The following student report was submitted by Ambassador League Agent Zachary W. during the 2007-2008 League.
What If Jesus Had Never Been Born?
Many are familiar with the classic holiday movie It's A Wonderful Life starring James Stewart. It tells the story of a man who sees what could have happened if he had never been born. Dr. D. James Kennedy has taken this idea and applied it to the life of Jesus Christ. In the book, he examines many aspects of modern life and culture that have been affected and changed by Christianity. The following examples are just the tip of the iceberg. The book digs much deeper into these and many other areas, and I highly recommend it in its entirety. It does a superb job of illustrating the impact of Christianity on culture.
First, Christianity has drastically altered the value of human life. Prior to Christ's coming, human life was viewed as nothing more than a cheap commodity. It was common practice in the ancient world to sacrifice children to please the gods, and even in classical Rome or Greece it was not unlawful for a father to kill his children anytime he pleased. Thanks to Christianity's influence, these and other barbaric customs have, for the most part, been eradicated. The Bible clearly states that "thou shalt not kill", and as a whole, upholds the sanctity and value of all human life. Without this Christian influence, the value of human life today would probably be no different than what it was before Christ.
Kennedy also discusses the tremendous impact Christianity has had on the arts and music. While Christians today unfortunately don't place too much emphasis on fine arts, the church has been a major patron of the arts over the centuries. Jesus Christ has provided art with its loftiest themes. Whether it is the great cathedrals of the Middle Ages, the paintings and tapestries of men like Da Vinci and Michelangelo, or the music of composers such as J.S. Bach, Christianity's influence on the fine arts is indisputable.
The most important change that Christianity has wrought on our world is the message of salvation. The Gospel has comforted countless millions and lifted many people from lives of sin to lives led according to Christian values. This message of love and acceptance has the ability to change people from social liabilities into social assets. Believing in Jesus and His offer of salvation provides a sense of peace, security, love, and purpose to life that cannot be attained any other way. In addition, the Christian desire to please God by obeying Him results in happier, healthier, and more productive lives. The impact of this message in the personal lives of all Christians throughout history is incalculable.
What If Jesus Had Never Been Born indeed paints a dismal picture of what this world would look like without the far-reaching influence of Jesus Christ. No single person has or ever will impact our world so much in so many ways. Dr. James Allan Francis sums this up wonderfully in his narrative One Solitary Life:
He was born in an obscure village, the child of a peasant woman. He grew up in another village, where He worked in a carpenter shop until he was thirty. Then for three years He was an itinerant preacher. He never wrote a book. He never held an office. He never had a family or owned a home. He didn't go to college. He never visited a big city. He never traveled two hundred miles from the place where he was born. He did none of the things that usually accompany greatness. He had no credentials but Himself.
He was only thirty-three when the tide of public opinion turned against Him. His friends ran away. One of them denied Him. He was turned over to His enemies and went through the mockery of a trial. He was nailed to a cross between two thieves. While He was dying, His executioners gambled for his garments, the only property He had on earth. When He was dead, He was laid in a borrowed grave through the pity of a friend. Nineteen centuries have come and gone, and today He is the central figure of the human race.
All the armies that ever marched, all the navies that ever sailed, all the parliaments that ever sat, all the kings that ever reigned, put together, have not affected the life of man on earth as that one solitary life.
What would our world look like if Jesus had never been born? The answer to this question is staggering to contemplate. Kennedy makes it clear in his book that our world would look very different. Consider the three examples already mentioned, and imagine if the Christian influence in each of these areas was removed. Human life today would be exceedingly cheap, having no intrinsic value in the eyes of our world. After all, in the materialistic worldview, it's survival of the fittest, and the weak will perish. Our arts and music would suffer greatly from the removal of Christianity. Removing this influence of Jesus Christ would strip art of its noblest themes, and deprive humanity of some of history's greatest works of art. Most importantly, taking the Gospel away from the millions of people who have embraced it over the centuries would yield a deeply negative effect. Hope, love, and charity would be replaced with fear, insecurity, and sin. The positive aspects and effects of Christianity are undeniably clear. Without Jesus Christ, this world and our very existence would be bleak indeed.
