It's A Wonderful Christmas

        "It's a Wonderful Life" is a 1946 film starring Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed, directed by Frank Capra. Two of the writers called the finished film "horrid" and refused to see it when it was released. And despite the fact that it was initially a box office flop - it's of course become a Christmas Classic. How many of you have watched it this year?

Most of us are familiar with it as a story of one man is shown what things would have been like it if he had never been born. At one point, George Bailey is shown his brother's tombstone. The angel Clarence explains, "Your brother, Harry Bailey, broke through the ice and was drowned at the age of nine." George replies, "That's a lie! Harry Bailey went to war! He got the Congressional Medal of Honor! He saved the lives of every man on that transport!"

Clarence explains, "Every man on that transport died. Harry wasn't there to save them, because you weren't there to save Harry." "Strange, isn't it? Each man's life touches so many other lives. When he isn't around he leaves an awful hole, doesn't he?"

It's a fictional tale teaching...

I. A very real truth

It's a great Christmas movie. Let's look at the real Christmas story...

Luke 2:1-7 (NIV)

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (2) (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) (3) And everyone went to his own town to register. (4) So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. (5) He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.

(6) While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, (7) and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

What if that birth had never happened? What if there had never been a reason to celebrate this holiday known as Christmas? What would your life be like without Christmas...?

Without Christmas there would be no reason for big winter family gatherings. Without Christmas there would be no Christmas gifts, no Christmas traditions, no Christmas carols, no Christmas decorations or lights or Christmas trees - there would be no Santa Claus. There would be no Rudolph, or Charlie Brown Christmas specials. There would be no Bing Crosby singing White Christmas. There would be no kid's Christmas programs...

If Jesus had never been born, this world would be completely different than it is today - in ways you may never have imagined.

If Jesus had never been born, there would be no United States of America. After Jesus' resurrection, Christianity spread from the Holy Land to modern-day Turkey to Greece and Italy and then covered the rest of Europe. In fact, Christopher Columbus wrote that his discovery of the New World was inspired by "...the Holy Spirit, because he comforted me with rays of marvelous inspiration from the Holy Scriptures." If it were not for 'Christmas', we would not be living in the 'freest' and most generous nation in the history of mankind.

In 1950, President Harry Truman gave a speech where he stated, "The fundamental basis of this nation's laws was given to Moses on the Mount. The fundamental basis of our Bill of Rights comes from the teachings we get from Exodus and Saint Matthew, from Isaiah and Saint Paul. I don't think we emphasize that enough these days...."

There was a day that many of you can remember, when the Christian value system was the common value system that governed our country. It served as the basis of our laws. It didn't matter if you were a Republican or a Democrat, a liberal or a conservative, Christian or not. Today, if a President of the United States were to say the very same thing Truman said in 1950, he would be called a member of the "religious right" and publicly condemned for trying to mix the church and state.

If Jesus had never been born there would be no Christmas celebration or even a "holiday season." Think about it. Thanksgiving Day is based in America's Christian roots. New Year's Day is based on a calendar that measures time from the birth of Jesus Christ. Or, as our Founding Fathers wrote, "In the Year of Our Lord."

The truth is, as President Truman noted, one cannot appreciate America without appreciating our Christian heritage - and our Christmas celebration is a part of celebrating our Christian heritage and the teachings of Jesus. For instance, when Jesus came, He taught His followers to love their neighbors as themselves. To live out this idea, His followers invented the idea of organized charity.

The early Christian communities stressed support for widows, orphans, the sick and the disabled. They organized efforts to help those who were dying. They built, staffed, and paid for many hospitals. In recent times, Christ's followers have founded charitable organizations including the Red Cross, the Salvation Army, World Relief, World Vision, Samaritan's Purse, Food for the Hungry, and Compassion International.

If there had never been a 'Christmas' - without the birth of Christ - most of the good in this world would be missing. Fortunately for us - and the world - we do have a reason to celebrate Christmas. Jesus did come as a baby, He grew up into a man who died on a cross and rose again to take away the sins of the world!

If Jesus has not been born - there would be no way to the Father!

John 3:16-17 (NIV)

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. (17) For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

So What?

Jesus was born and He changed everything! So it's time to celebrate the birth of the Christ child! Let's pray and then our kid's program will begin...

[Watch Christmas program on Facebook here.]