Have you ever wondered what life be like without Jesus?  Think about it for a moment… What would life be like if the birth of Jesus had not taken place 2000 years ago?

The world would be an unbelievably different place today had the birth of Jesus not taken place.  I can’t imagine what life would be like without hope.  When Jesus came to this earth he brought hope… filled our hearts and lives with joy that can only come from Him.  This is a kind of hope and joy that nothing in this life can offer.

The words of Jesus in John 15:5, “without me you can do nothing.”  I think about this verse in relation to what it would be like if God had not come to earth in flesh.  Oswald Chambers states, “That is why the underlying foundation of Christianity is personal, passionate devotion to the Lord Jesus Christ.” (My Utmost for His Highest, December 23).

The amazing thing about His birth is that there is no other way we can experience a relationship with God that is real and personal.  It was by God becoming personal with us (in flesh) that we are able to be personal with Him. 

To find examples of how it would be to live life without Jesus – we don’t have to look to far… we don’t have to use our imaginations.  All we have to do is to look back into our own past for starters.  We can see our neighbors, co-workers, family, and friends who still live without the real hope and real joy that has come to this world through the birth of Jesus Christ.

As you celebrate, remember He has come to be with us.  His coming is real and personal.  He knows our names… He knows how many hairs are own our heads.  He intimately cares for all of us!

If you believe in Jesus, recall the joy experienced in coming to Him.  There’s a purpose in getting to know that joy.  That joy is to lead us to a personal relationship with God. 

Oswald Chambers goes on to say,

We mistake the joy of our first introduction into God’s kingdom as His purpose for getting us there. Yet God’s purpose in getting us into His kingdom is that we may realize all that identification with Jesus Christ means. (My Utmost for His Highest, December 23).

His birth, hope, and joy is to lead us to a place of total identification with the Savior.  Total identification is the giving of our entire lives for His purpose… to carry the marks and to be identified with Him no matter the cost. 

This is where I am today… how serious am I at being identified with Christ?  Is it just something to be written about in a blog or is it to be lived in compassion and humility serving others.  If you have done it unto the least of these you have done it unto me.  See Matthew 25:35-40.