. Finally, he sees how his life has made a difference in the lives of so many others. His perspective of life changed completely.

 

We read in John 15:22-24 what Jesus says about this:

“22If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. Now, however, they have no excuse for their sin. 23He who hates me hates my Father as well. 24If I had not done among them what no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. But now they have seen these miracles, and yet they have hated both me and my Father.”

If I had not come,                                                                                             If I had not spoken,                                                                                          If I had not shown any compassion,                                                                               if I was not crucified,                                                                                               If I was not resurrected…They would not be guilty of sin.                         You see, He has come, He has spoken, He has shown mercy and compassion. How can we stay in DARKNESS? How can one be indifferent about this wonderful event?

Paul says in I Corinthians 15:14 “And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.”

Brothers and Sisters, you know what the GOOD NEWS is today. Christ was born in Bethlehem. Yes, He is reality. And He died on the cross and was resurrected on the third day. Therefore, the two words WHAT IF are meaningless. Yes, we have experienced the reality of the incarnation. The choir sang this morning saying, “What child is this…?” Then answered: “This is Christ the king whom shepherd watch and angels sing…” This is reality for those who believe, for those who have experienced God’s incarnation in their daily lives.

We have to understand how God communicates with us. God never pushes Himself on us. He reveals Himself through prophets, and now He reveals Himself through His son who is born in Bethlehem not Jerusalem.

You have to act by accepting this gift. Paul describes the incarnation of God in 2nd Corinthians 5:17-21:

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! 18All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21God made him who had no sin to be sin[a] for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

Because of reconciliation, we can call God Abba, Father. Because of reconciliation, we can become righteous. Because of His birth, we are called his children. I want to worship this Child.

Let us celebrate. Let us worship, let us adore Him.

He is Born. He is Emmanuel. God is with us.

HE IS KING OF KINGS and LORD OF LORDS.