I don’t know about you but I’m a huge sports fan. I love the drama, the rivalries, and  the underdog moments.  What I love the most are the incredible comeback stories. When it seems like all is lost, these amazing individuals or teams, find a way to rise from the ashes of defeat to the mountaintop of victory and glory.  If you get to know me personally, one of the things you will eventually discover, is that I am a huge Buffalo Bills fan.   Yes, the only real New York football team in the National Football League. Sorry, New Jersey Jets and Giant fans but if you want your team to represent New York, maybe they should play in New York. Wow, what a novel idea. Anyway, you don’t have to be much of an NFL fan, to remember the Buffalo Bills because back in the nineties they went to four consecutive Super Bowls.  Unfortunately, they are the only NFL team to consecutively lose all four of those Super Bowl appearances.   I remember it became a running gag with late night comics, that the Bills stand for, “Boy I Love Losing Super Bowls”!    For the most part, they were a fun team to watch but they were also a hard team to watch. There were times, you had to watch with a tissue box, because they were definitely heartbreakers.   They might be in the record books for losing the big game four times in a row but they are also in the record books for the greatest comeback ever in NFL history. I remember watching that historic game as a teenager in my living room. The Bills were a wild card spot and they were playing the Houston Oilers at home in Western New York.  It was the playoffs so the loser went home, and the winner would go on to advance.  Already before the game even started,  things looked bleak. The starting quarterback for the Bills and Hall of famer Jim Kelly, who was the main reason for their success, was injured and was not going to be able to play.  Right away I had a bad feeling about the Bill’s chances and of course my instinct was right. The game after the first half was nothing but a complete blowout. Nothing was going right for Buffalo and before you know it, the Bills were losing by at least three touchdowns.  Being a true fan though, I figured I’d stick around and at least watch the third quarter.  I thought to myself, “Who knows, anything can happen.” In fact, the backup quarterback Frank Reich for Buffalo led the greatest comeback in college history,  so maybe he could do it again in the NFL. Well, the third quarter began and the Bill’s offense came out confidently onto the field. The fans were all cheering them on. Here we go I thought, maybe we got a chance.  Quarterback Frank Reich took the snap, he threw his very first pass and it was actually caught and run in for a touchdown. The stadium became dead quiet, you could hear a pin drop. My heart sank too because the ball was caught alright and points were scored but not by someone in a Bill’s uniform.  No, it was an interception and seven more points for the visiting team. By this time, it looked like the fat lady had started her song. Down by four touchdowns with very little time to go in the second half, spelled doomsday for the Bills. In fact all eighty thousand fans started to leave the stadium and go home. I was just about to change the channel and give up when the unthinkable happened. The Bills scored a touchdown. Okay, I thought to myself at least now it’s not going to be a shut out but then just minutes after that, the Bills surprised me again. Their defense forced a turnover and then the offense got the ball back, marched it down the field and scored another touchdown. What was going on? Then before I knew it, the Bills scored another touchdown.  The stadium which was nearly empty was now filling back up again as fans were now clamoring to get back to their seats. Just when it seemed the Bills were left for dead, now there was a pulse again, now there was a beating heart and everyone including myself started to rise on our feet with a new found hope that victory was possible.  The fat lady was kicked out of the building before she could finish her song and the game went down to the final seconds with the Bills kicking the winning field goal, giving the fans a moment in history, the greatest comeback ever in the history of the National Football League.  I mean it was pandemonium! The fans went crazy, I’m doing cartwheels in my living room and I’m not even a gymnast. However, the best part of all of this and to this day, I still remember, was after the game, when they interviewed backup quarterback Frank Reich. You see, Frank was a Christian, and like Tim Tebow,  whenever Frank got behind a microphone, he would always boast in his God. This time was no different.  He boldly gave all glory and praise that day to the Lord Jesus Christ. He said that while he was on the field, God put the Michael English song in his heart, “In Christ Alone”.  A song about a man who finds his glory in the power of the cross. Frank said he never doubted that they were going to win and all he did was just play football while singing and worshiping God.  I still think back on that moment, from time to time. There’s definitely a life lesson to learn from all of that.  If Jesus can help a quarterback orchestrate an amazing comeback in a trivial football game, what about other areas of our lives that matter more? Think about it, if you have put your faith in Jesus, you believe you will be raised to life again someday but why do we sometimes get discouraged and easily defeated, when life’s circumstances come against us leaving us questioning how we’re going to even survive?  Yes, life can be brutal,  but remember we follow the one who has produced one of the world’s greatest comebacks ever. Jesus was betrayed by a friend, mocked for claiming to be the king of the Jews. He was whipped till his body was shredded and unrecognizable, he was forced to carry his cross up the steep hill before being nailed to it and these nails were not the kind you get from Home Depot either. These were made of iron and probably 7-9 inches long. He was given a crown of thorns and speared so that He was definitely left for dead naked and humiliated for all to see. His body was buried in a tomb and His soul descended to the very depths of Hell. The disciples were all scattered, afraid for their lives, full of grief, full of discouragement, they were all a hopeless wreck.  Things looked bleak.  But just when it seemed that Satan had finally won, and all was lost, Jesus comes back in the second half and delivers up a trick play greater than any “Hail Mary”!  He rolls the stone away and rises from the dead, crushing the serpent’s head once for all, and destroying the grip of death on all humanity.  The tomb was found empty! Jesus was no longer wearing His grave clothes, Jesus had a pulse, The Comeback King was alive! His resurrection sparked a movement as He breathed his breath upon His disciples, their faith was given new life, by the power of the Holy Spirit.  This simple act of Jesus breathing upon them set the stage for the coming of the Spirit permanently on the day of Pentecost, birthing Christianity that would continue on for generations to come. Emperors, Generals, kingdoms, governments and dictators over the years have all tried to put Jesus back in the grave and even to this day there are still those that are trying but Christ’s heart continues to beat on. As Christians today let’s celebrate and rejoice that no matter what we’re going through, this living hope is still living inside of us! Yes, when we look at the scoreboard it looks like we’re outnumbered, and it’s  game over but remember He’s our quarterback and when He’s on the field, He doesn’t know how to lose.  Let Him breathe life into you and your situation.  Let Him breathe life into that dying relationship, your finances, your health, your washed up dreams. He wants to raise you to new life in Him and lead you to everlasting victory. And even if nothing gets resurrected in this life for you, I want to encourage you, there is hope still, you will be raised to a new life again and that life is forever! Death has no hold on you.  God is not a man that He should lie nor will He let us down. So, whatever it is that has you left for dead, sealed up in your tomb, don’t panic and don’t worry, replace your fear with faith and shout out in victory for you’re not dead, Our God is alive! When everything in your life seems hopeless and dying.   Just be still and listen to the beating of God’s heart inside of you. Rise up and leave your grave clothes behind, your stone is rolled away!!!

1 Corinthians 15:55-57 New International Version (NIV)

55 “Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?”[a]
56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

John 20:21-22 New International Version (NIV)

21 Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” 22 And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.