RAP SHEET Luke 2:1-7

SERIES: The Chosen King

SERMON: No Room

SCRIPTURE: Luke 2:1–7

REVIEW

This week, we reached one of the most pivotal moments in all of history—the birth of Jesus. But instead of a serene, sanitized nativity scene, we were invited to see the gritty, painful, and profoundly human story behind that silent night.

Rome was occupying Israel, and Caesar Augustus issued a census that forced everyone to return to their ancestral towns. Joseph had to travel 90 miles from Nazareth to Bethlehem, and Mary, very pregnant and unmarried, went with him. Though not required to by Roman law, Mary likely traveled with Joseph because of the shame and stigma surrounding her miraculous pregnancy. She left the comfort of her home and the support of her family to follow the only person who believed her.

When they arrived in Bethlehem, no one made room for them. The word translated as “inn” is actually kataluma, meaning guest room in a home, not a commercial motel. This means Mary and Joseph may have been denied by their actual family, not just strangers. The rejection they faced wasn’t just circumstantial—it was personal.

And yet, it was in the midst of this rejection and struggle that God was fulfilling prophecy.

The birth of Jesus in Bethlehem was the fulfillment of Micah 5:2. The shame Mary carried was setting the stage for a Savior who would identify with the outcast, the overlooked, and the rejected. The same Jesus who had no place at his birth would grow to become the one who always made room for others.

This is a powerful reminder: God often works through what we experience as inconvenience, rejection, and confusion. Faith reframes the question “Why?” into “How might God use even this?”

APPLY

• Where in your life are you currently feeling rejected, overlooked, or misunderstood?

• Are there situations right now that feel unfair, inconvenient, or out of your control?

• Who have you been tempted to shut out—intentionally or unintentionally—because of their past, their pain, or your assumptions?

What is ONE WAY you will make room for someone this week, the way Jesus has made room for you?

PRAY

• Thank God for coming into the world in humility and for identifying with our pain, shame, and rejection.

• Ask God to help you trust Him even when you don’t understand what He’s doing.

• Confess any ways you’ve closed off your heart to others. Ask Him to give you the courage to make room—emotionally, relationally, spiritually—for people who need it most.

• Reflect on how Jesus has made room for you, and ask Him to make you more like Him this week.