Monday, December 2, 2013

Any Room for Jesus?

Joseph and Mary traveled from Galilee to Bethlehem to register for the census which Quirinius, the governor of Syria, ordered. This was the first census during Quirinius’ rule as governor of Syria. Everyone had to go to his/her own city to register. At that time Mary was “engaged” (Luke 2:5) to Joseph.

The most important thing about this journey was that Mary “was with child” (Luke 2:5). While they were there to register, she gave birth “to her first-born” (v. 7). They had tried to get a room for the three of them but “there was no room for them in the inn” (v. 7). The only place they could find shelter was in a barn-like structure. Mary laid the “Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (v. 12), in a feeding trough for animals called a manger.

Imagine it! God came as a baby to the earth, which He created, to become our Savior. Jesus was the sinner’s Substitute on Calvary’s cross. There He bore our sins. He became sin for us so that we might receive the righteousness of God, be given eternal life by simply acknowledging that we have sinned and by faith accept His sacrifice for our sins.

A lot of us complain about all the commercialism at Christmas time. “We need to put Christ back into Christmas,” is a common cry of many. Days before we celebrate the birth of Christ we rush to do this and that and forget why we are really doing it all. Let’s not forget that the celebration of the birth of Jesus should not bring us stress and anxiety. Instead, if we would only take time to think about the miracle of Christmas, it would help us keep Christ in Christmas.