Championships are Won on the Road
No matter the sport, winning on the road is tough. The original Glory road all began at Bethlehem. Jesus left His home in Heaven, to willingly lose a road game. Why? I have heard people say that a loss is sometimes good for a team. Personally, I disagree with that thought process. I would much rather learn from wins. Yet, God sent his only begotten son, that whosoever believed in Him, will not perish but have ever lasting life! Miraculously that loss was not the end of His season. Jesus returned to Jerusalem that season, close to his birthplace, but not his home court. It was there that He made the ultimate championship run. Far greater than championship runs captured in movies like Glory Road, Remember the Titans, Miracle on Ice, or Hoosiers, we are talking about the ultimate Glory Road. Defeating the cross, hell, and the grave for everyone who rejected Him. He won greatest championship of all-time and He did so on the road.
Let’s take a deeper look at the story.
It is so tough to win on the road. I tell my players that adversity is not optional when winning championships. It is not a question of if it is coming, it is a matter of when is it coming. Most importantly, what are we going to do about it, when it comes? James 1:2 says to consider adversity pure joy. When adversity shows up, I have long told my players to welcome it saying “Pure Joy Baby”. It goes on to say in James 1:12 that if we can endure the adversity, then we will win the race set before us and receive the ultimate prize.
It has always puzzled me how when adversity shows up on the road, why players, coaches and fans seem so surprised. When an official makes a questionable call or the home crowd becomes rowdy and the gym becomes overwhelmingly loud, you have a couple options. One, let it make you angry, often causing you to crack emotionally. Two, it causes you to become timid and as a result simply melting you under the pressure of playing on the road.
Despite coming to save us all, Jesus was rejected, despised, persecuted, and ultimately sacrificed on the road at Calvary. I recently walked the Via Dolorosa in Old Jerusalem, believed by many to be the road that Jesus endured on His way to His crucifixion. I also went to Golgotha, which in Aramaic mean “place of the skull’, the location of Jesus crucifixion. A road ran next to the Golgotha where the Romans crucified and or stoned their opponents. Can you imagine how brave you must be to willingly go on that road to take on one of the biggest opponents ever, the Romans? How did Jesus reach this point in the season? Let’s begin where it all started, Bethlehem.
Here is a quick look at the history of this little town located near to Jerusalem called Bethlehem. The earliest reference of Bethlehem appears in 1400 BCE in a letter from an Egyptian governor in charge of Jerusalem. He appeals for aid to fight Apirl mercenaries, ‘Now even a town near Jerusalem. Bit-Lahmi by name, a village once belonged to the king has fallen to the enemy.” Labmu was the Akkadian god of fertility, worshipped by the Canaanites at Lehem. They erected a temple on the hill now known as the Hill of Nativity. The Temple (or House) of Lehem kept a similar name, but gods changed depending on who was in control of the town for over 3500 years. It is considered the location of Rachel’s Tomb of Genesis 35:20, for over 2000 years the tomb has been considered holy. It has been considered by some to have been called Ephrath, which means “fertile” and the New Testament refers to it as the “City of David”. There is an abundant water source below Bethlehem, as a result it was built as a fortress city. David’s men retrieved water for David from the wells of Bethlehem because it was known for its pure water. Later Solomon built pools at Bethlehem. Jerusalem depended on this water for a source of clean water. What a long and well documented history for such a relatively small town. Most importantly, Bethlehem the prophesied birthplace of the Messiah, from the line of David, became the birthplace of our Savior Jesus Christ.
One thing that epitomizes going on the road, is that you are rejected by the opposing crowd. How would you like to be rejected at home as well? Jesus was from day one!
John 1:11 “He came unto his own, and his own received him not.”
His own rejected him. Perhaps we should consider this the first instance of rejection of Jesus. When Mary and Joseph were turned away, so also was Jesus turned away. Even before His birth, He was rejected by His own:
During biblical times the eating and sleeping quarters of a two story home would have been on the upper floor. The lower level was often used as a shelter for livestock during inclement weather. We know that Mary and Joseph were turned away because there was no room in the guest chamber (the upper room, the kataluma, not an inn, more than likely the upper room of a family member), but they may have been offered shelter in the lower level among the animals or possibly in a cave nearby where you might find animals and a manger. This would explain their access to a manger in which Jesus was laid. Considering now that Mary and Joseph were likely turned away from the home of a relative, the question still remains. Why would a relative have turned away a pregnant woman? A possible explanation is that Mary’s pregnancy would have been considered shameful. Mary had become pregnant before she married Joseph. This was a sin of great disgrace. And, since betrothal was legally binding like marriage, Joseph even had the right to put Mary to death (Matthew 1:18-19) for having committed adultery. Of course, he did not because he loved her. It was only after his decision to “put her away privately” (Matt. 1:19) that an angel appeared to him and told him about the conception of Jesus.
Did the rejection stop with Jesus’ family at birth? Not even close, it was only the beginning.
We expect the officials to make it hard on Jesus on the road. Herod killed all the 2 year olds in Bethlehem in an attempt to wipe him out. Pontus Pilate released the murderer Barabbas, instead of releasing the innocent Jesus. No surprise here.
How about where Jesus was raised in Nazareth? Surely he had a home court advantage there! Both Matthew and Mark state that Jesus left the region near the Sea of Galilee and came “into his own country” (Matthew 13:54; Mark 6:1). Undoubtedly this has reference to the environs of Nazareth, the city in which Christ grew up in the home of Joseph and his mother, Mary. There was a reason why Jesus chose to limit his miraculous demonstrations in this neighborhood.
First, note that the Lord did perform some miracles in the territory. Even Mark specifically says: “he laid his hands upon a few sick people and healed them” (6:5b). His power, therefore, was not the problem. Second, there is a forceful emphasis upon the stubborn, purposeful disbelief of the Jews of this area. The inspired writer notes that Jesus was astonished at their “unbelief.” Matthew clearly states that Jesus refrained from performing many miracles there “because of their unbelief” (13:58). They simply could not believe that the Jesus they saw grow up before their eyes could be the Messiah, the son of God.
So his family rejected him at birth at Bethlehem, the people who watched him grow up at Nazareth refused to see anything in Him. So what about his Jewish buddies also called His followers or disciples? Jesus breaks the news to them in John 6:48 that “I am the bread of life.” Then in verse 51 that, “I am the living bread which came down out of heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever: yea and the bread which I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.” After He finally gave his boys the truth in verse 65, “For this cause have I said unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it be given unto him of the Father. In John 6:66 it sadly says, “Upon this many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.”
So all He had left on his team at that point was His trusted team of twelve. His closest friends even failed Jesus during his most difficult hour of need. In Matthew 26 Jesus takes his closest friends, Peter, James and John up the mountain to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray about what was to come. Jesus returned to the disciples and found them sleeping. “Were you not able to keep watch with Me for one hour?” He asked Peter. “Watch and pray so that you will not enter into temptation. For the Spirit is willing, but the body is weak”. A second time, He went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cup cannot pass unless I drink it, may Your will be done.” And again Jesus returned and found them sleeping-for their eyes were heavy. So He left them and went away once more and prayed a third time, saying the same thing. Then He returned to the disciples and said, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour is near, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise and let us go! My betrayer is approaching!” Jesus was even betrayed by one of his twelve closest team members, Judas.
What about Peter, “the Rock”, who walked on water? He was tough, carried a dagger, and cut off a soldier’s ear to protect Jesus, yet he denied Jesus three times, even to a little girl, just as the cock crowed. Only Jesus beloved John made it to the cross to see Him crucified.
When the season was on the line, Jesus hit the road one more time. Returning to Jerusalem, close to his birthplace. There he made the ultimate championship run defeating the cross, hell, and the grave for everyone who rejected Him. For all of us, Jesus left His home court, gave everything, and sacrificed Himself to win the greatest victory of all time.
Since it is Christmas time, let’s take a final look at three possible people who were there at Jesus’ birth and see which we should choose to be like. Jesus was fixing to be born, the Messiah.
First let us look at Herod. He was a gifted builder and leader, but his selfishness and own desires caused him to kill babies to protect his throne. He could not see Jesus for looking in the mirror.
How about the preachers and men of the church of the time? They had all the scripture and teaching, yet for some reason they ignored prophecy and rejected the Messiah. So close to the solution to all their answers, yet they could not see past their own wisdom.
Finally, we have three Magi. A Magi focuses on the stars! Experts estimate that Christ was 2 years old when they finally arrived. No one knows exactly how far or how long it took the Magi to finally reach the Messiah! We do know though that they had a special kind of faith, passion and relentless love needed to go on the road and find baby Jesus. Are you willing to go on the road to win? They were! As long as we are on this earth we are called strangers or aliens. We will not be playing any home games. One day soon Jesus will return and take us home.
Until then keep winning road games!
This song by Casting Crowns breaks down everything I mentioned in this post, I hope you enjoy it and I wish you a very Merry Christmas. Thank You Jesus for enduring the road.
Referenced magazine Beyond Today – “Was There Really “No Room in the Inn”? Posted on Nov 8, 2012 by Mario Seiglie, Tom Robinson