The Greatest Champion

54When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory." 55"Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?"[h] 56The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. I Corinthians 15:54-58

On Easter, Christ-followers celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Jesus is the greatest champion because He is the only one to conquer sin, death and the devil.

In America we love to praise and celebrate those who we consider to be champions. Tournament attendance and television ratings increase substantially when golfing champion Tiger Woods is teeing off. Companies pay a million dollars for a thirty second commercial on Super Bowl Sunday. Why? They know the whole world is watching to see who will be crowned football champion.

We praise those who have attained champion status because we know how difficult it is to achieve this title. It takes individual skill, hard work, perseverance, quality teammates, top-notch coaching, “luck” and so much more to win a championship.

One of the facts that make someone a champion is their ability to defeat and conquer a formidable adversary. Would the Celtics and Lakers rivalry in the 80’s have been the same without Earvin “Magic” Johnson and Larry Bird? Would John McEnroe’s victories at Wimbledon be as admired today without Bjorn Borg? Would we call the United States hockey team victory a “miracle” without the dominant Soviet Union team? The obvious answer to all these questions is an emphatic no.

So, who is the greatest champion of all time? Is it Jack Nickalaus in golf? How about Bill Russell in basketball? What about the great coach of the UCLA Bruins, John Wooden? Don’t forget the Pittsburgh Steelers in professional football. Why would we even consider these people or teams as the greatest champion or champions? Because, they were victorious more than any who played their sport.

However, none of their accomplishments even compare to what Jesus Christ did during his death, burial and resurrection. Jesus, by dying on a wooden cross and shedding his blood, once and for all conquered sin, death and the devil. Sin, death and the devil are the greatest three adversaries of all time. Nothing has reaped more havoc on humanity than these three foes. Until Christ, they were the victors over the human race.

But, one man on a cross turned the tide of human history forever. When Jesus died on the cross, and rose from the grave three days later, He won the greatest victory of all time. Jesus is the greatest champion because He is the only One who ever has and ever will conquer sin, death and the devil. This makes him worthy of all our praise and adoration.

Happy Easter!