Who’s Going to Win?
By Pastor Dick
In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. (John 16:33b)
Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. (Revelation 2:10b)
Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. (Romans 8:37)
But thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. ( I Corinthains 15: 57)
For many people winning is not everything; it is the only thing. Most people would not actually say this. But the goal of winning, if not everything, or the only thing, is a thing, is some thing occupying a significant place in many hearts. We see this in the many lives marked by endless efforts to reach that goal. We know this for we all like to win, or would like to win at something. I mean first prize. If only we could take home something more than a participation certificate.
Winning what? That is the question. Actually not tomorrow. For everyone in America knows what will be won or lost tomorrow is what seems to be the most important thing to win tomorrow. It is the question on everyone’s minds. The NFL football super prize will be fought over in a super bowl. The winners of the game will have won the ultimate prize in the NFL. They will be crowned Number One. And with that win the players and coaches on the winning side will gain the status of greatness, lots of money, and some bit of job security for years to come.
What is intriguing is that the goal of the players and coaches and owners of these superbowl teams is the goal of many. The fans. These want their team to win. These will either attend the game, having spent many thousands of dollars for a seat or a suite, or will watch the game on television, having spent a month’s paycheck on beer, hot wings, and doritoes and having to spend a couple of months more at the health spa to grind off the carbs. The most devoted of fans bet on the game, shout and cheer their team on, go into depression if their team loses, are exhilarated and claim bragging rights for a year or more if their team wins.
Fandom. Did you know that it is estimated that some 100 million Americans will be watching the superbowl today? Sorry if I am cluttering your minds. But I want to make a point. These fans of today, many of them, are truly super fans. Their shall we say devotion to their team is a significant cut above an ordinary liking, say, of the White Sox, the Rangers, the Wolverines or a favorite middle distance runner. Their team or individual athletic hero is so much to these super fans that when their team or favorite athlete wins, or takes home gold, they win. The winning of another through the faith hope and love of the fan strangely takes the place, vicariously, of those who sit and root and bet and brag and get all anxious, even completely consumed concerning the winning of this one whom they are convinced goes into the ring, runs on the field, throws the pass for those who watch. The fans might not bring home the hardware or receive a whopping bonus. But in their super fan hearts they have joy in their team or their man’s winning. They are satisfied, smugly so. They have bragging rights, and they will tell you so. Their team, their man, their woman won. They are winners too.
***** ***** *****
Winning games and fans claiming the victory and deriving, obsessively and idolatrously, significance and purpose in life through their team’s or hero’s win…this is what the Bible reminds us is this world under the sun and under the lights, in the big house, at the stadium, at the tail-gate, at the bar, or on the couch in front of the television. It is all vanity. Nothing wrong with winning, training to win, competing to win. But when the winning thing, the training, the competing calls us, beckons to us, implores us to win and to train and to compete to win or to become devotees and diehard fans so that we heed this call, join the mighty super fandom…and this all interferes with our calling as disciples of Christ…that is the temptation into which we dare not fall.
It is the temptation to have earthly victories, winning games and the like take the place of the triumph of the gospel and our devotion to delighting in and living and longing to know the spiritual blessings of salvation in Christ Jesus. It is the temptation to focus on any certain Sunday or a month of Sundays, and countless other days, on what big men, fast ladies, graceful gymnasts and head coaches can accomplish—as if this were really something, the epitome of greatness, and reasons to praise and to long to be like these winners or to let it be known we believed in them, followed them, and cheered them on, though for many years others were saying there was a curse on our team, or hovering in the home dugout in Fenway Park.
Jesus Christ has gained the victory. His victory is the triumph over our sin, and over death. His victory is the overcoming of a world of evil, and of our own natural evil. This is the good news of the gospel.
For us our Savior died, vicariously, in our place, on the field outside the camp, on a cursed cross of which no man has ever been a fan. He died, indeed, bearing the reproach of men and the sin and guilt of sinners, and the wrath of God for those sinners.
For us our Savior lives, vicariously, ever to make intercession for us and to keep the powers, even the super ones, from sucking us and our children into the jolly games and treacherous wins of many lost men and women.
Jesus wins. His justice wins. His love wins. And God wins, and his eternal God-glorifying decree wins, for it is accomplished in the victory of his Son. And his white gospel horse and rider win, conquering and to conquer so that we win, in him and through him–one day at a time, in the often arduous, pride-breaking training called discipleship, striving to be first in sanctification, holy as God is holy, giving glory to him from every podium we imagine mounting. With the goal, one day, of receiving, by grace, the crown of life.
In the mean time we may be fans, maybe, of some men and teams, and know that is OK to share, even, some of the podiums and accolades or artists and athletes alike if God gives us the talents and the humility to shine that way, in that arena, for his praise, among men. But let us be no mere fan of the Christ, as if he were just like the rest of the super heroes, Jesus Christ Superstar, and we, purchasing a seat to see him, or watching him from the couch. No. Be a believer. A worshipper. In the home for him, at work, in play, and on the gridiron, on the court, or at the gym for him—working out our salvation with fear and trembling, thanks and joy.
Just know this: the victory of faith, the victory of every true Christian man, woman, child, and church, the victory of every marriage, of every soul, of every faithful church along every gold-laden path of ease or rocky road lined with peril and much disappointment is now sure in the One who won, who is winning, who shall win.
We have, therefore, the answer to the most important question concerning life and death and our deliverance from death.
Jesus is the answer. He is the winner.
About the questions of who shall win other things, for other feats, who shall win trophy, emmy, or Nobel prize—concerning this and that and the next game or because this one best portrayed a very sad very mad clown better than she who played a heroine, or they who found a cure for cancer….
People of God, I beseech you, concern yourselves with these questions, these prizes, these winners… less. Far less.
Be glad in Jesus and the good news of his winning, and yours in him…more. Far more.
revdick.blog 
Leave a comment