Advent | December 5 NO DETOUR FROM CALVARY (Luke 2:6–7)

And while they were there, the time came for her to
give birth. 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 2:6–7

Now you would think that if God so rules the world as to
use an empire-wide census to bring Mary and Joseph to
Bethlehem, he surely could have seen to it that a room was
available in the inn.

Yes, he could have. And Jesus could have been born into
a wealthy family. He could have turned stone into bread
in the wilderness. He could have called 10,000 angels to
his aid in Gethsemane. He could have come down from
the cross and saved himself. The question is not what
God could do, but what he willed to do.

  God’s will was that though Christ was rich, yet for your
sake he became poor. The “No Vacancy” signs over all the
motels in Bethlehem were for your sake. “For your sake he
became poor” (2 Corinthians 8:9).

God rules all things—even motel capacities—for the
sake of his children. The Calvary road begins with a “No
Vacancy” sign in Bethlehem and ends with the spitting
and scoffing of the cross in Jerusalem.
And we must not forget that he said, “He who would
come after me must deny himself and take up his cross”
(Matthew 16:24).

We join him on the Calvary road and hear him say,
“Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not
greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will
persecute you” (John 15:20).

To the one who calls out enthusiastically, “I will follow
you wherever you go!” (Matthew 8:19). Jesus responds,
“Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the
Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head” (Matthew 8:20).
Yes, God could have seen to it that Jesus have a room
at his birth. But that would have been a detour off the
Calvary road.