Merry Christmas (Isaiah 11)

…for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. (Isaiah 11:9b)

Isn’t it amazing that much of the earth pauses today to celebrate the birth of a Jewish carpenter?  I don’t know if you’ve given that idea much thought, but it’s worth thinking about.  Nearly 2000 years after his death, millions of people still take a reprieve from the busyness of their lives to reflect on the birth of Jesus.  Isn’t that amazing?

Have you ever stopped to think how this world might be different if Jesus never came to earth?

1. There would be no sinless sacrifice for sins; we would still be offering animal sacrifices at the Temple, striving to be made right before God.  We would strive for righteousness but never quite be able to obtain it.
2. We would be oppressed by the need to obey laws with the hopes that we might somehow be acceptable to God.  Our standing before God would be unknowable.
3. Women, children, orphans, and outcasts would not be treated with dignity and value.  Wherever Christianity has spread in the world, so have these groups of people received elevated statuses.  Whenever Christianity is removed from a place, these groups lose their status and face oppression.
4. Freedom would not exist.  You need look no further than nations where God is absent and an understanding of Christ doesn’t permeate the culture.  People naturally control others and seek power – they don’t naturally give power away and seek to give freedom to others.

Without Jesus’ birth, these things and many others would be lost.  Thankfully, Jesus did come.  He lived a sinless life, died on a cross as the sinless sacrifice for sin, and God confirmed all of this by raising him back to life.  Now, 2000 years later, much of world does have knowledge of the Lord.  Soon that knowledge will spread to all people, and Jesus will reign forever and ever.  Merry Christmas!