An Amazing Football Game and the Kingdom of God

As I’ve probably mentioned sometime in the past, two of my favorite football games to watch replays of are the November 10, 1984 (college) Maryland – Miami game and the January 3, 1993 (NFL) Buffalo – Houston game. Maryland trailed by 31 points at the half; Buffalo trailed by 32 points during the game. Maryland and Buffalo both came back to win in what were, at the time, the greatest comebacks in college and NFL history. As amazing as both comebacks were, perhaps more amazing was that Frank Reich was the backup quarterback for both teams who came in the game to lead them to improbable victories.

I recently watched a replay of the Maryland – Miami game and found myself asking, “How is Maryland ever going to come back and win this game? How is this possible?” Being a Maryland fan I also found myself a bit tense as Miami continued to run up the score in the first half and as the clock wound down in the second half. As the game moved toward its conclusion Miami had an opportunity to score and I again felt tension…even though I knew I was watching a replay!  Perhaps you’ve had similar feelings when watching a movie that you already knew the outcome of?

The evening after I watched the replay a friend and I were discussing the state of the world and the Kingdom of God. We touched on Daniel Chapter Two and the assurance we have that the “stone cut without hands” would destroy the kingdoms of the world and become a great mountain, filling the entire earth. In other words, we have read the last chapter of the book and God wins. Yes, things can look bleak in the world – wars and hunger and disease and man’s destruction of creation and the repudiation of the image of God in myriad forms – but there is a Stone which will destroy all that opposes the true and living God and that will bring the Kingdom of God into full manifestation on the earth.

Even though we know the outcome of history, however, does not mean that we don’t have tension as we walk through the present age and into the age to come (the Kingdom of God which has already come, is coming, and will come). I knew the outcome of the Maryland – Miami game, yet I still had questions and I still had tension – even though the game had already been played. We know the outcome of history, in a sense the game has already been played (though it is hardly a game since the eternal destinies of men and women are at stake), and yet we still have tension, we still have questions, we still have limited understanding.

As I watched Frank Reich lead his team to victory I kept telling myself, “I know how this ends.” When I’m tempted to get caught up in world events, when distractions come at me in the form of social, political, or economic issues, it is good to remind myself that, “I know how this ends.” The Gospel of Jesus Christ matters, and people hearing that Gospel matter. We’re called to love God with all that we are and all that we have and to love others. These are the things that matter. It is natural to have tension and it is natural to have questions, but at the end of the day we know what the score will be – all the kingdoms of this world and this age will become the kingdoms of our God and of His Christ. It’s good to remind ourselves of this.