What if Christmas never came?

 

Many people in our society today may have never even thought of such a notion. But it is surely one that provokes some deep feelings. You see, if you take the Christ out of Christmas, there is no Christmas!Many people in our culture might object at this point and say that Christmas is more about the giving spirit, "peace and good will toward men." While we as Christians applaud these holiday expressions of love and kindness one to another, that is not the intent of the Bible verse. When the angels sang "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men" (Luke 2:14 KJV) they praised God for the gift of His Son. The peace and good will was from God to man (not man to man). But what if there were no Christ to believe in? No Jesus to live for or even die for? Let's consider together what would happen if that were true.

What if Christmas were cancelled?
Apart from all the crass commercialism of Christmastime there is an inescapable deep meaning to this holiday (or holy day). This meaning permeates many of the traditional symbols of the season. For example, the song The Twelve Days of Christmas was created as a musical allegory. It was a teaching tool used in England to instruct young people in the truths of the Christian faith. The meanings were hidden in the lyrics to avoid severe persecution and almost certain death.Faith and new life in Christ have inspired countless songs, books and expressions of love and gratitude - but what if there was not Christmas at all? Isaiah the prophet wrote over 700 years before Jesus was born: "Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel, which translated means, "God with us" (Isa. 7:14; Matt. 1:23). It is incredible to think about the fact that the very One who causes all this controversy is none other than God in human flesh! (John 1:1,14). The Bible makes it crystal clear that in the person of Jesus Christ "all the fulness of Deity dwells in bodily form" (Col. 2:9). Jesus, who is God, became a man. He "emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant and being made in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross" (Phil. 2:7-8). Miraculously, His true identity reveals that He is God with us, who died for us! But in our "make-believe" story Jesus wasn't here. He never came, never touched the sick, comforted the brokenhearted, never healed the blind, deaf and lame, never calmed the sea or called to the other side of the grave. Never preached, cried or died for our sins and never conquered the grave and rose again from the dead (see 1 Cor. 15:12-22). There is no adoption into God's family, no heaven, no chance of a joyful reunion. No hope of being in the wonderful presence of God forever, no life! (see John 10:10; Rev. 21:1-6; Psalm 23:6). "And she will bear a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for it is He who will save His people from their sins" (Matt. 1:21). In this sad scenario - He never did save us. That wonderful baby was never born, Mary never sang her song of rejoicing, that baby never became that man (all the while being God) and never died a horribly excruciating death on the cross for our sins.

Aren't You Glad That Christmas Has Come!?