HoHum:
Oak Ridge Boys sang a song some years ago called an Inconvenient Christmas. Inspiration for this series and going over parts of the song, finishing the last part, well really the middle part of the song, this week: Among the bills that I'd received was a postcard marked “Apologies, The Christmas gifts you ordered aren't in stock” So I packed up the kids for Grandpa's house Then a blizzard blew in and the car broke down So, we shared a quart of eggnog at a truck stop And I said, "Kids, this is unfortunate You think it's bad? Well it's inconvenient” But the most inconvenient Christmas ever was Was the first one, when God came so far to give himself to us So when the stress hits each December How it helps me to remember God is with us most when things just can't get worse The most inconvenient Christmas ever was, was the first
By the time we got to Grandpa's house His Christmas lights had burned it down So we had to take him home to live with us But he couldn't stand to leave the farm So now there's cattle in our yard Sheep on the rug, pigs in the tub, and a rooster at dawn And I said, "Now honey, this is unfortunate You think this is bad, well it's inconvenient” But the most inconvenient Christmas ever was Was the first one, when God came so far to give himself to us So when the stress hits each December How it helps me to remember God is with us most when things just can't get worse The most inconvenient Christmas ever was, was the first
WBTU:
Want to focus on Grandpa and all of those animals in the house. Many were inconvenienced on that first Christmas. The angels came from heaven to deliver the news. The shepherds left their flocks at night to go to Bethlehem (did the sheep go with them?) and see the child (probably the least inconvenienced were the shepherds). We could go on from there and talk about the Magi who left their nation and came hundreds of miles to worship the Christ child. We could talk about King Herod who was disturbed, so disturbed that he had the baby boys in Bethlehem killed. The mothers of those babies were more than inconvenienced, they were mourning. Mary and Joseph were inconvenienced at that time because went to Egypt. I digress here because this is going beyond the first Christmas. Job read the story of the first Christmas. We're not given the emotional responses of Mary and Joseph here but if it were me, when the decree was given I could see myself saying, "are you kidding me? You need to take a census now? My wife is close to having God's child and we need to pack up and go to Bethlehem. God, why would you let this happen? How is this part of your plan? This is so inconvenient"
From Nazareth to Bethlehem is about 80 miles. That's nothing to us who have cars but for the ones who were traveling by foot and donkey, this was no afternoon trip. This would've taken about a week. Think of Mary. I'm sure the last thing she wanted to do was to hop on a donkey (did they have a donkey?, not mentioned) at nearly full-term and make that trip. Inconvenient.
And then, to top it all off, they get to Bethlehem and Mary starts going into labor. It could very well have been from all the jostling around on the journey. Then there was even more inconvenience. Let's add insult to injury by not being able to get in the inn. Let’s stop there, the Greek word for “inn” can be translated as lodging place or guest room. Jewish people would avoid an inn at all costs. When the Romans built roads, they would have an inn or rest stop at regular intervals. Did Bethlehem have an inn? No evidence either way. Inns in that day were first come first served. Inns usually had one big room where all of the guests would stay (more like an open rescue mission). If the inn had an innkeeper (often mentioned in Christmas plays) that innkeeper was not paid. The way that the innkeeper made money was to engage in unscrupulous business practices (not going to delve into those). Jewish travelers often relied on the hospitality of others, staying in guest rooms or homes of acquaintances. The concept of hospitality was highly valued in Jewish culture, and providing a place for travelers to stay was considered a virtuous act. I take it that Mary and Joseph had distant cousins in Bethlehem and tried to stay there but they were already full. This family did not want to just kick them out to the street so had them stay in the stable. Also notice that the word stable is not used in this text. It is reasonable to infer this because the baby Jesus was placed in a manger. A manger is a feeding trough used for animals so this must be a stable, a barn. We think of a barn as separate from a house where people live but in that day, the stable was often under the house, kind of like a walk out basement area. The stable might be near the house in a cave and one of the possible sites for the birth of the Christ child is a cave in Israel. Either way, Mary and Joseph were in a stable filled with smelly animals to have God's child. Again, we're not told of the emotions or responses from Joseph and Mary but if I was told my wife would give birth in a stable, I probably would've been like, "This is just great! I can't believe this is happening right now. Stay in Nazareth and give birth in our nice, cozy home. Is that too much to ask? I guess so.”
I am sure there were cattle, sheep, chickens coming in and out while Mary was giving birth. Now, it seems like a very pregnant woman would be given the best place to deliver a baby but no. The main thing I want to bring out is that there was no room for them. Whether an inn or a house, there was no room! The question is, why not? Now granted Bethlehem was crowded. Many traced their lineage back to King David and all of these came home. The problem was that Joseph and Mary were late to the party. Really, no room anywhere but a stable? Bob had to change the sign to say, “No room for Jesus?”
Thesis: Why is there no room for Jesus?
For instances:
1. No room because Jesus didn’t fit into their lives
John 1:11 says, “He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.” People rejected Mary and Joseph because they had their own lives to live. They had a place to stay, Mary and Joseph didn’t. Tough. We got here first. In order for them to have a place to stay, others would have to give up their place and they didn’t want to be bothered. Letting Jesus be born in their room/ house was inconvenient. Jesus is becoming more and more inconvenient in our culture. Leaving Christ out of Christmas. It is amazing to me how many Christmas movies make no reference to the Christ child, or if they do it is only in passing. Love a Charlie Brown Christmas. When Charlie Brown is at his lowest point, he turns to Linus and admits he doesn’t know what he’s doing, to which Linus recites the text of Luke 2:8-14. “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace and goodwill toward men. That’s what Christmas is really about, Charlie Brown.” That was controversial even in the 1960’s. That’s right the baby Jesus is controversial and we need to steer clear of that. Jesus came to die for sinners. 1 Timothy 1:15: Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. People don’t like to hear that. That truth is inconvenient for a world that would rather not be bothered with the truth. There is no room in their homes, and no room in their lives for Jesus to be born. The early Christians turned the world upside down. They didn’t have manger scenes in their yards to proclaim their faith! How could Christians possibly have changed the world without Christmas decorations to proclaim that Jesus had been born? Go tell it on the mountain, over the hills and everywhere, go tell it on the mountain that Jesus Christ…
2. No room because Jesus’ message didn’t fit into their thinking
Could go several ways here but keep in mind that Mary was pregnant. Mary’s pregnancy had the taint of illegitimacy. Notice that when she showed up in Bethlehem, Joseph was still “betrothed (pledged to be married NIV, engaged to Joseph Christian Standard Bible)- they were not technically man and wife yet. So many did not want them in their home because of this. There was no room because they saw her as a sinful woman. From his birth onward, the question of paternity was raised. In the midst of Jesus’ ministry, His enemies said, “We are not illegitimate children” (John 8:41), implying that He was (going on a limb here but maybe not). Getting back to the last point, Mary was rejected because of the sin people thought they saw in her life. Thus people had no room for Jesus because they had no room for sinners. But sinners are who Jesus came to save. And sinners are the ones that Jesus uses to spread his message. The gospel is spread by people who are imperfect and the rejected ones of this world. Back in December of 1792, a boy named Joseph Mohr was born in Salzburg, Austria. He was illegitimate. Because of his illegitimacy, Joseph was banned from attending school, learning a trade or even from holding a job. Even so, Joseph Mohr loved to sing. One night he wrote a song we know- and I’d like us to sing it with me: Silent night, holy night! All is calm, all is bright, Round yon virgin, Mother and Child. Holy Infant so tender and mild, sleep in…
Silent night is one of the most popular Christmas songs ever written. It’s been translated into 200 languages. And God used the once rejected and illegitimate child named Joseph to write a song of praise for the baby Jesus- the baby who also faced rejection and was accused of being…
God can use anyone who admits they are a sinner and they need a Savior
3. No room because Jesus can do nothing for them.
Babies are cute but they really can’t do anything for us. They need us but they really don’t do anything for us. Hear so many people say that they don’t need Jesus because they are such good people. Notice this whole passage in John 1:11-13: He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God — children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. John is very clear here- some people think they can get into heaven because of blood (natural descent). The Jews felt like they were God’s children because of their ancestors. John is explaining that is no longer true- the only way to become one of God’s children is by accepting Christ. Also John says can’t get into heaven by the will of the flesh (Human decision). Some believe that they are so good, that when they die, God will let them go through the the pearly gates with no problems. Give plan of salvation.
So what?
No room in Bethlehem because God planned it that way. Born in a stable so that anyone can approach him, both the high and the low, the shepherds and the Magi. Major Daniel Webster Whittle (1840-1901) was a veteran of the American Civil War. In 1878, he revised a poem from an unknown source, and turned it into a hymn. His hymn raises the crucial question, “Have You Any Room for Jesus?” The song begins, “Have you any room for Jesus, He who bore your load of sin? / As He knocks and asks admission, sinner, will you let Him in?”
Though Whittle intended it as an invitation to salvation, it remains a question worth asking by everyone. Our lives sometimes bustle with more activity than at Bethlehem during the census. Not that the things that occupy us are necessarily wrong or sinful. More often, it is a case of the good crowding out the best. And for that reason, we need to periodically assess our priorities. Perhaps we have made room for family and friends, room for hobbies, room for what we desire to do, but what about the Savior? The second verse of our hymn says, “Room for pleasure, room for business, / But for Christ the crucified, / Not a place that He can enter, / In the heart for which He died.” Let’s be standing and sing this hymn
