By Not Known
If Christmas did not happen, last week’s celebrations and worship services around the world would not have happened. There would not be anything to rejoice over or to sing about. There would not be a public holiday. In fact, there would not have been a New Testament either. For if Christmas did not happen, Christ had not come, and all the prophecies would have been lies or at least still waiting to be fulfilled.
There would be no church, no gathering of so-called Christians. You and I would have lived different lives, walked different paths, done different things. I am sure I would not be called by my “Christian” name either.
Where would we be? What would we do? This is something I just can’t imagine. As we sang, “Once in David’s City” last week, I was wondering about what’s so great about that city and about what happened there that we sang about? I was wondering about Bethlehem and Nazareth and Jerusalem…and about Isaiah, and all the prophets including John the Baptist. Oh no, there wouldn’t be John the Baptist too for if Christ hadn’t come, John would have no one to baptise at the Jordan river!
What if Christmas did not happen?
John the Apostle recorded the words of Christ in John 15:22, “If I had not come and spoken to them…,” for if Christ hadn’t come and spoke to the world, we would die in our sins. It was not just about having no event to celebrate, no rejoicing and no public holiday. Far more than that, there would have been no fulfillment of God’s word and no hope.
Yet, in that passage, Jesus is not just talking about the forgiveness of sins. It is more than forgiveness. It is about bearing fruits. It is about the result of our sins being forgiven and having eternal life. It is about the chosen ones who would live fruitful and productive lives that are fulfilling God’s purposes.
Christ came. He died. He is risen – that we too may live a life that is freed from sin and become fruitful to accomplish God’s purposes. For this, the world will hate us. But for this, our freedom in Christ’s coming accomplishes God’s word through the prophets.
Christ has indeed come, and we should be living fruitful lives that brings honour to God. 2012 will be evident of what happened at that first Christmas.
Peter Poon