Make Room for Jesus This Christmas

Have you ever experienced the sting of a forgotten birthday, feeling overlooked and invisible on a day that should be all about you? That is what Christmas can be like. It’s meant to be a joyful celebration of Jesus’ birth—the arrival of our Savior into the world—but we can get caught up in gifts, decorations, parties, and holiday bustle. In the rush, we overlook the Guest of Honor Himself. This Christmas, let’s remember: Jesus is the true reason for the season!

Jesus Is the Reason for the Season

Merchants want you to shop ‘til you drop and shoppers fixate on finding all the good deals this time of year. But we all should take a step back to remember the reason for the season: Jesus.

This is the time when we celebrate our Savior’s birth. In the midst of our activities and preparations for Christmas, how often do we forget about the honored guest?

We string our lights, trim our trees, talk about the holiday, hear recorded songs mentioning the birth of Jesus. . . But how many people actually take time for Him? While we run around the malls and buy things for everyone we know, we can forget to make room for Him.

The First Christmas

On the very first Christmas, there was no room for Jesus at the inn, like how there’s no room for Him in some people’s lives today.

Mary and Joseph had been in Nazareth. It was getting closer and closer to the day of Mary’s delivery. Then, suddenly, an announcement was made that everyone had to be taxed, and everyone had to go to their initial hometown for this to take place.

Because Mary and Joseph were both descendants of King David, they made their journey to Bethlehem—which was David’s hometown (Luke 2:1–5). When this announcement was made, they probably thought about it as a great hassle.

It was a very hard journey. It was approximately a 90 mile trip from Nazareth to Bethlehem.

Make Room for Jesus

Mary and Joseph probably comforted themselves with the thought of a warm bed waiting for them in Bethlehem. But that was not to be the case. When they arrived, they found there was no room for them at the inn. So Mary had to give birth under unexpected, unideal circumstances; the Savior of the world was possibly born in a stable or cave (Luke 2:7).

Is there room for Jesus in your life right now? Even during a season He’s meant to be the center of, some still don’t make room. As we continue into the Christmas season, let’s make sure we do.

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Learn more about Pastor Greg Laurie

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