What if Jesus had never been born?

H ave you ever played the game “What if?” It starts when someone (usually a teenager) asks “what if you had a million dollars?” or “what if you had just one week to live?” The spontaneous game ends when everyone has had a chance to share their answers.

So, let’s play for a few minutes…

What if Jesus had never been born?…

I’ll answer first…

In His book “What if Jesus had never been born?” Dr James Kennedy plays the “what if” game by listing several things we wouldn’t have today were it not for the Nativity.

Here’s just twelve of them!

Hospitals, New World, Universities, Civil Liberties, Modern Science, Abolition, Free enterprise, Separation of Political powers, Civil Liberties, Charity Organizations, Sanctify for Life, Elevation of women.

Kennedy understood something many Christians have forgotten today. Were it not for the birth of Jesus there would be no cross! And if there was no cross, there would be no world changing gospel!

The birth of Jesus is the genesis of our hope!

Recently, I read the chapter titled Gethsemane in the book Desire of Ages (Chapter 74, pg 685) where Ellen White takes this “what if” question to a whole new level. She profoundly describes why Jesus made the decision to take upon himself the wrath of God for our sins and die a horrific death on the cross. In essence she lays out the nightmare humanity would have endured if Jesus had not been born!

Here’s the nightmare in two parts…

1). Earth would become Satan’s kingdom and we his slaves!

Ellen White writes “But if Christ could be overcome, the earth would become Satan’s kingdom, and the human race would be forever in his power.”

There have been many wicked rulers in this world’s history. We won’t go through the list but a quick google search will expose them and their nightmarish atrocities. However, all of them were stopped and their crimes against humanity check-mated. In other words, their atrocities only went so for before good prevailed.

However, nothing comes close to what this world would be like if it were given entirely over to demons and ruled without restriction by Satan himself! People often ask, “why do evil things happen in our world?” Perhaps a better question might be “why don’t MORE evil things happen in our world?” The answer is simple…JESUS! His decision to be born in order to die for the human race is the only reason we are not living out this nightmare today!

2). Earth would be destroyed, and we would be doomed to death!

Ellen White writes “The woes and lamentations of a doomed world rise before Him. He beholds its IMPENDING fate, and His decision is made. He will save man at any cost to Himself.”

It was no accident that Jesus died during the Passover (Matthew 26:2). In fact, the Bible straight up says Christ our “Passover lamb has been sacrificed” (1 Corinthians 5:7). Scripture is making a startling point. If Jesus had not died when he did in AD 31, this world and all its inhabitants would have been doomed like the first-born sons in Egyptian, who died the very night of the first Passover because no blood was sprinkled on their doorposts!(Exodus 12:23,29)

AD 31 was a tipping point for the human race and Jesus stepped up in our greatest moment of need. Romans 5:6 puts it like this, “You see, at just the right time when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.” Jesus was literally born to die for you and me! On the cross our Savior not only provided salvation to all who would believe in Him, but He also bought the entire human race more time.

By the way, since you and I were not born until 2000 years later this should make us especially grateful! In AD 31 the human race was given at least 2000 more years to consider God’s goodness, repent of their sins and experience His blood bought salvation. 

No wonder the bible says, “He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world” (1 John 2:2).

7 Reasons to Celebrate

Someone asked me the other day why I celebrate Christmas especially since “everyone knows Jesus was not born on December 25 and Christmas is a pagan holiday.” After playing the “what if?” game with them, I shared the following seven reason why I personally believe we should celebrate the birth of Jesus every day of the year including December 25.

Because…

1. God did!

2. Angels did!

3. Shepherds did!

4. Wisemen did!

5. Mary and Joseph Did!

6. The Early Church did!

7. Satan did not!

The last reason may be the best reason! Satan most certainly did not celebrate the birth of Jesus! In Revelation 12:4 the bible says, “the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.” The Devil’s reasons were simple—On Christmas day he lost his throne and his captives!

Ellen White and Christmas

In one of her most powerful quotes regarding Christmas, Ellen White writes.

“Although we do not know the exact day of Christ’s birth, we would honor the sacred event. May the Lord forbid that anyone should be so narrow-minded as to overlook the event because there is an uncertainty in regard to the exact time. Let us do what we can to fasten the minds of the children upon those things which are precious to everyone who loves Jesus. Let us teach them how Jesus came into the world to bring hope, comfort, peace, and happiness to all. . . Then, children and youth, as you celebrate the coming Christmas, will you not count up the many things for which you are to be grateful, and will you not present a gratitude offering to Christ, and so reveal that you do appreciate the heavenly Gift?”(Review and Herald Dec 17, 1888).

My friends, we should praise the Lord with trembling! Why? Because we will never have to ponder the question “What if Jesus had been born?” We should thank God daily for this!

Because Jesus was born…

Earth will never become Satan’s kingdom nor we his slaves!

Because Jesus was born…

Earth will be made new and we will live forever!

Don’t you feel like singing joy to the world right now?

Ok, I’ve played my part in the “what if” game now it’s your turn!

Go ahead…