THE CHAMPION OF THE WORLD
Written By: Tim Mannin

He has risen!

The dominant way of understanding the cross and resurrection throughout history has come from verses like Romans 6:9, “For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him.” So resurrection is understood that Jesus mastered life over death. It is understood that death could not hold him down. It is understood that the resurrection was the death of death! Whoa.

Let’s think of it like this — resurrection is like a boxer going up against a mean, nasty, scary, and ugly opponent. Imagine you are the boxer and you have the big red boxing gloves on and you’re in the ring and you’re bobbing and weaving. Imagine that you actually know what you’re doing as a boxer, so you’re keeping the gloves up to defend yourself and you’re floating around the ring — floating like a butterfly and stinging like a bee.

Here’s the thing — your opponent hates you…like a lot.
And wants to take you out.

And all of the sudden while you are bobbing and weaving you get hit hard…like real hard…and it knocks you down and you think, “Whoa…what just happened…that sort of hurt.” You were knocked down, and it shook you up, but somehow you find strength and you quickly pop back up…you’re still in the fight!

This surprises the watching crowd.
They are thinking, ‘how did you get back up from that hit?’

And this surprises your opponent.
It fills them with even more hate.
Then you get hit again.

This time the hit was so vicious that everyone was sure the fight would be over…

you go down to the mat…

but you pop back up.

Then another deadly hit.

Down again.

But again you pop back up.

Again and again, and finally this whole popping back up becomes a bit of an issue for your opponent because your opponent is giving you everything they have. Your opponent is throwing haymaker after haymaker and you keep popping back up. They are giving you their best shot to keep you down, but you keep moving and getting right back up. Now you’re feeling confident and strong, you keep moving around and you begin to taunt your opponent and you’re like, “Is that all you got? Is that all you got? My grandma has more of a punch…Come on hit me, hit me!” Your opponent has given you everything they got…and you’re still standing.

Eventually…YOU WIN.
You win because you absorbed the worst your adversary could throw at you. You stood back up and said, you may knock me down, but you can’t keep me down.

Through the cross and resurrection of Jesus, God’s says to the enemy, "Is that all you got?” So imagine the boxing match is over and then comes the the iconic announcer who speaks into the mic with a loud declaration of the winner, ”And still the undisputed champion of the woooorrrrllld…”

Jesuuuuuus Chriiiiiiiiist!!!

He is the champion of the world!
And here’s the best news we now have the power of Jesus in us. Sure this whole boxer thing is a bit cheesy, but seriously consider the power God has given you through Jesus. We have the power to get back up when the enemy knocks us down. The cross and the resurrection for the early Christians was primarily understood as victory!

In other words…
Jesus wins!
Every time.

Death gave Jesus the enemy’s hardest punch and he stood back up. As it says in Corinthians, “Where or death is your victory, where oh death is your sting?” So think about Jesus for those first century disciples. They had a bit of a swagger…a bit of bravado! It was like death…could not hold Jesus down! 1 Corinthians 15:56-57, “The sting of death is sin and the power of sin is the law, but thanks be to God he gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Resurrection is victory!
Noisy, vibrant, celebratory victory!

The enemy can knock you down, but he can’t knock you out. Through Jesus you have been made victorious! Walking in the awe + wonder of God will eventually lead us to a noisy, vibrant, celebratory faith! It’s time to celebrate that God has given you power and victory. In Luke 10:19, Jesus says, “I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.”

Jesus Christ is the champion of the world…
and has given you his victory!

He has risen indeed!


REFLECTION + NEXT STEPS

  1. Spend time today praying that prayer…“here I am…disrupt me God and fill me awe and wonder.”

  2. What is something God has given you victory over in your life? Share that with someone today and ask them the same questions. Get noisy celebrating Jesus today!