Found notes…4…preparing for Christmas…4…

 Found notes….4…preparing for Christmas…4….

The innkeeper…

The poor innkeeper is sometimes portrayed as a grouch, unkind, heartless person… his inn filled, taking in those who have travelled for the census….didn’t he have one more room to house this weary  couple…apparently not… 

His kindness at least led to the barn…maybe softer beds than his rooms, less crowded except for animals housed there…the smells of animals instead of humans, maybe quieter…

(Animals sometimes sense when something important is happening…an earthquake, changes in weather, illnesses…

Did these creatures whom God created before man sense the importance of this tiny babe? God with us….)

This place was prepared for this birth…of the Christ-child…it was no mistake…he came as a servant, not a king…no royal rooms were prepared for his birth…and he lived his earthly life in like manner…

Thank YOU…..

How do you think the innkeeper was prepared?

How do you think he would have prepared differently had he known that this couple brought with them the Savior of the world?

 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

Luke.2.7

 And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.”

Matt.8.20

 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 

And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Phil.2.5-8

The contrast is what he is preparing for those who believe…heavenly rooms…

 “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.

John.14.1-3

There was no room for Him in the inn,
Bethlehem’s hea­venly Stran­ger;
He that had come to be king ov­er men
Had to be born in a man­ger.

Refrain

No room, no room,
No room for the bless­èd Je­sus;
O why is there in the world’s cold heart
No room for Je­sus?

“Foxes have holes,” the Mas­ter once said,
“Birds have their nests,” but how tru­ly
He had no­where He could lay His dear head,
Suffering for us so un­du­ly.

Refrain

Filled was His life with slight­ings of men,
King, but the world ne­ver knew Him;
Spurning the Son God had sent to them,
Wicked hands took Him and slew Him.

Refrain

There is no room for Je­sus to­day,
Deaf is the world to His plead­ing;
Steeled its cold heart, and out­side must He stay,
Spurned His di­vine in­ter­ced­ing.

Refrain

Wondrous, He waits, still lov­ing and true,
Friend, at thy heart gent­ly knock­ing,
Waiting all night in the dark­ness and dew;
Hasten, the bars now un­lock­ing!

Make room, make room,
Make room in your heart for Je­sus!
O ling­er not while He lov­ing waits;
Make room for Je­sus!

Frances A Blackmer, 1915

No room tonight….

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqVoxS9X59U

Make room…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYHpJnfy2lQ