INSPIRASUNS

It’s March Madness season and we just finished the first weekend of games. I didn’t do a bracket this year, and I think I’m kind of glad about that. Wow, talk about a weekend of major upsets. I mean one of the number 16-seeded teams that pulled off an upset, the game they won on Friday night, um it was their first NCAA tournament win ever! To say that brackets were busting all over the country Friday and Saturday, ya that would be a slight understatement.

There was some great ball played over the past few days, and some very high-ranked teams fell to teams no one had even heard of. It was fun to watch some of these underdogs gain more and more confidence as the game went on. You could see them go from just being excited about being in the tournament, to actually believing they could win. A belief that turned into “we’re going to win this” by the end.

This morning as I write this little blog and think about the upsets and the underdogs, it makes me think about these last weeks of Lent and the walk that Jesus made. At the end of it all, he was one man against a mob of people. I know this is somewhat of a stretch I guess, and I don’t think calling Jesus the underdog is a good comparison. But, I did find myself thinking about the story of the resurrection.

Jesus goes through trials. He was beaten repeatedly, he was mocked, spat on, and ultimately nailed to a cross. Everyone who saw this, even his mother and his disciples, who were told by Jesus himself what would happen and what he must do, couldn’t believe it. He also told them that he would rise after three days, but yet, when they took him off the cross to anoint his body and place it in a tomb, they thought he was gone forever. Of course, it’s not until Easter morning, when they find the tomb empty, and eventually see Him again that they believe.

We of course have the knowledge of what happens at the end of Lent, and we have the knowledge that Christ did rise after giving His life for us. But, back then, they didn’t. They had to trust, they had to have faith, Jesus’ followers had to believe in Him. That trust, and faith, it must be just as strong in us today. There are days when our faith is shaken, there are times in our lives that bad things happen, but through it all, our love and faith in Father and His Son, that is what will make us stronger.

So my friends, if your underdog team won over the weekend, celebrate the victory. And…take some time with Jesus today to celebrate his victory, the victory for all of us 🙂 .

Have a great day everyone!

Ephesians 5:2
And walk in love, As Christ loved us and gave himself for us, an offering and sacrifice to God.