The Big Game

With Super Bowl Sunday fast approaching, I am reminded of the ‘The Big Game’ story. I have heard it so many times that I have no idea when, or from whom, I first heard it preached. In case you might not have heard the story, or you’re just a bit forgetful (like me), you needn’t worry… I’ll retell it:

The football fan was so excited! His team had made it through the play-offs, and was going to play in the Super Bowl. The trouble was, his boss at the store where he worked had already set the schedule for the month, and he was going to have to cover at the store the day of the big game. He was initially very upset, and tried to get his boss to let him take the day as a vacation day. His boss explained that everybody wanted to watch the big game, and since he had the least seniority, he’d be working that day. Although sympathetic to his team fervor, his boss made it clear that his job depended on him showing up for work; no excuses.

Rather than curse his situation, he decided to record the game, and play it back later… after he’d gotten off work. To make it more fun, he invited everyone he knew who had to work during the big game to a belated Super Bowl party. They could celebrate together with food and drink, watch the recorded game, and still have a good time. In fact, they all agreed to not listen to any news reports about the game, so they wouldn’t know anything about the game, and the whole thing would be just like watching in real-time.

For the last few hours at work, he managed to cut people off if they started talking about the Super Bowl game they had just watched. He’d politely explain the situation, and everybody seemed to understand. Virtually everybody told him he was really going to enjoy the game.

Finally, the work day was over, he could close up, lock up, and go home and start his exciting Super Bowl party. But just as he was getting close to his car, he overheard a shouted exchange in the parking lot: He heard how, in a miraculous play, his team had come from behind to win in the last-seconds of the game!

All the rest of his friends attending his Super Bowl party had managed to remain ignorant of the game’s final outcome, and not wanting to spoil any of their fun, he didn’t reveal that he’d accidentally heard what the final result of the contest would be. It was supposed to be a close game, and the excitement of those watching was high. By halftime, that excitement had waned somewhat for those rooting for his team, as they were down by more than 20 points.

Knowing the final result, he encouraged his fellow fans with: “It’s not over, yet. Don’t give up hope!”

But the third quarter was even worse. Their team was getting hammered on the field; it looked like it was going to be a humiliating loss. Some of his friends, seeing many of the fans in the stadium leaving at the start of the fourth quarter, were of the opinion that they had the right idea. He kept his friends from leaving, and again exhorted them with: “It’s not over, yet. Have some faith!”

And then, impossibly, their team rallied. They made play after play; running, passing, and moving the ball for touchdown after touchdown. With only 2 minutes left on the clock, their team got possession of the ball on their own 10-yard line, and though they trailed by 2 points, a touchdown would win the game for them. But the other team’s defense hit back with everything they had, and managed to stop them in the middle of the field. At fourth down and 15 yards, it seemed like the end with only 3 seconds left to play.

As his team lined up for what seemed to be a futile field goal attempt, everybody groaned. By the time the ball was snapped and teed, the kicker would have to kick it more than 52 yards to make a field goal. Our guy was the only one who believed they could score, and he got everyone to their feet, shouting: “They can do it… they can make the kick… they can score… they can win this!” And, of course, they did.

Afterward, all his friends marveled at how he had never lost hope, how he had never lost faith, and how his encouragement had kept them all from giving up. He finally admitted to all of them that he had been told the final result, so it was easy for him to remain calm and never lose hope.

As Christians, we too, know the final result. It doesn’t matter how many times we get blitzed by Satan or the world. So what if we just got sacked and had the wind knocked out of us? That lineup coming up against us may be fierce and unrelenting, but in the end, they are destined to lose. All the fear and worry won’t change the final outcome.

Sin and death have been beaten, but Satan tries to convince us otherwise; that the contest is still being played out. We already know how Jesus, sacrificing himself, literally takes the hit for the entire team… giving us the final victory. So encourage one another. Lift each other up. Stay in the game right down to the final second… don’t you dare give up!

Your brother in Christ,

Dave