Does Our Inn Have Room?

By Gene Poore

From that brilliant Bethlehem Star announcing Jesus’ birth to the darkened
day of earth-shakes following Christ’s crucifixion, no other name but Jesus
accompanied so much love, hate, belief, unbelief, or disbelief. Even today,
wavering degrees of belief slice religious societies into multiple camps.
Christianity’s basic anchor injects reluctance into many to believe in the Son of
God because dissenters cannot believe in Jesus’ resurrection.
While multiple theories discount Christ’s resurrection, three remain most
prevalent: “The Wrong Tomb,” “The Apostles--or the Pharisees or Sadducees--stole
Jesus’ body,” or “Christ was not dead and revived in the cool tomb.”
However, we know religious leaders of that day did not want Jesus’ doctrine
preached whether Jesus lived or died. Clearly, that removes any religious leader’s
part in the first two theories. Any religious leader could direct the inquisitive
to the correct tomb, or produce Jesus’ body if any leader had stolen the corpse
for whatever purpose.
If the frightened Apostles had stolen Jesus’ body, they would have fought
off skilled Roman soldiers and then preached a lifetime of deception. Yet, since
all Apostles, except John, suffered inhumane deaths, at least one would have
confessed to the lie. Bartholomew, when flayed--skinned alive--might have screamed
a confession.
We should laugh at the last theory, where Jesus escaped after reviving from
the cool of the tomb. How could Jesus escape? With Jesus’ human body scourged to
near death weakness before the crucifixion, could the man Jesus roll back a many-
ton stone and fight those Roman soldiers before fleeing to His disciples? Could
Jesus’ disciples then preach Jesus as the Son of God and lie about witnessing
Jesus’ ascension without confessing fraud while suffering martyrdom? Unlikely.
One conclusion rises from this tiny amount of circumstantial evidence. God
the Father, indeed, raised Jesus from the dead by supernatural means. Thus, if God
resurrected His Son from the grave, God could easily, supernaturally impregnate a
chosen virgin, followed by that child’s birth in a barn?
Now, if we vicariously visit that first Christmas Eve in the barn, within
our soul, let us first return to the fields and linger beneath that brilliant
Bethlehem Star. Let us view “The same country [where] shepherds abiding in the
field [kept] watch over their flock by night.” Let our ears tingle when “The angel
said unto them, fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy,
which shall be to all people.” Let our hearts eject warm tears of joy as that
Angelic Hallelujah Chorus sang “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace,
good will toward men.” (LUK 2:8-14).
During this mental sojourn, in spirit we realize the singleness of salvation
as we peer on “The babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.” (LUK
2:12). We watch the Wise men as they “Fell down, and worshipped [the Babe]” with
gifts of “gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.” (MAT 2:11).
Reflecting anguish that such a magnificent child needed birth in a stable,
we ask, “Why?” Someone answers. “Because there was no room for them in the inn.”
(LUK 2:7).
That answer, echoing within our soul, should jerk us back to reality. The
reality where “No Vacancy” signs still dangle from hearts refusing admittance to
God’s gift. A gift given because God “So loved the world, that [God] gave his only
begotten Son, that whosoever believed in [Jesus] should not perish, but have
everlasting life.” (JOH 3:16).
Let us remember God’s gift of Christ. Let us offer God’s gift of Christ to
others. In doing so, we respond to God’s gift of love. We make room in our heart’s
inn for the Christ Child. When we make room in our heart, we say, “Thank you,
Lord, for so great a gift born in Bethlehem that day.”