βAnd 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 innβ (Luke 2:7).
Todayβs Scripture is a shameful realityβIsrael has βno roomβ for her Messiah.
Every Jew knew the Messianic promise of Isaiah 7:14: βBehold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.β Each Jew had heard its parallel verse: βFor unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peaceβ (Isaiah 9:6). They knew Micah 5:2: βBethlehem Ephratahβ¦ 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.β
For nearly seven centuries, Jews read the above verses. They knew that God would one day send their Messiah, who would establish His kingdom in the earth. However, when Joseph brought Mary, who was heavy with child, to Bethlehem of Judaea, precious few took notice. Their hearts were so hardened by sin, much of the nation Israel could not care less. Here was a pregnant virgin, living in Bethlehem, within the time frame of the Messiahβs arrival as prophesied by Daniel 9:25-26, and there was the Messiahβs star of Numbers 24:17 appearing to signify His coming (Matthew 2:2). It was so obvious that Maryβs Baby was Israelβs long-promised Messiah-King! Alas, sinful Israel would not have Him!
How Israel βreceivedβ Jesus Christ as a Baby typified what they would do to Him later for the rest of His earthly life. They had no room for Him in the inn, so they invited Himβthe Lord of gloryβto lie in a lowly trough out of which livestock eat (todayβs Scripture)! When He offered Himself to Israel 33 years later, Israel argued, βWe have no king but Caesarβ (John 19:15). God was not surprised, for He had preplanned what He would do at that pointβ¦ source
