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You are not here by chance this morning. Out of all the young people in this city God, by the hand of His providence, led someone to speak to you and invite you to this Baptist church to hear the message of the Gospel. If you should be saved as a result of being brought here, in the years to come you will realize that it was providentially arranged by the unseen hand of God.

And so it also was with the birth of Christ. The unseen hand of God moved great Caesar Augustus to tax the entire Roman Empire.

“And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city”
      (Luke 2:3).

Dr. John R. Rice said,

God was fulfilling His Word. In Micah 5:2 [in the Old Testament] it was written, “But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.” So Caesar Augustus, not knowing why, gave the decree that “all the world should be taxed,” and the millions of the Roman Empire must go and register, unconscious that thereby God was bringing Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem that the Saviour might be born there and so one verse of Scripture be fulfilled!
        …How desperately alone Mary must have felt when at first she feared, and then she knew, that her baby was to be born here in Bethlehem among strangers and far away from her little Nazareth home! It would have been bad enough, she doubtlessly thought, if they could have had a nice, clean room in a private home or even the courtesy of a common tavern or a hotel. But the town was full. David had many other descendants who had come, likewise, to register. There was no room for them in the inn. In Mary’s hour of travail she slipped down into the valley of shadows, her bed was nothing but straw in a stable. And when her baby was born, she herself, with trembling yet glad fingers, wrapped her Babe in swaddling clothes and laid Him in a manger “because there was no room for them in the inn” (John R. Rice, D.D., “No Room for Jesus,” in I Love Christmas, Sword of the Lord Publishers, 1955, pp. 63-64).

It is my purpose this morning to have you think about the birth of Jesus in a cow-stall, surrounded by animals in a stable,

“Because there was no room for them in the inn” (Luke 2:7).

I. First, this shows us several things about Christ.

It shows us His humiliation, the shame and dishonor He went through by coming down from the glory of Heaven to be born in human flesh. This was the lowly birth of Him who is,

“Despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not” (Isaiah 53:3).

This was the base and vulgar birthplace of

“Him whom man despiseth, [of] him whom the nation abhorreth” (Isaiah 49:7).

This was the shameful birthplace of Him who would die naked, nailed to a cross! This was the humble shed where He was born, whose dead body would be placed in a borrowed tomb! This is the birthplace of Him who would go through life wearing the clothing of a poor man, working with lowly carpenters and fishermen, saying of Himself,

“The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head” (Matthew 8:20).

“And she brought forth her firstborn son…and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn”
      (Luke 2:7).

I also believe that Jesus was born in a stable to show that the most poor and shameful people can come to Him. You might very well be afraid to come to a high and ruthless king. But Jesus came to save lowly sinners! The Apostle Paul said,

“This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”
      (I Timothy 1:15).

Throughout His earthly ministry, poor sinners came to Him, and even ate with Him.

“And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners? But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick…for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance”
      (Matthew 9:11-13).

He touched the eyes of blind beggars, and they could see! He raised a poor woman’s dead son to life, and they went away rejoicing! He touched lepers, whom no one else dared touch, and they were healed! He forgave the sins of an outcast woman who kissed His feet! Yes, the birth of Jesus in a stable shows that poor and shameful sinners can come to Him and be saved!

“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” (Luke 2:7).

The world of wise and powerful men had no room for Him because He came not “to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Matthew 9:13). And the world had no room for Him, though sinners would receive Him.

“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” (John 1:11-12).

II. Second, this confronts you with the question,
Do you have room for Christ?

“There was no room for them in the inn” (Luke 2:7).

Do you have room for Jesus Christ? There was no room for Him in Caesar’s palace. There was no room for Him in the inn at Bethlehem. But do you have room for Christ?

Someone may say, “I would like to have Jesus, but my heart is so filthy.” So was the manger! “But,” you may say, “my heart isn’t good. It is a bad place for Him.” So was the manger! Someone else may say, “I will have room for Him later, but I will put it off.” Could Mary have said that? Oh, no! The baby was about to be born! It must happen now!

“Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (II Corinthians 6:2).

Do not delay any longer! Make room for Jesus in your life today!

Oh, we have such a wonderful, loving Saviour! He wants to save your soul and forgive your sins! A girl in the inquiry room the other night said, “He is so far away.” Another girl, who had hopefully been converted a day or two earlier, said softly to her, “Oh, no! He is not far away! Come to Him!” She knew how simple it is to come to Jesus by faith!

Though coming weak and vile,
   Thou dost my strength assure;
Thou dost my vileness fully cleanse,
   Till spotless all and pure.
I am coming, Lord! Coming now to Thee!
   Wash me, cleanse me in the blood
That flowed on Calvary.
   (“I Am Coming, Lord” by Lewis Hartsough, 1828-1919).

Do you have room for Jesus? Will you come to Him by faith this morning? He is seated beside God the Father, up in Heaven, but His love reaches down to you! Come to Him! He is not far away! Do you have room for Him? If you do, then come and rest in the Saviour’s arms this morning!

O holy Child of Bethlehem!
   Descend to us, we pray;
Cast out our sin, and enter in;
   Be born in us today.
We hear the Christmas angels
   The great glad tidings tell;
O come to us, abide with us,
   Our Lord Emmanuel.
(“O Little Town of Bethlehem” by Phillips Brooks, 1835-1893).

“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” (Luke 2:7).

III. Third, this shows that, if you have room for Christ,
the world will have no room for you.

The text not only says that there was no room for Jesus. It says,

“There was no room for them in the inn” (Luke 2:7).

There was no room for Joseph, or Mary, or the baby Jesus! Just as there was no room for Jesus, there was also no room for the Virgin Mary, and there was no room for Joseph either!

When you come to Jesus, you must leave the world behind. Just as Abraham had to leave Ur of the Chaldees, just as Moses had to leave Egypt, so you must leave off your friendship with the world. They have no room for Jesus, and you must have no room for them.

A young man named Peter Bilhorn once came to D. L. Moody and asked, “Mr. Moody, how do I get rid of the world?” Moody said, “Bilhorn, get a ringing testimony for Jesus Christ and the world will get rid of you!” Later, Peter Bilhorn wrote the music for the hymn, “I Will Sing the Wondrous Story,”

Yes, I’ll sing the wondrous story,
   Of the Christ who died for me,
Sing it with the saints in glory,
   Gathered by the crystal sea.
(“I Will Sing the Wondrous Story,”
   words by Francis H. Rowley, 1854-1952;
   music by Peter P. Bilhorn, 1861-1936).

The Lord Jesus Christ said,

“If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you” (John 15:19).

If you make room for Jesus, and come to Him by faith, the lost people in the world will have little use for you, and no room for you. You must expect to be laughed at. You must expect them to call you a fool for becoming a true Christian. I say that the lost people in the world will have no room for the person who has room for Christ Jesus. Why? Christ said,

“Because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world” (John 15:19).

Flee from the Christ-rejecting world as Lot fled from the city of Sodom! Be here, in the house of God, on Christmas Eve! Let the world have its “Holiday party,” but you be with God’s people, in God’s house! Let the worldlings mock at you and call you an overzealous fool! Let them! They have nothing lasting for you, nothing to satisfy your heart, nothing to give you worth the cost of your eternal soul! Come to Christ. Throw yourself upon Him! Trust Him with your life and soul! He will cleanse your sin and give you eternal life!

Please stand with me and turn to hymn number 5 on your song sheet. Lift up the song sheet and sing it well!

O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant,
   O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem!
Come and behold Him, born the King of angels;
   O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord.

Sing, choirs of angels, sing in exultation!
   O sing, all ye bright hosts of heaven above;
Glory to God, all glory in the highest;
vO come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord.

Yea, Lord, we greet Thee, Born this happy morning,
   Jesus, to Thee be all glory given;
Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing,
vO come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord.
   (“O Come, All Ye Faithful,” translated by Frederick Oakeley, 1802-1880).

Will you make room for Jesus in your life this morning? He died on the Cross to pay the penalty for your sin. He rose physically from the dead to give you life. He ascended back to Heaven, where He is seated at the right hand of God the Father, praying for you now. He will wash away your sins in His precious Blood, if you will simply come to Him by faith.

If you would like to speak with Dr. Cagan, one of our deacons, or myself, about coming to Jesus for sin-cleansing through His Blood, please go to the back of the room now, and Dr. Cagan will lead you to the inquiry room, where we can speak about this more fully. May God draw you by simple faith to Jesus the Saviour this morning. In His holy name, Amen.

(END OF SERMON)
You can read Dr. Hymers' sermons each week on the Internet
at www.realconversion.com. Click on "Sermon Manuscripts."

Scripture Read Before the Sermon by Dr. Kreighton L. Chan: Luke 2:1-7.
Solo Sung Before the Sermon by Mr. Benjamin Kincaid Griffith:
“Have You Any Room for Jesus?” (arranged by Daniel W. Whittle, 1840-1901).