Team Jesus
“But because Jesus lives forever, He has a permanent priesthood. Therefore He is able to save completely those who come to God through Him, because He always lives to intercede for them.”
- Hebrews 7:24-25
Any sports fans out there will relate with this hopeful declaration, “This is our year!” With four guys in the Zwerling tribe, our home is a major sports hub. We love watching games, rooting for our favorite teams, and debating who is the GOAT (Greatest of All Time). And this was a fantastic year of fandom for us:
- My hockey team, the Montreal Canadiens, made their first championship round since 1993…but lost!
- One son’s basketball team, the Phoenix Suns, made their first finals since 1993…but lost!
- One son’s football team, the Jacksonville Jaguars, came in last…but got the #1 pick and landed the best player from college.
- One son’s baseball team, the Los Angeles Dodgers, won their first world series in thirty-two years!
Even with a highly unexpected and successful season, three of us still need to “Wait until next year”. Rooting for your favorite team can be exhilarating and exhausting at the same time. Most times a fan is let down by their team’s results and even when your team wins the “big one”, they often cannot repeat that feat and defend their title the next year. Our teams don’t always win, and our favorite player does not always come through in the clutch, but the CAPTAIN OF OUR FAITH, Jesus Christ, is always up to the amazing and overcoming in our lives! Hebrews 12:2 says, “Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith.”
I have discovered it is way better to be a FOLLOWER on Team Jesus than a fan of my favorite sports teams. Jesus always shows up in our lives, always exceeds our expectations, and always has the defense to neutralize and offense to capitalize against our enemy! In 1 Corinthians 15:57, the Apostle Paul came up with the best cheer ever, “But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
- Jesus won the world, by dying on the cross for humanity’s sins!
- Jesus won your heart, by making Himself known to you and you’re saying “yes” to His love!
- Jesus wins each day, by watching over and covering what’s happening in your life!
- Jesus wins for all eternity, by defeating the devil, sitting on the throne, and welcoming all whose names are written in the Book of life!
Here is a can’t lose prediction and profession: Choose Jesus and you will be in Celebration Mode!