If Christ Had Not Come
If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloak for their sin. John 15:22
The verb had come is aorist tense referring to a definite event. The incarnation was a definite event in the history of our world. Jesus is stating that if he had not come, the people would not have been guilty of rejecting Him. However, He did come and therefore the people had no excuse for their sin.
The phrase, if I had not come grabbed my attention. Have you ever given thought as to what our plight in life would be if Christ had not come? If Christ had not come:
1. The Bible would end with this phrase: Lest I come and smite the earth with a curse (Malachi 4:6). The picture is rather dark, leaving us to wonder if there could even be any hope?
2. There would be little comfort and no assurance of the resurrected life for loved ones who passed away. — No hope beyond the grave.
3. Psalm 23 would be nothing more than a beautiful poem.
4. There would be no churches and no Christian fellowship.
5. There would be no Peace on earth, or goodwill to men.
6. There would be no bridge gulfed between God and man – no mediator.
7. There would be no promise for the remission of sins.
8. Prior to Christ’s coming there were no hospitals, nursing homes and senior centers and women were treated as servants. The people and institutions touched by the compassion of Christ would not exist.
9. There would be no need for pastors and missionaries.
10. False gods and religions would flourish without an authoritative source to squelch their deceptions.
11. Most of the institutions of higher learning would not exist.
12. Other institutions founded by Christians would not exist — YMCA, Salvation Army, Red Cross and thousands of others.
13. There definitely would be no Christmas day — no Christmas celebrations and the beautiful carols we now enjoy.
This list could be endless. Would anyone really wish to live in a world untouched by Jesus Christ? Are you thankful that He came into our world? Praise and thank Him for humbling Himself in coming and in paying the ultimate sacrifice that we might have life eternal. As you pray, recognize the very privilege of praying as we do because Jesus Christ came to save us from our sins. Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift (II Corinthians 9:15).
George Stiekes held successful pastorates in churches in Michigan and Washington among other places. He currently resides in North Carolina and blogs at Reverent Reflections. We recommend his ministry and republish his material by permission.