LOOKING FOR HOPE!

                                                          Colossians 1:16-28

INTRODUCTION: The apostle Paul said he was commission by God to present the Word of God

in its fullness: Colossians 1:25-27. What would the life of those you love be like today if you had

never been born? That brings up an interesting question. What would our lives be like today if

our Lord Jesus Christ had never been born?

I. OUR CALANDAR WOULD BE MUCH DIFFERENT!

First, our calendars would be very different from what they are in our nation today. Our

date on our bulletin reads July 5, 2026. The birth of our Lord Jesus Christ as given in the

Scriptures says it is in relation to Caesar Augustus. : Luke 2:1-3. Our calendars today have a

B.C. and an A.D. Before Christ birth and after Christ’s birth. “Anno Domini” in the year of our

Lord. Without the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ our calendars would be very different.

II. WITHOUT THE BIRTH OF OUR LORD JESUS WOMEN WOULD STILL BE PROPERTY!

During the life of our Lord Jesus He gave women more importance than the rest of the

world had ever seen. In all ancient cultures and even some modern one’s women were the

property of their fathers first and of their husbands later. Men could stone their wives for

marital adultery. The longest conversation recorded for our Lord Jesus was with the Samaritan

woman at the well. It was because of the way Jesus treated women Paul wrote later:

Galatians 3:26-29.

III. WITHOUT THE BIRTH OF OUR LORD JESUS, CHILDREN WOULD NOT BE VALUED!

Third, without Jesus, children are not valued. In the first century abortion was legal—and

normal! If you were a female baby in the first century your chance of living after your birth was

fifty-percent. But all that changed in the year of our Lord. Christians began to cherish life as

sacred: Matthew 19:13-15. And without a faith in our Lord Jesus Christ many today do not

value the life of children.

IV. WITHOUT THE BIRTH OF OUR LORD JESUS, SLAVERY WOULD HAVE ENDURED!

Forth, without the birth of Jesus Christ, slavery would have endured. Slavery is an ugly fact

of history that can’t be erased. We think of slavery as in the days of the Civil War in our land,

but the Bible mentions four types of slaves. 1. Debt slaves. 2. Captive slaves. 3. Conjugal

slaves. 4. Chattel slaves. Speaking of slavery the apostle Paul wrote: Colossians 3:22-24;

Colossians 4:1; 1 Timothy 6:1-2. Paul’s letter to Philemon is a one-chapter Bible book about a

runaway slave named Onesimus.

V. WITHOUT THE BIRTH OF OUR LORD JESUS POVERTY WOULD NOT BE ALLEVIATED!

Poverty has always been a part of life; it’s naïve to think we can totally alleviate it. LBJ

dreamed of a “Great Society” where no one ever went without, but Jesus said: Matthew 26:11.

Jesus also told the rich young ruler: Matthew 19:21-26. Christians have historically been the

most compassionate givers to the needs of others. Why is that so true? Matthew 25:31-40.

VI. WITHOUT THE BIRTH OF OUR LORD JESUS MEDICAL CARE WOULD NEVER HAVE

IMPROVED!

Sixth, without Jesus’ birth medical care would never have improved. After Constantine

legalized Christianity hospitals popped up like spring flower. Luke 7:18-22. Truly that baby in

the manger changed the lives of an entire planet!