The cost of saying 'yes'
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Introduction
I can’t believe we’re into December already. It feels like only yesterday it was summer.
Since next week is our big radio roadshow and Paul is focusing on Joseph, I thought that today we’d focus on Mary…and specifically the cost of saying ‘yes’ - what does it mean to say ‘yes’ to Jesus?
What are the implications of saying ‘yes’ to Jesus? What did it mean for Mary and what does it mean for us?
And to do this, we are going to look at different passages throughout the gospels to see some interactions between Mary and Jesus and how their relationship develops over time.
Because in our first passage read today, Gabriel appears to Mary and gives her the amazing news that she will give birth to the saviour of the world.
32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”
And Gabriel continued and told Mary that the Holy Spirit would cause her to conceive and she will give birth to the Son of God.
Paul will talk about how Joseph felt about that next week, but as for Mary, later on in Luke there is her song to the Lord - the Magnificat, where Mary is overjoyed that the Lord considered her humble estate.
And Mary’s response to Gabriel was this...
38 And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.
Let it be to me according to your word.
Let it be to me…OK…Yes....I’m in.
Of course there was the whole matter of telling Joseph about this. Would he believe her? Would he trust her story that and angel told her that she would conceive immaculately? I mean, of all the excuses for getting pregnant, that’s not the most convincing.
But did Mary know the implications of saying ‘yes’? Did she understand the cost of saying ‘yes’? Maybe not at that point, but she grew to understand as life went on.
Pause
Our second passage was when Jesus was in the temple with his parents for passover. Everyone left to return home and Jesus didn’t go with them. When the realised this a day later and returned to Jerusalem to look for Jesus they found him in the temple having a bit of a Q&A with the elders of the temple, Mary says this...
48 When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.”
We’ve been worried sick, son. Why would you do this to us?
And what was Jesus’ response?
49 “Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?”
Now, that’s a big blow to Joseph more than Mary. Can you imagine how Joesph felt then? Not only is he NOT his father biologically, but Jesus makes it explicitly clear that he is really ISN’T his father. Jesus makes it clear that God is his Father and not only that - Jesus has work to do that is not of this world.
But Jesus went with them back to Nazareth…and what did Mary do?
51 Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart.
Maybe what Mary was treasuring in her heart was the cost of saying, ‘yes’?
Because saying ‘yes’ to this child would mean that she would have to accept that this child wouldn’t be like any other child.
Certainly, Mary has gotten a glimpse that Jesus is not of this world in this encounter. In other words, she is aware that Jesus knows his identity as Son of God.
32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David,
In many ways, this man wasn’t really her son.
Pause
The next passage must have been tough for Mary.
Jesus is in a house, there is a large crowd inside the house and possibly spilling out of the house, because Mary wasn’t able to get in to see her son. So she’s standing outside, which is symbolic in a sense.
Let’s read it together...
19 Now Jesus’ mother and brothers came to see him, but they were not able to get near him because of the crowd. 20 Someone told him, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to see you.” 21 He replied, “My mother and brothers are those who hear God’s word and put it into practice.”
Now, Jesus it making a bigger point here - a theological point - but at the same time, that must have stung a little. Can you imagine how Mary might have felt - her own son saying that his mother was the person who put God’s word into practice?
‘What about me, son?’
That’s the cost of saying ‘yes’ to Jesus.
35 And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God.
This man was holy - this man was different...
In many ways, this man wasn’t really her son.
Pause
And then, at the crucifixion, Jesus is on the cross and his mother is looking on.
25 Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, “Woman, here is your son,” 27 and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.
Jesus’ own mother - the woman who said ‘yes’ 33 years earlier. The woman who was told that she would have a baby through supernatural means - the woman who was told she would give birth to the saviour of the world... The woman who said, ‘let it be to me...’
The woman who knew that Jesus was no ordinary child. The woman who knew that Jesus was about stuff that was way over her head. The woman who know that Jesus had a family elsewhere....
That same woman was standing near the cross on which her firstborn son was nailed. Hanging like a criminal…cursed by the religious law and by his own heavenly FATHER…That same woman is standing watching her own son dying like a criminal and yet he was the only one who hadn’t done anything wrong.
21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
She said ‘yes’ to this. And right there on the cross, Jesus was doing what was promised. He was saving his people from their sins.
The man who had done nothing wrong, was taking the punishment for all his people who HAD done something wrong.
The man who knew NO sin, became sin to save those people who WERE sinners.
Right in front of Mary’s eyes - she watches her son die an excruciating and humiliating death.
That’s the cost of saying ‘yes’. Because in many ways this man WAS her son....and this woman must have felt the real pain of losing her child.
Mary’s son wasn’t going to die like every other person in the world - Mary’s son was going to be executed for the sin of the world - right in front of her very eyes.
But she said ‘yes’ to this…and that was the cost of saying ‘yes’ to the saviour of the world.
Pause
But here’s the flip-side...
29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God.
Mary had found favour with God. Mary was given the greatest honour EVER - to be the woman chosen to give birth to the saviour of the world.
And there’s honour that goes along with being chosen. I was never chosen first in sports. In fact, there were times I think people would rather have 1 person less in the team than to have me ON their team.
But you’ve heard of jobs where maybe hundreds of people apply for 1 position. There is something special about being that 1 person that gets the job over the other hundreds of applicants.
Now multiply that by a billion to be the 1 person chosen out of the millions of people to be the one to give birth to the saviour of the world…to be the one to give birth to the God of the universe.
Mary, the most highly favoured lady - the one who had found favour with God was chosen by GOD to give birth to the saviour of the world.
Mary was chosen by God to be the one to feed the saviour of the world.
Mary was chosen to be the one to teach the saviour of the world.
Mary was chosen to be the one to care for the saviour of the world.
Mary was chosen to be the one who got to walk with the saviour of the world.
Mary was chosen to be the one who got to talk to the saviour of the world.
Mary was chosen to be the one who got to tuck the saviour of the world into bed at night.
But most important of all...Mary was chosen to be the one who would be saved by the saviour of the world.
So while there was a cost to saying ‘yes’ to Jesus…The benefits were so much greater.
Mary would quickly come to realise that in many ways her son wasn’t really her son, but at the same time Mary was the one chosen by God to accomplish amazing things. She was chosen to be the MOTHER of the saviour of the world.
So, yes, it came at a cost - but saying ‘yes’ to this must have been awesome for Mary.
Pause
And yes, there is a cost to saying ‘yes’ to Jesus. Saying ‘yes’ to Jesus should be life-changing. Saying ‘yes’ to Jesus should be like a rollercoaster of joy but also hardship. Saying ‘yes’ to Jesus should mean that your whole life is turned upside down.
So if you’ve said ‘yes’ to Jesus and asked him to forgive your sins, but your life hasn’t changed at all then I would really question whether you have truly said ‘yes’ to Jesus.
Because saying ‘yes’ to Jesus is not easy. Saying ‘yes’ to Jesus comes at a cost.
Jesus said it himself in Luke 14....
26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple. 27 And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.
28 “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? 29 For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, 30 saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’
While Jesus was Mary’s son, Mary had to let go of him, because in many ways he wasn’t really her son.
And if we say ‘yes’ to Jesus we also need to let go. Because there IS a cost in saying ‘yes’.
We need to let go of our friends and family. We need to be able to say that following Jesus and living for him is more important than friends or family.
We need to let go of our lives. We need to be able to say, ‘here am I, Lord. Send me.’ To be able to say to God - my life is yours. Use the years that I have in service for you.
Carrying a cross, as Jesus said, isn’t supposed to be easy… Crucifixion ISN’T a doddle...There is a cost to saying ‘yes’.
Again, the Asher’s case is an example of the cost of saying ‘yes’ and standing up for the truth of scripture. But that came at a cost. There was ridicule and persecution…but Jesus told us to expect that. That’s part of the cost of saying ‘yes’.
Pause
But saying ‘yes’ to Jesus, like Mary did, also means awesome things for us.
It means that we have been chosen by God too. From before the beginning of time....like Mary was chosen.
Like Mary, it means we are chosen to be the one who get to walk with the saviour of the world.
Like Mary, it means we are chosen to be the one who get to talk to the saviour of the world.
Like Mary, it means that we are chosen to be the ones who ARE SAVED by the saviour of the world.
It means a new life. It means a direct line to God himself. It means a future spent in eternity with Jesus.
Pause
28 “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? 29 For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you,
There is a cost to saying ‘yes’ to Jesus. And it’s worth sitting down and estimating the cost. The bible makes it clear what that cost is - it costs us our lives - it costs us EVERYTHING.. but the bible also makes it clear the benefit of that cost.
You don’t get something for nothing - the saying goes…and YES, we’re saved by grace and not by not through being good. So our salvation costs us nothing in some respects. Jesus paid that cost for us...
But at the same time, saying ‘yes’ to Jesus costs us everything…because this isn’t easy...
But sit down and calculate the cost and when you do that, you’ll see that the cost of saying ‘yes’ to Jesus is nowhere near what it cost him, and it’s nowhere near the benefits of saying ‘yes to him.
Pause
Now, some people have said ‘yes’ to Jesus - perhaps the majority have said ‘yes’ to him forgiving your sin…and that’s great.
But have you said ‘yes’ to giving up your life and your desires to know him more, to follow him, to serve him? Have you said, ‘let it be to me, according to your word - take my life and use it’?
Have you said ‘yes’ to going deeper with him?
Have you said ‘yes’ to letting him control the outcome of your life rather than working on trying to drive your life yourself?
Have you said ‘yes’ to the saviour of the world walking with you?
Have you said ‘yes’ to the saviour of the world talking to you?
Have you said ‘yes’ to the saviour of the world saving you?
Have you said ‘yes’ to the saviour of the world being your LORD and submitting to him?
Pause
This is real stuff. Saying ‘yes’ will change your life. It should turn your life upside down, but it comes at a cost.
37 For nothing will be impossible with God.” 38 And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.
Nothing is impossible with God. Can we say ‘yes’ to Jesus - Let it be to me according to your word?
It’s not easy - it comes at a cost... but it is awesome, and when we get to glory, it will be beyond our wildest dreams. That’s when the cost will reap the benefits for all eternity. What a day that will be...
All because the saviour of the world came down from heaven to be born a baby and to suffer and die for men, women and children all over the world. And Mary said ‘yes’ to that.
Can we say ‘yes’ to Jesus?
Let’s pray.