The Faith of Those Who Said Yes

Happy Sabbath and Merry Christmas, friends! As we wrap up this Christmas series with today’s final message, we will be reflecting on the faith of those who said yes. What exactly do I mean by that? Throughout the Word of God, there are many individuals who chose to say yes and follow Jesus wholeheartedly — whether their yes was quiet or well-known, they chose obedience over comfort, faith over fear, and God’s will over the ways of the world.

In our previous posts, we explored different aspects of the birth of Jesus and uncovered the sacrifices that were required of those involved. Again and again, people were faced with a choice — to follow worldly desires or to trust and follow our Messiah. Today, we will focus on how Mary, Joseph, Elizabeth, and even John (in the womb) each demonstrated faith by saying yes to our Savior.

Mary’s Yes — Faith Over Fear

As many of us know, the prophecy of the birth of Jesus begins to unfold when Mary encounters an angel of the Lord, who informs her that she will conceive and give birth to a Son — and that she is to call Him Jesus.

Luke 1:26–38 (NIV)

“In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 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, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. For no word from God will ever fail.” “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.”

Mary could have easily given in to fear or chosen her own way by refusing this calling. Having a child is already a great responsibility — but being told you will give birth to the Messiah is an even more profound one. She could have feared that she would not be a good enough mother, or that she would be cast out by society, since she and Joseph were not yet married. Because they were waiting until marriage, it would have appeared to others that Mary had been unfaithful. There were countless reasons for fear.

Yet instead of giving in to those fears, Mary trusted the Lord and surrendered her life to God’s plan — knowing that His plan is always best. This is the kind of faith we should strive for in our own lives. Following God is not always easy, and at times it can feel frightening — but it is always for our good, whether we understand it in the moment or only see it clearly later.

Joseph’s Yes — Obedience Over the Flesh

The next person who stepped out in faith and said yes to the Lord was Joseph. Given all the challenges Mary faced, Joseph could have chosen to leave her and allow her to face this alone — but that is not what happened.

Matthew 1:18–25 (NIV)

“This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 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.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.”

Notice that before the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph, his mind was already leaning toward worldly reasoning — “he had in mind to divorce her quietly.” This is often true in our own walk with Christ. Before we bring things to the Lord, our minds can easily default to worldly thoughts and solutions — that is the nature of our flesh. This is why we are called to daily surrender and to ask for the Holy Spirit to guide our hearts and minds.

Joseph could have ignored the message from the angel and chosen the ways of the world, but instead, he showed obedience and trust in the Lord. He believed that what God was asking of him was good. This invites us to reflect — are there moments in our lives where our flesh desires one thing, but the Holy Spirit is leading us in another direction? Will we give in to the flesh, or like Joseph, choose obedience and follow the Lord’s way?

Elizabeth’s Yes — Joy Overflowing Through the Spirit

The final examples of profound faith in the birth story of Jesus come from Elizabeth and even John, who was still in the womb at the time. Have you ever been so filled with the Holy Spirit that you experienced an overwhelming sense of joy? That is exactly how Elizabeth felt.

Luke 1:39–45 (NIV)

“At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!””

Elizabeth and the baby were filled with the Holy Spirit, and that joy overflowed — both through action, as “the baby leaped in her womb,” and through words, as Elizabeth exclaimed, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the Child you will bear!” She was so overwhelmed with joy at seeing God’s promises coming to fruition that she could not help but proclaim it.

When we are truly filled with the Holy Spirit, we often feel compelled to share the good news with those around us. It is similar to receiving wonderful news you have long hoped for — something so exciting that you cannot keep it to yourself. In the same way, the Lord’s love and His good plans for His children are meant to overflow from our hearts into our words and actions.

A Closing Prayer

I pray for everyone reading this that we may be filled with the Holy Spirit — daily. May we not only surrender our lives to You, Lord, but also walk in obedience and joy with every step we take. If we are facing fear, inner conflict, or competing desires, help us to overcome them and choose to follow You, Jesus, wholeheartedly.

Amen.