Read Isaiah 11:1-10; Micah 5:1-5a; and Matthew 3:1-12
This morning, Pastor Rick will be sharing from the perspective of the Innkeeper, a resident of Bethlehem at the time of Jesus birth (Luke 2:1-7).
In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 And all went to be registered, each to his own town. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. 6 And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 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.
Bethlehem, in the first century, was a small town about five and a half miles south of Jerusalem. It was famed for being the hometown of King David. In the days of Micah’s prophecy, the city was under siege. The Assyrian armies were coming against Judah and they wanted to conquer the southern kingdom as they had the northern.
The daughters of Zion were in danger of becoming the daughters of Assyria. The leader of Judah seemed to be injured. The marauding army had Jerusalem surrounded and filled the valleys all around the city. Hope for deliverance was fading fast.
A siege is designed to eliminate possibility, to starve hope. As one option after another fades away, as rations run thin and ammunition becomes scarce, hope flees. Survival seems less and less likely until finally there seem to be only two options: death or surrender.
But Micah refuses to be boxed into those choices. Though the ruler has been beaten down, there is another who will rise. Israel may lose this battle, they may ultimately be occupied and defeated, but there is one who will rise in the place of David. He will come and shepherd his people to life and victory.
In fact, 2 Kings 19:35 tells us that the angel of the Lord struck down 185,000 Assyrian troops one night so Sennacherib king of Assyria went home to Nineveh. God’s sovereign hand intervened to deliver his people! King Hezekiah’s faith in God was rewarded by God’s deliverance.
Eventually the Babylonians came and took Judah into captivity, but in these verses there is a promise of a savior who will be born to shepherd God’s flock in the strength of the Lord. He will bring them to a place of security. He will reign to the ends of the earth. He shall be their peace.
We know from Luke 2 that God orchestrates a census to get his chosen couple, Mary and Joseph, to Bethlehem, the City of David, the place Messiah will be born. Though they are bringing the one who fulfilled those promises God made in the Old Testament, they find no room at any of the inns.
Notice in the passage there is no innkeeper mentioned. In fact, the inn mentioned was probably more of a guest room or the equivalent of a modern-day hostel than a Motel 6. Mary and Joseph had relatives in Bethlehem. They were both descendants from the line of David. That’s why they had to go there for the census. But there no one would take them in. None of their relatives would offer them space. The shame of Mary’s pregnancy out of wedlock led to their rejection.
As the couple went from house to house and found no room, the hope of finding a dry, clean place to lay their heads waned. But God provided. They found a manger, a feeding trough for sheep and cattle. It could have been part of a private home or inn or it may have been one that shepherds in the community shared. Either way, it was the best they could do. While far from ideal, it was dry and secure and when the Savior of the world was born, they had a place to lay him.
A short time later, shepherds came to worship. They came to see the one the angels proclaimed had been born – a Savior who is Christ the Lord! Afterward, they went around telling everyone the news of what they had seen and what they had heard.
And…life went on. Perhaps people wondered at what they heard from the shepherds, but there is nothing to suggest they actually did something about it. We don’t read about a line of people showing up to see the baby or bring him gifts. We don’t hear about dignitaries or religious leaders coming to see if the shepherds were telling the truth. It isn’t until the magi came from the east and asked Herod where the child was living that anyone even seemed to care.
Every year, Advent comes around. It’s easy for us to get caught up in hanging lights, decorating trees, making cookies, shopping for gifts, and attending office parties. It’s easy to get so busy we have no room and no time and no energy for the wonder of Jesus, to notice the Savior who is Christ the Lord.
Advent invites us to slow down; to wait; to ponder; to treasure moments and relationships. Jesus was born into a world that had been waiting but was unprepared for his arrival. He came to the promised town of Bethlehem and no one had room for him. This Advent, let’s prepare our hearts and lives to make room for the one who has come!
Questions for Reflection:
- In your family, is Advent a time of waiting and reflecting or a time of rushing and doing? How can you make room for Jesus in the midst of the busyness?
- How does seeing God working behind the scenes to fulfill the promise he made in Micah influence your thinking about his promises that have yet to be fulfilled?
- In a world that lacks hope, what can we trust in? How does Advent help us see that?
Advent readings this week December 5-11:
Monday – Isaiah 24:1-16a; 1 Thessalonians 4:1-12
Tuesday – Isaiah 41:14-20; Romans 15:14-21
Wednesday – Genesis 15:1-18; Matthew 12:33-37
Thursday – Ruth 1:6-18; 2 Peter 3:1-10
Friday – Ruth 4:13-17; 2 Peter 3:11-18
Saturday – 1 Samuel 2:1-8; Luke 3:1-18
Sunday – Isaiah 35:1-10; Jeremiah 23:1-8; Matthew 11:2-11