There are two reasons there was no room at the inn when the time was ripe for Jesus’ birth. Many of us, even unbelievers know the first reason. There was a census convention in town. The king had asked everybody to return to their birth cities to be registered. He did that so he could have a handle on how many adults to tax, but that is a different story.

For now, we focus on the fact that when Mary and Joseph arrived, there was no room at the inn. All the hotels were packed. You can almost picture someone arriving late and offering to sleep in the coat room if that was all the inn had available. When the couple arrived, perhaps even the cloakroom was no longer available. It is possible you know that Joseph and Mary were the parents of Jesus and they were law-abiding citizens.

Otherwise, they could have claimed an exemption or a waiver from the census registration. They could use Mary’s nine-month pregnancy as an excuse for not traveling but being God-fearing people, they took the journey. Consequently, shortly after they arrived, Mary started having labor pains and the hotel manager turned them away. He was not being callous. There was nothing he could do since there was no room at the inn.

Poor Joseph must have been quite worried. Would they have to clear a corner of the hotel lobby for the baby’s birth?  But perhaps the hotel manager forbade them. Joseph had a real problem and he had to look somewhere else. All the while he was looking around, his young wife was groaning with labor pains. The only vacancy he found was with cows and sheep.

Joseph’s Adaptation

Resourceful man that he was, he quickly adapted the animal manger into a hotel. The couple overcame the problem of having no room at the inn. I am sure you know the story, even if you do not spend too much time reading your bible. Christmas carols have helped to popularize the account of how the first Christmas happened in a manger. What you may not realize is why God did not reserve a room for His son at the inn.

Why did the God who created the heavens and the earth not create an extra room for his son? Why indeed? I believe it is because God had a very good reason for making His son come into the world in a manger. That situation continues to pose a problem for some even today. Some cannot believe that the Son of God could come into the world via a manger, with sheep and cows.

The scenario of having no room at the inn is a stumbling block to their faith. The Bible says they stumbled because of unbelief. They suppose that whenever Jesus is ready to come to earth, He will do so through the Crowne Plazza. Or He might come via the Hilton or Marriott. Their belief system is that the child who came in the manger could not possibly be the son of God. Little do they know the workings of God’s mind, that what they considered a bad situation was a positive problem.

The Real Reason There No Room At The Inn

The real reason there was no room at the inn was so God would ensure full and easy access to Jesus. He wanted you and I, regardless of our station in life to be able to reach Jesus. Imagine that Jesus was born at a posh hotel. How accessible would he have been to the shepherds? Would you and I have been able to reach him easily? I think you know the answer to that question.

And yet, the bible says that God loves the world, not one nation or two but the entire world. He loved us enough that He sent His only begotten son to come and adopt us into His family. Anyone who signs the adoption papers by inviting Jesus into their heart becomes a child of God. God loves the whole world but if there was room at the inn, not all of us would have access to Jesus and His adoption agency.

This Christmas, don’t let unbelief cause you to stumble at the simplicity of Jesus. God did it on purpose, ensuring there was no room at the inn. That way, you and I can have easy access to Jesus. The shepherds had easy access and so did the blind, the lame, and the deaf. You and I have easy access to Jesus. Don’t let His coming be in Vain in your life. That way, when people wish you a happy Christmas, you will know its full meaning.

The Heaven Readiness Team Wish You and Your Home A Merry Christmas