What would life be like without Jesus Christ?
Christians all over the world have been observing the birth of Christ every December 25 for the past 2024 years. This year is no different.
Many of the people that are celebrating Christmas are so caught-up in the euphoria of the celebration that the essence of the holiday is often forgotten. Perhaps, the best way for us to have a sober reflection on the reason for the Christmas season is to ask the question, “What if Christ had never been born?”
A child was born to every human family and He was sacrificially given to all of us for the salvation of our souls. The gift of Christ was an expression of God's love for humanity. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). If Christ had not been born, everyone would have perished equally. If Christ had not been born, we would not have had access to the Father. Sin alienated us from God and Jesus was born to break the barrier between us and God and liberate us from the chain of sin and death. If Christ had not been born, we would have been eternally enslaved and condemned by sin.
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Just imagine the world without Christ. He is the Prince of Peace and His ministry of reconciliation was what has brought peace between God and man and man and man. There would have been acrimony, hostility, war and enmity everywhere if not for Jesus. Life on earth would have been hopeless had He not been born.
Life can be frustrating sometimes, but because Jesus is our living hope, we constantly overcome the challenges and obstacles.
As we are planning to celebrate Christmas this year, it’s a good idea to soberly reflect on how life on this earth could have been without Christ. Life without Christ would have been filled with crisis. We should not take this precious gift from the Father for granted. We should celebrate it daily, not annually, understanding that Jesus paid the price for our sins on the cross and brought us back to God.
“All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5:18). There is no better time to preach the Gospel than in the Christmas season. In a hurting world, the good news of the birth of the world’s savior will surely bring redemption and healing to the lost and aching souls. Practical display of the love of Christ to the lost in this season will go a long way in bringing them to the saving knowledge of Christ.
Let's keep away traditions, rituals, dogmas and controversies associated with Christmas and focus on how we can harness and appropriate the blessings of the season.
Oscar Amaechina is the president of Afri-Mission and Evangelism Network, Abuja, Nigeria. His calling is to take the gospel to where no one has neither preached nor heard about Jesus. He is the author of the book Mystery Of The Cross Revealed.
