March 24, 2008 - Messiah Madness

March Madness is in full swing. As I was on a road trip yesterday I found myself making phone calls regularly to check scores. I even had my brother pulling up box scores for me. It truly can become an obsession. I have jokingly called it the “most wonderful time of the year.” Maybe the word “madness” is more accurate than we realize.

As for this year that is actually true. This past weekend was not just the first week of the tourney; it was also our weekend to celebrate the death and resurrection of the Savior! Truly the greatest weekend celebration on our calendar!

Yet to the unsaved, our holiday weekend should involve the term “madness.” We are celebrating the death of Jesus and then His resurrection from the dead. That doesn’t necessarily fit the normal, every day occurrences of life. In fact Scripture even tells us that if the resurrection is not true then we are to be pitied above all men. Our faith is in vain without it.

Check out these verses from 1 Corinthians 15:

3 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures

14 And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty. 15 Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up—if in fact the dead do not rise. 16 For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. 17 And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! 18 Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.

55 “ O Death, where is your sting?
O Hades, where is your victory?”
56 The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

(If you happen to be reading this and doubt the resurrection of Christ I encourage you to go to http://www.josh.org/apologetics/prev_quest.asp?Subject=The%20Resurrection )

Since most that read this devotion do claim to believe that Christ is risen, I want to point something out to you. Many skeptics would be more inclined to look at the evidence of Christ’s resurrection if we were even half as excited about Him as we are the basketball tournament.

I fully understand the “March Madness” moniker. I fit the bill for why it is called that. Yet I hope I fit the bill also as someone that could be classified by “Messiah Madness.”

My challenge to us is to try to talk as much about Christ over the next few weeks as we do the basketball tournament! Let’s make Him our point of “madness.”