Merry, merry Christmas to you all and a happy and prosperous New Year in advance. When I was growing up as a child, Christmas meant new shoes, new clothes, gifts and plenty of toys. It was also a time of joy and celebrations. It was a time of rice and chicken stew; food was abundant, and nobody seemed to lack anything.
I also remember instances when some people got severely intoxicated and needed to be carried to their homes on Christmas Day. Then, the fact that Jesus was born on Christmas Day did not make much sense to me. But since coming to age, I have always wondered why there was no room in the inn for Jesus to be born:
Luke 2:7 KJV
[7] And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
It’s hard to understand that Jesus Christ, the reason for this season, the Son of God, the Prince of peace, the Truth and the Life, just to mention a few of his accolades, was to be born, but there was no room for him. The big question is: Who and what were in the rooms of the inn? How was it that nobody took advantage of this enormous opportunity of a once in a lifetime significance, to make room for Jesus to be born in?
We can also see from the above scripture that God is not meddlesome, or controlling in nature. I mean, if God wanted, He could have kicked out everyone in that in to make room for his Son to be born. Man has the right to choose. God will not impose himself on you. God may show you the right path or thing to choose, but he will never choose for you or compel his choice on you. The choice is yours. We see examples of this in the following scriptures:
Deuteronomy 30:19 KJV
[19] I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:
Joshua 24:15 KJV
[15] And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.
John 1:11-12 KJV
[11] He came unto his own, and his own received him not. [12] But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
Jesus is still seeking to be born in the life of many, it’s in your power to allow him to be born in your life. Make room for him if you have not done so already. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. In the book of Revelation 3:20 Jesus said, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.” Celebrating Christmas without being born again is a gigantic waste of time and resources; let him in, and make this Christmas worthwhile.
Thank you and merry Christmas again.
Pastor Ebi Thourn