His Ambassador Blog

There are so many amazing things about the Christmas story that we could talk about, dive deeper into, and truly meditate on. But I think it’s important that we look at Jesus’ arrival on this planet, the circumstances surrounding His birth, and how all of that relates to us.

We know that Jesus was born to Mary and Joseph, both of whom were in the line of David. Around the time of Jesus’ birth, the emperor of Rome, Caesar Augustus, made a decree that all of the world should be taxed. In order for this to happen, everyone had to go to the city of their lineage. For Joseph and Mary, this was Bethlehem. So, of course, with everyone returning back to their city for this taxing it was incredibly crowded and many people traveled from far away so they needed to spend a night or two. At this point in the pregnancy, Mary and Joseph had legally got married. They agreed not to be together until after Jesus was born and the time for His birth was approaching.

When Mary and Joseph arrive in Bethlehem it is nearly impossible for them to find a place to stay. The inn that they attempt to stay at has no room. Eventually they are given a stable to stay in and Mary gives birth to baby Jesus. It’s poetic how the Lamb of God, who is meant to take away the sins of the world is born in a manger. It’s likely that many didn’t come to Jesus because even from the beginning He was not what they expected. The Jews thought a mighty soldier and king was coming to relieve them of the oppression of Rome. They expected Him to come with weapons and power, tearing down city walls, and overthrowing Caesar. Yet Jesus came as arguably the most peaceful of all: a child. He was born and lay in a manger, what was meant for animals. He had humble beginnings and the reputation of His hometown (Nazareth) wasn’t exactly an upstanding one. But Jesus coming as a baby displays how God often sends His most amazing blessings and glory in unlikely packages. God moves as He sees fit and oftentimes it is in ways we never would have expected but His work is amazing all the more.

We simply can’t skim over all of the incredibly thought-provoking details of this story. The idea that there was no room in the inn begs us to ask the question: is there room for Jesus in our own hearts? It’s easy to answer ‘Yes, absolutely.’ But we should really study and review ourselves, constantly asking if Jesus has our whole heart. Do you let Him into the places you don’t let others see? Do the rooms of your heart hold the presence of a Savior who’s molding you to be holy like Him? Are we housing Jesus just outside of ourselves, keeping Him close enough to know He’s there but not truly letting Him in? Many of us have been in a place like this. Treating Jesus like a guest more than a permanent resident. We don’t really tell Him to make Himself at home because that means He’d change things and we really like us how we are, or at least that’s what is comfortable. Sometimes we end up housing too many other people, things, habits, etc., that our hearts cannot fit Jesus anywhere. I’ve heard it said that a lack of hunger for Jesus usually stems from us being too full of ourselves. Whatever you heart is full of, if it isn’t Jesus you’re in for a world of trouble, trust me.

Jesus is not going to barge His way into your heart and life. He is very respectful. Revelation 3:20 says, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.” We have to invite Jesus in, we have to make room for Him. If God didn’t give us a choice to obey, follow, and surrender to Him it wouldn’t be love. God wants to be with us and He wants us to want to be with Him as well. We must choose to give our heart to Him every day, to surrender our desires, and to follow His will in our lives.

David Guzik said in reference to there being no room in the inn that the only place we gave Jesus here on earth was on the cross. What breaks my heart is that the only place we saw fit for Jesus was suffering, sacrifice, and death. Our sins put Him on that cross. How can it be that we thought the Lord of creation, King of Kings and Lord of lords belonged with the worst criminals? Thankfully, Jesus doesn’t hold it against us. It may have been our sins that nailed Him to the cross, but it was each one of us that kept Him up there. We could never deserve His perfect gift and that’s part of the beauty.

Jesus came so that we could have peace, joy, and love. Christmas revolves so much around these things, which Jesus incredibly embodies. He is peace that passes all understanding. He is joy that sustains through all trials and tribulations. He is love that never fails and nothing can prevail against. The greatest gift that we could have ever received as a human race was Jesus Christ. His salvation is free to all. If you haven’t given Jesus you heart, not just a room, and not just the stable outside, but your whole heart, my prayer is that you’ll find Him this Christmas.