Making The Commitment To Make Room In Our Lives

The fact that there was no room for Jesus’ birth was a sign that there would be no room for Him in this world. Some have allowed religion to become more important than salvation. They don’t have room on the throne of their lives because they want to sit there themselves. You are the innkeeper of your heart and of your life. Is there room for Jesus?

by Dr. Henry Johnson

A teenage girl named Mary was pregnant with her first child. Her fiancée, Joseph was not the father of the child. He was okay with this now because he has been told by an angel that Mary was pregnant with a child from God. Mary was now in the last few weeks of her pregnancy. A decree was sent out from Caesar Augustus who was the Roman emperor. The decree requires everyone to go to the place of their heritage for a census. Mary and Joseph are required to travel to the city of Bethlehem because Joseph was of the line of David. Mary was about to give birth but they are required to make this trip from Galilee into Bethlehem. It would have been nice if they could have picked up the phone and made a call to The Hilton, The Sheraton, Embassy Suites, The Doubletree or Holiday Inn, but they didn’t have the luxuries we have. They didn’t have the option of renting a car, riding Amtrak, or catching a plane. They made the trip not knowing what was ahead or whether they would have accommodations once they got to Bethlehem.

Joseph gathered up their things. He probably put Mary on a donkey while he walked, leading the animal. They made the trip. As they neared the city of Bethlehem, the birth pains increased. They entered this city looking for a place to sleep. I can imagine them going from place to place asking if there was room but time and time again they are told there was no room. Finally, they come to an Inn and I am sure they were about to give up. The Inn Keeper tells them there was no room in the inn.

Maybe he saw the pain on Mary’s face or the weariness on Joseph’s face so he thought about the possibilities and said wait there is a stable. It’s not much but it will provide shelter. Joseph and Mary didn’t have relatives to call on nor did they have a friend in the city. Their only choice for a place to stay was in this stable.

The stable would have been dirty and the smells in the stable wouldn’t be appealing. They made the best of the situation. The contractions were closer and closer. The pain increased. Mary dilated and the baby was coming. The child was born but wait there is no crib. They only place they could put this precious child is in a feeding trough that had been used by the animals. The night air was probably cold so the baby was wrapped up in swaddling clothes.... in other words, rags. This certainly wasn’t the kind of place any of us would have liked to have been born or any women would want to give birth in. Any hospital inspector would have condemned the room and closed it! The fact was there was no room for Joseph and Mary in the Inn.

There was no room for was Jesus! This is the same child whom Isaiah prophesied would be born. In fact, Isaiah called him: Wonderful, The counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, and The Prince of Peace. The reality in Bethlehem says he can be wonderful, The Counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, and The Prince of Peace but still there was no room for Him in the Inn! He should have come with all the grandeur and glory possible. There should have been a royal birthing room because He would be known as the King of the Jews. There should have been legions of angels to sing at His birth. There should have been a royal midwife to deliver Him because He is the Prince of Peace. But the reality in Bethlehem was there was no room in the Inn.

Something seems very wrong with this picture. Jesus, who is also called Immanuel, which means God in the flesh, was being born in a stable. God could have done something. He could have arranged things a little differently — after all He simply said a word or two and the world came into being. With a word, surely, He could have made better arrangements for Jesus to be born.

Luke tells us why Jesus was born in a stable ....he simply says there was no room for them in the Inn. After the long journey to Bethlehem, Mary and Joseph came to an inn — a simple place of lodging. It was full because so many had come for the census and there was no room left. Although Luke says it was because there was no room at the inn, God could have changed that but He choose not to. God had a plan....So let’s take a look at why God let His Son be born in a stable.

The fact that there was no room for Jesus’ birth was a sign that there would be no room for Him in this world. He was rejected at His birth just like Isaiah said and He was rejected at His death just as God knew it would be. The very people whom God had chosen to be His own did not recognize Him or receive Him as the Messiah. Yet silently, as a lamb, He gave His life and he looked out at them and said “Father, forgive them” as he died for their sins. God’s plan was for His only begotten son to come into this world in humble surrounding that show total surrender.

Isn’t it ironic that there was no room for Jesus at His birth, but there was room made on a cross at His death and he was the center of attention with a sign that says King of the Jews. The world he came to missed the message between His birth and death because the people would not make room for Jesus in their hearts. They missed the fact that God himself had come and dwelt among them. They missed the opportunity to see God face to face. They missed the blessing of being made brand new by a heart changing encounter with Jesus.

I can’t help but wonder if
there is room for Jesus today?

The scene with Mary, Joseph, and the baby Jesus is now known as the nativity scene. This scene is one that is rejected many places today. It is a scene that is unmistakable. This scene is so identified with the birth of our Lord, that it has been banned from display in public places because it might offend those who do not believe it ever happened. These people have no room for Jesus.

Many who come to church have no room for Jesus. That shouldn’t shock you. They aren’t faithful members. You see them every now and then. Some you might see from Sunday to Sunday. You see there is no room for Jesus in their lives because other things take priority. Pleasures, money, or business have captured their hearts and minds. Some have allowed religion to become more important than salvation. You do know that you can be religious and not be saved don’t you? There are those who won’t make room for Jesus and they express it by taking Christ out of Christmas - that says that there are too many other things to do for Him to be part of it so they call it Xmas.

EDITOR'S NOTE: This abbreviation for Christmas is of Greek origin. The word for Christ in Greek is Xristos. During the 16th century, Europeans began using the first initial of Christ's name, "X” in place of the word Christ in Christmas as a shorthand form of the word. Although the early Christians understood that X stood for Christ's name, later Christians who did not understand the Greek language mistook “Xmas” as a sign of disrespect.

A world that says there is no room for Jesus is saying that they no longer need His law, his love, or His sacrifice. Some have no room for Him in their lives because things are going quite well and they don’t need the extra baggage of Christ and His church. Some say they don’t need His promises because they are doing fairly well without Him. Others don’t have room for his way of doing things because they don’t fit into their way of doing things. They don’t have room on the throne of their lives because they want to sit there themselves. They certainly don’t have room for Jesus to tell them to deny themselves, follow him and to give to others.

If Jesus came today, there is no doubt that there are those who would have no room for him. Beloved, God keeps coming back to us even though we reject Him. We need to be warned that there is a limit as to how many times we can reject Him. You see, we never know when we will breathe our last breath — then it will be to late. There will be a time when God says “enough is enough”. Are you willing to wait that long or to take that chance?

You are the innkeeper of your heart and of your life. Is there room for Jesus? Is the inn full or can you make room? Some of us have traveled to various locations and they boast about who stayed there. The sign would be big enough to catch your eye. It might say - President Bush Stayed Here. It would attract others to stay at the hotel because he stayed there. You see, the Innkeeper missed the chance to say “Jesus was born here". You have the chance today to say "Jesus lives here".

I have to tell you there is a blessing when you make room for Jesus in your life. He comes into your life and he doesn’t leave you the same. He cleans up what you have messed up. He gives you an extreme makeover. He washes away your sins and prepares you for a new life to come. Jesus makes room for you not just here on earth but He promises you a mansion in Heaven. I’m so glad that one day I made room for Jesus in my life. My life has not been the same and my future is very clear. I don’t have to worry about life after death because my life has be sealed by the blood of Jesus and my new home is guaranteed. I can testify that Jesus lives here. What about you.....have you made room for Jesus?

Just Keeping It Real!

Reverend Dr. Henry Johnson
19 December 2005
doctorj@praisenet.org
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