Jesus Can Change Your World
Rusty Wirt   -   March 29, 2026

Jesus Can Change Your World

3.29.26

 

Jesus is worth following and Christianity is still worth your investment. This is more than an article of faith. Rather, this is embedded deeply into the advance of Western Civilization. What one can clearly see from historical analysis is Christ and His teachings have had a lasting and positive impact on our current understanding of the world. Consider these 7 major developments rooted in Christ and His teachings.

  1. Human Rights & the Idea of Universal Human Dignity
  • Christianity introduced and popularized the belief that all humans possess inherent worth because they are “made in the image of God.”
  • This idea became foundational for later human‑rights frameworks, including abolitionist movements and modern civil rights discourse.

Why this matters: Before this, most ancient societies tied human value to class, citizenship, or utility—not universal dignity.

  1. Hospitals & Institutional Charity
  • The world’s first large-scale hospitals were created by Christians in the Roman Empire, motivated by the duty to care for the sick and poor.

Why this matters: The idea of caring for strangers as a moral obligation was unusual in the ancient world.

 

  1. Education, Literacy & the University System
  • Christianity played a major role in promoting literacy so people could read scripture.
  • Medieval monasteries preserved classical texts and became centers of learning.

Why this matters: The university system (Bologna, Paris, Oxford) emerged from cathedral schools and monastic learning traditions.

 

  1. Art, Music, and Cultural Development
  • Christianity profoundly shaped Western art, architecture, and music—cathedrals, sacred music, Renaissance art, etc.

Why this matters: Much of Europe’s artistic heritage—from Michelangelo to Bach—was produced within Christian frameworks.

 

  1. The Concept of Holidays (“Holy Days”)
  • The term “holiday” itself comes from Christian “holy days.”

Why this matters: These holidays shaped global calendars, work schedules, and cultural rhythms.

 

  1. Abolition Movements & Social Reform
  • Many abolitionists and reformers cited Christian theology as the basis for ending slavery and promoting social justice.
  • While Christianity coexisted with slavery for centuries, the modern abolitionist movement was disproportionately led by Christians who argued from human‑dignity principles.

Jesus has changed and is changing the world.  (so far, Luke 1:33 has come true)

  1. Jesus has changed and is changing the world.
    1. No one person has ever fulfilled the OT prophecies like Jesus has.
    2. To read the OT correctly we must see how it points to Jesus
      1. Matthew 5:17–18
      2. John 5:39–46
  1. Luke 4:16–21
  2. John 2:19–21
  3. Matthew 22:37–40
  1. Result: Jesus is uniquely qualified to be the Messiah
  1. Jesus changed His world by showing the nature of His Kingship (Zech 9:9-10, 1 Kings 1:33).
    1. Peace- the conflict between God and man is over.
    2. Humility or lowly- Jesus is humble.
    3. This contrasted with a warring king
    4. Jesus as a peaceful king does not mean there will be no war. But Jesus followers should pursue peaceful living and conditions as much as possible (Romans 12:18)

With all its flaws and failures, Christianity is still worth following.

And with all your flaws and failures, Christ wants you to follow Him.