Make
Room for Jesus Part 1 (6 Days to Christmas)
Matthew 1:18 This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His
mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together,
she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit.
Have you ever had one of those
birthdays when you wanted people to throw a party for you? You imagined getting
some lovely presents and even hinted at the ones you wanted. Whenever you went
out, you expected people to spring out and declare "Happy Birthday!"
You looked forward to it with immense anticipation, but no surprise birthday
party ever occurred. It seemed as if no one remembered your birthday or sadder;
everyone recognized it but failed to acknowledge it. Christmas is a birthday
celebration of the coming of Jesus to the earth in human form. However, some
get caught up in the commercial aspect of Christmas and need help remembering
it is the birthday celebration of the Baby Jesus.
Christmas Is a Birthday; that is
what Christmas should be like. It is supposed to be the celebration of the
birth of Jesus Christ, but we get carried away with the worldly aspects of the
season and forget His birthday. Merchants want you to shop 'til you drop, and
shoppers fixate on finding all the good deals. Several years ago, on Black
Friday, a Walmart employee was trampled to death as a crowd rushed in to find a
few savings. In Tennessee, a woman was once crushed at a Toys R Us entrance
when the store opened its doors; thankfully, she survived. We all should focus
on the spiritual aspect of Christmas, turning our backs on the commercial
trappings and remembering the reason for the season is Jesus.
We string our lights, trim our
trees, talk about the holiday, listen to recorded songs speaking of the birth
of Jesus… But how many people take time for Him? While we run around the malls
and buy things for everyone we know, we can forget to make room in our
schedules for Him.
Something similar happened in the
first century, on the very first Christmas. Mary and Joseph had been biding
their time in Nazareth. It was getting closer and closer to the day of Mary's
delivery. Then, suddenly, an announcement was made that everyone had to be
taxed, and everyone had to go to their initial hometown for this to take place.
Because Mary and Joseph were King David's descendants, they journeyed to
Bethlehem, David's hometown (Luke 2:1-5). When God made this proclamation, they
probably considered it an incredible hassle.
Maybe
you're wondering, "Why would God want Mary to make this long, difficult
journey to Bethlehem this late in her pregnancy?" Well, we know that God
is a stickler for detail. Scripture had said the Messiah would be born in
Bethlehem, so that's where Mary and Joseph had to go.
Part 2 Coming tomorrow.
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