No
Room In The Inn Dr. Tom Berry
A number of years
ago the British government prepared a suite for an African foreign
minister in the luxurious Carleton-Tower Hotel. The
dignitary arrived, looked at the suite, and was not pleased.
He was offered a larger suite, but had to wait while the larger
room was prepared. Considering this treatment an insult, he
angrily left for home the next day. In reporting the
incident, the Daily Mail carried the headlines, "No Room At
The Inn For Envoy."
Nearly two thousand
years ago the earth was visited by a far greater dignitary---the
Son of God, Creator and Ruler of the Heavens and the Earth.
The Holy Scriptures give the following record as to how He was
received in Luke 2:7, "And she brought forth her firstborn Son,
and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger,
because there was no room for them in the inn."
The Son of God was
born to a mother and step-father who existed on a meager
carpenter's income. There was no room for Him in the inn at
the city of David. He was born in the midst of cows, sheep,
goats, mules, and chickens. The pungent stench of animal
urine and dung hung heavy in the air. He was wrapped in the
burial cloths that travelers always carried. He was laid
upon the hay of the animal's feeding trough. John 1:11 gives
us a picture of how the people of Israel received Jesus:
"He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him."
I. ISRAEL HAD NO
ROOM FOR JESUS
The Priests Had No Room.
The priesthood was commissioned to know and teach
the Scriptures. They were the mediators between man and God
by offering sacrifices for the sins of the people. When the
wise men came from the East asking, "Where is He who has been
born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East
and have come to worship Him." Matthew 2:2. The
priests could direct them to Bethlehem, but they would not go
themselves. They knew that He was to be born of a virgin
(Isaiah 7:14); of the lineage of David (Isaiah 9:6-7) in the city
of Bethlehem (Micah 5:2). They even knew the date He would
officially present Himself to Israel (Daniel 9:25-26). Yet,
they had no time in their life nor place in their heart for the
Son of God.
Herod Had No Room. Herod's response to the news was
that the King of the Jews had been born was an effort to subtly
find and kill this royal Baby.
The Innkeeper Had No Room. Others more noble and
wealthy than the carpenter, Joseph, had arrived. With
typical greed for earth's riches and ambition for favor with the
world's elite, he had little concern about a place for this humble
mother who needed a place to birth her child.
Most Homes Had No Room For Him. In the midst
of His ministry this Royal Visitor informed a would-be follower,
"Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son
of Man has nowhere to lay His head." (Matthew 8:20).
Nearing the close of His ministry we read, "And everyone went
to his own house, but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives."
(John 7:53, 8:1).
His Synagogue Had No Room For Him. After preaching
and healing throughout Galilee He came in the power of the Spirit
to His hometown of Nazareth. He shared with them the
wonderful news that He was the Messiah prophesied in Isaiah
61:1-2. Their response was to angrily attempt to put Him to
death. "So all those in the synagogue, when they heard
these things, were filled with wrath, and rose up and thrust Him
out of the city; and they led Him to the brow of the hill on which
their city was built, that they might throw Him down over the
cliff." Luke 4:28-29.
His stepbrothers Had No Room For Him. James and
Moses, Simon and Judas (Matthew 13:55) did not receive Him as
Messiah at first. They were sons of Joseph and Mary whereas
Jesus was the Son of Mary and God. At the height of His
ministry that taunted Him and the reason is given clearly in John
7:5, "For even His brothers did not believe in Him."
The Gadarenes Had No Room For Him. Jesus cast the
demons out of a wild man that had been a terror to the Gadarenes.
These Gadarenes had not been able to restrain this man with
fetters and chains. Jesus conquered him, however, and the
townsmen found the man "...setting and clothed and in his right
mind." (Mark 5:15). Their response was "They began to
plead with Him to depart from their region." (Mark
5:17).
Jerusalem Had No Room For Him. With words and works
He revealed that He was Jehovah come in the flesh. Instead
of being filled with joy about this, we read that the people of
Jerusalem had the following response, (John 8:59), Then they
took up stones to throw at Him...".
The Pharisees Had No Room For Him. While
performing one of the miracles that was a clear sign to the Jews
that He was their promised Messiah the Pharisees showed their
hardened rejection with the words, "This fellow does not cast
out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons." (Matthew
12:24).
II. RELIGIOUS
LEADERS BEGRUDGED ALL WHO DID HAVE ROOM FOR HIM
They Begrudged His Being Received By Publicans
and Sinners. When the publicans
and sinners gathered to hear Him, the Pharisees and scribes
murmured, saying, "How is it that He eats and drinks with tax
collectors and sinners?" (Mark 2:16)
Simon, The Pharisee, Begrudged Him Allowing The Bethany
Streetwalker To Wash His Feet With Her Tears and Dry Them With
Her Hair. As this woman washed and kissed the feet of
Jesus with a broken and repentant heart, Simon grumbled, "This
Man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of
woman this is who is touching Him for she is a sinner."
(Luke 7:39). Hopefully, Simon learned that day that
whoever is forgiven much loves much.
The Pharisees Begrudged Those Who Believed On Jesus When He
Raised Lazarus From The Dead Did they rejoice that
Lazarus had been raised from the dead? Were they persuaded
by the miracle that Jesus was the Messiah sent from God?
No. "...From that day on, they plotted to put Him to
death." John 11:53.
Judas Begrudged Him being Anointed For Burial With Precious
Ointment. Mary of Bethany alone understood that He
must die as a sacrifice for sins. She brought costly
ointment and anointed Him for burial. Judas piously
protested that the ointment could have been sold and the money
given to the poor, but in his heart he was thief and
wanted the money for himself. (John 12:1-6)
The Chief Priests Begrudged Him The Praise Of Little
Children. When Jesus officially presented
Himself to Israel as their Messiah, the little children cried
out, "Hosanna to the Son of David" and the chief priests
"were sore displeased". (Matthew 21:15).
The Chief Priests Begrudged The Title Given Him On The Cross.
When Pilate wrote the reason for Jesus being crucified it was,
"JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS".
The chief priests tried to get him to change these words, but he
replied, "What I have written, I have written."
(John 19:19-22).
The Chief Priests Begrudged Him The Proof Of His
Resurrection. The evidence proving the bodily
resurrection of Christ is so great that it could be successfully
argued in any unbiased courtroom in the world. Yet, the
chief priests begrudged Him this proof so much that they bribed
the guards with a great sum of money to say that while they
slept the disciples came and stole Jesus away. (Matthew
28:11-15).
III. MOST OF THE
WORLD HAS NO ROOM FOR JESUS TODAY
The United Nations
certainly has no room for Jesus. Prayer cannot even be offered
in His name.
Our Government does not have room for Jesus. The
Executive, the Congress and the Supreme Court make their decisions
with little or not consideration of Jesus Christ. The same is
true of state, county, and city government officials.
Other Nations of the world have likewise shut Jesus outside
their chambers.
High Society, the Arts, Business, and Fraternal Organizations
have not made room for Jesus.
Many Churches, sad to say, organized to bring men and women
to Christ have escorted Christ outside their doors and no longer
have room for Him.
IV. IN EVERY AGE
SOME HAVE HAD ROOM FOR JESUS
When Jesus came there were those who gave Jesus
a place in their hearts and lives. There were the humble
shepherds and the Wise Men. There were devoted people like
Anna and Simeon at the Temple. There was Mary and Joseph;
the disciples of Galilee; the publicans and harlots and many
common people. There were some rich like Joseph of Arimathea
and some religious leaders like Nicodemus. There was the
thief who died on the cross beside Him.
Down through
history there have been those in every age who had room for Him.
Their number has risen into the hundreds of millions. How
about you, my friend? Do you have room for Him? He
knocks and 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 dine with him and he with Me." (Revelation 3:20).
Will you hear His voce and make room in your heart for Him today?
Though "His own received Him not...as many as received Him, to
them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that
believe on His name." (John 1:11-12).
Copyright © 2008 Truth Helpers Inc.
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