The Cost

Alright y’all, get ready! For now is the time, the season is upon us! This is the final weekend before the big day. This is the last week before we celebrate the birth of Christ Jesus. 

Are you ready? Have you purchased all the gifts & foods or do you have a variety of items still left on your list? This household is 99% ready, just the tree to decorate.

Personally, I love the Christmas Season. Seeing people filled with joy & smiles, watching neighbor helping neighbor, viewing the lights, but most importantly, honoring Jesus.

Just think about this thought, over 2,000 years ago, God started out as a baby on this Earth. Can you imagine what Bethlehem was like at that time. I mean the streets were filled with people. So much so that Mary & Joseph couldn’t stay at the inn. The only place they could find room was in a barn that was surrounded by shepherds. 

I picture Joseph, taking excellent care of Mary. Easing her pain with comforts of hay & water. Then, Mary turns & says, now is the time. Joseph, all alone, delivers the Savior of the World. Awwww, how beautiful the first cries must have been. Tears of joy streamed down His mom’s cheeks & sprinkled all over her baby. The room glowed with perfect bliss. 

Sounds magical. Right? But, I want to talk about, over 2000 years plus 9 months. 

The time before the birth. When Mary & Joseph were just two kids madly in love. 

Listen to how Luke describes this scene. 

“In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to the Galilean village of Nazareth to a virgin engaged to be married to a man descended from David. His name was Joseph & the virgin’s name, Mary. Upon entering, Gabriel greeted her:

‘Good morning!
You’re beautiful with God’s beauty,
Beautiful inside & out!
God be with you.’

She was thoroughly shaken, wondering what was behind a greeting like that. But the angel assuredher, ‘Mary, you have nothing to fear. God has a surprise for you: You will become pregnant & give birth to a Son and call his name Jesus.’”

Luke 1:26 – 31 The Message

God gave. The first part of John 3:16 says, “For God so Loved the world, He gave His Son.” Which lines up with the end of what we read about in Luke, “birth to a Son.” Because of the birth of Jesus we have the Son of God on Earth, His wisdom, His love, His power.

God gave Jesus to us & Jesus chose to die for us on the cross. It’s a wonderful circle of life. The only way I have life right now is, because God gave & continues to give. 

Many Old Testament stories that involve Angels have these words spoken from the Messenger, “Do not be afraid.” Now, a lot of teachers say this because the Angel appeared scary or frighting. I cannot recall a time I saw one of these Angels, but I do know that everything God create is beautiful. They are not scary, but the message they carry can seem impossible &/or daunting. 

I have never given birth. I can’t tell you the pain & suffering that goes into child birth. Which is probably why the birth story of Jesus is so great. There are no past anxieties, stresses or pains for me from this event. 

Look at the message Gabriel gave Mary, you are going to be the mother to the King of Kings, Son of the Highest & He will rule on the throne of David. That’s frightening to me. I can barely cook dinner without anxieties; let alone take care of a baby. The Angel, Gabriel, comforted the fears, anxieties & concerns of many. I don’t know about y’all, but sometimes I need assurance in the things I believe God is telling me. 

I’m wondering, do you think Mary & Joseph ever thought of the cost of being pregnant? I mean, we are in the Christmas Season right now, many of us plan a budget for the items we want to purchase. Do you think they thought about how much cost would be associated with raising a baby, let alone the Savior of the World? I don’t know about them, but I know God did. He plans everything out.  

“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?”

Luke 14:31

God always has a plan. What’s even better is He never has to go to the backup plan. Every one of His plans is plan A. The Earth, plan A. Jesus, plan A. Me, plan A. You, plan A.

Ok, y’all, check this out. God gave, God Assures, God figures up the cost. In US Dollars, it’s just under half a million dollars to raise a child from birth to 18.

But not all costs are with money. Joseph & Mary couldn’t be normal moms & dads. That’s a cost.

“When they had gone, an Angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the Child and His mother & escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the Child to kill Him.”  

Matthew 2:13

They had to flee & live in a foreign land. Huge cost.

“When he was twelve years old, they went up to the festival, according to the custom. After the festival was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him.”

Another huge cost.

Here is my point, no matter if you pay for it or not, there is a cost associated with it. I have a few negative costs that have effected my life greatly. Now, those past costs have given me great troubles. However, now is not the time to shrink back. Now is the time to tell people about the Savior of the World, the King of kings, the Lord of lords. Now is the time to tell people about Jesus! Do not let the cost of your quietness, your anxieties, your hardships, cost someone else their salvation. Be bold!