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Certain Victory!

  The Final Four is over and the National Champions have been crowned.  On the men's side UConn took home the top prize, and on the women's side South Carolina won the title (a bit disappointing to a native Iowan like me).  Millions fill out brackets, watch the games, and pack the arenas during three weeks of March Madness.  Many fans are sure their team will win!  But only one is left standing in the end.  Who will win the final victory? 

  In life there are few certain victories.  Most of us have seen the famous photo of a laughing Harry Truman holding up a copy of the Chicago Tribune with the headline, "Dewey Defeats Truman."  The publishers were so sure Thomas Dewey was going to be elected they printed the paper before the election was over. 

  Most victories aren't certain, but one thing is:  death.  God's Word tells us, "No one has power over the day of his death."  "In this way death came to all men because all have sinned."  "For it is appointed for man to die once, and then to face the judgment."  I can't help but laugh a little at those ads for life insurance or pre-paid funerals.  The spokesperson says things like, "In case something should happen to me, I have life insurance through..." or "In the event that I should pass away, I have my affairs in order with a pre-paid funeral."  In case it happens?  In the event?  It's a certain event!

  Death is certain, but Jesus' resurrection is even more certain.  When Jesus stood before Pontius Pilate on Good Friday He said, "For this I was born, and for this I came into the world."  Throughout the Gospels Jesus spoke of His mission to save us from sin and eternal death, declaring, "I have come that they may have life, and have it abundantly." 

  How do we know it is certain?  Again and again and again the disciples insisted they saw the resurrected, living Savior.  Peter wrote, "God raised Him from the dead on the third day and caused Him to be seen...He was seen by us who ate and drank with Him after He rose from the dead."  If Jesus had not risen from the dead the disciples would have gone back to fishing and collecting taxes.  "Jesus of Nazareth" would have been little more than a minor footnote in the pages of history.  But now it is "the name above all names, that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord."

  The only question is, "Is it your certainty?" It can be.  Forgiveness of sins and eternal life is a sure thing for all who trust in Jesus.  His promise to you:  "In my Father's house are many rooms.  I am going there to prepare a place for you."  That's a certain promise from a certain victory!