December 24th, 2023

Keeping Christ in CHRISTmas – Day #24 – Joy to the World (Luke 2:1-7) PART 2

Joy to the World (Luke 2:1-7)


This is Part 2 of a 2 Part devotion. You can visit yesterday’s post for Part 1.

Luke 2:6-7, “And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. 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.”

God could have given us anything, but He knew what we needed most. And so, on a long-prophesied night, in a stable in the town of Bethlehem, He gave us His presence. The story is told of a Persian king, a wise and good man, who loved his people and wanted to know them more personally. He wanted to know how they lived, to see their hardships, and hear about their struggles. So he dressed in the clothes of a working man and began visiting the homes of the poorest people in his kingdom, careful not to reveal his identity as their ruler. On one visit, the king met a very poor man who lived in a cellar. The king asked if he might spend the evening with the man and the man agreed, sharing his meager dinner and making pleasant conversation. The king later returned to visit the man again and disclosed his true identity, half believing the poor man would ask for some gift or favor to elevate his station in life. But instead the man thanked his king for taking the time to visit him. “You left your big palace to spend time with me in this dark, dreary place, and that brought gladness to my heart,” said the poor man. “To others you may give rich gifts, but to me you gave yourself.” Remember that God had foretold not only the time, but also the place of Jesus’ birth. Micah had prophesied Jesus would be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2) and that is how it came to pass.

It is tradition in many cultures to celebrate the birth of a baby by showering a family with food and gifts. Hospital gift shops are full of items such as balloons and stuffed animals visitors may buy when being introduced to the new baby. But Mary had none of that. She went into labor and delivered Jesus in a stable—not a clean and sterile hospital room—and afterward she wrapped Him in swaddling cloths. This gauzy-type substance was not something most mothers would want to wrap their newborns in. Swaddling clothes were typically used as burial wrappings. The significance here is that Jesus Christ was born to die for us. I John 4:9, “In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.” After wrapping Him, Mary laid Christ in a manger. We typically think of a manger as a wooden contraption with hay spilling out of it and of a stable as a barn-like building that was somehow cozy and inviting. The reality, however, is that stables more closely resembled cold, damp, dark caves, and mangers were hewn-out stones that served as feeding troughs for animals. What a humble scene for the birth of a King. The eternal Son of God was born in a cave and laid in a manger surrounded by animals because there was no other place for them to go: “there was no room for them in the inn”. Some people today still have a “no room” attitude when it comes to Christ. They don’t mind decorating their homes with bright lights, putting up Christmas trees, and spending money on Christmas gifts, but they don’t want to personally receive Jesus as their Saviour, or submit to His leadership in any way that would change their homes or affect the way they live their lives. In short, people have “no room” for Jesus.

The material man has no room. For some people, life is all about how much they can get, how much stuff they can accrue in the shortest time possible. People like this would be wise to remember why Christ came in the first place - to bring eternal security, not to our investment accounts, but to our souls. Mark 8:36, “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” The intellectual man has no room. Some people claim they are too smart to buy into Christianity. They pity Christians, believing we must need the crutch of religion to get through life. But those who have become so smart that they reject the Babe in the manger as the Son of God are in reality fools headed for destruction. I Corinthians 1:18–19, “For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.” The religious man has no room. Many put their trust in a religious system, and may believe Jesus is part of the equation for eternal life, but many refuse to believe He is the complete answer. They will make room in their lives for a set of rules that make them feel righteous, but they don’t want Jesus to intrude on their closely-held traditions. The truth is that salvation has nothing to do with following a particular religion or adhering to a specific set of beliefs: it’s about receiving Christ as Saviour, and trusting Him alone for forgiveness of sins. John 1:10–12, “He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. 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.” Many material, intellectual, and religious people are filled with sadness and gloom despite their best efforts to buy or earn joy. No matter how much money they spend to make a good life for themselves, and no matter how they try to reason away the existence of God or blindly follow a church’s set of rules to be a good person, they are never sure if they’ve done enough to be able to make it into Heaven. There’s only one way to Heaven, and that way is Jesus. John 14:6, “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” We who know Jesus as our personal Saviour can have continual joy in His presence.

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