“Above anything else, I hate to lose.” – Jackie Robinson. On April 15, 1947, Robinson made it to the big leagues. He became the first black man to wear a Major League uniform, destroying the color barrier in professional sports. In his first season with the Brooklyn Dodgers, he hit .297, 12 home runs, and led the league with 29 steals. He as the National League Rookie of the year. Two years later he was named the National League’s Most Valuable Player and won the battle title with a .342 average. 1949 was his first of 6 appearances in the All-Star game. During his 10 years with the Dodgers, he helped them reach the World Series 6 times. He had a career batting average of .311 and inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1962, his first year of eligibility. But did you know that Jackie Robinson was court-martialed from the Army and that he dropped out of college. He was knocked down many times, but he always found a way to get up. You can’t keep a good man down.
There are so many things that can knock us down: a bad marriage, finances, sickness, wrong choices…. But the Bible says ‘the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delights in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholds him with his hand. I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.’ (Ps. 37:23-25).
I want you to think about the ultimate good man getting up after getting knocked down – Jesus and His resurrection. You can read this story in Mark 16:1-8. The resurrection of Jesus highlights two paradoxes. A paradox is a seemingly self-contradictory statement that when understood proves to be true.
Exaltation by Humility
Jesus had said, ‘For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted (Matt. 23:12). The Scriptures are consistent about the pattern of exaltation: ‘Humble yourself, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time’ (1 Peter 5:6). Christ’s humiliation was of cosmic dimensions (Philippians 2:5-11). He had created everything in the universe. But He became a human child. Jesus bowed lower than anybody ever, and when He rose from the dead, He was exalted higher than anybody ever. You can’t keep a God-man down.
But in addition to Jesus, we notice someone else who was humbled – Peter. Though Peter boasted great things, He was humbled by his fearful decision to deny Christ. He wept and ran away. In Mark 16:7 the women were told to go ‘tell his disciples, and Peter.’ Peter was highlighted. According to 1 Cor. 15:5, he had a private confrontation with Jesus that is not recorded in any of the gospels. We don’t know what happened, but Peter was restored. He was exalted to be the leader of the church and preached the first sermon when 3,000 were saved on the day of Pentecost.
If you want to be somebody, reach success, and be honored, you need to humble yourself. If you won’t humble yourself, you will be humbled. If you’ve been humbled, go to Jesus or realize that He is coming to you today. Turn to Him and He will exalt you.
Seeing by Believing
The women were told they would see Jesus. The evidence was available as they demonstrated their faith by going. Faith before experience. They must travel to Galilee to see evidence of their faith. We often hear, ‘Seeing is believing.’ But this Gospel paradox is ‘Believing is Seeing.’
If you wait until you get all your doubts resolved and all your questions answered, you will never enter into the kingdom. Hebrews 11:1 says, ‘Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things unseen.’ As you believe and accept, He will give you confidence and assurance. Step toward Jesus and He will give you assurance you have made the right step.
Faith is not just an exercise to bring someone into the family of God. Every Christian is called to live a life of faith and we are often challenged to live by faith. Faith is to be a daily exercise of walking to where the Lord has gone, believing Him to be there and finding Him to be so. Yeah, it’s scary. It’s like walking a tight-rope without a net. But God has you. You will experience the life God wants you to have as you step toward Him every day.
There was a very poor man down in West Texas in the 1930s who barely made a living on a very poor sheep farm around Odessa and Midland. His name was E. L. Yates and he was so poor that he was contemplating bankruptcy and allowing the bank to repossess his farm. One day a survey crew from an oil company asked for permission to drill for oil on his property. The contract stated that he was to receive every eighth barrel if any oil was found. At 1,115 feet they hit a gusher. The well produced 80,000 barrels of oil a day! Wells soon followed that could produce twice that capacity. Even thirty years later government surveys showed wells with a capacity for 125,000 barrels a day. It proved to be one of the richest veins of oil ever found on the North American continent. Mr Yates owned it all! When he purchased the land the oil came with it. During all the years of poverty he was rich and didn’t know it. Years passed before Mr Yates possessed what he owned and enjoyed the privileges of ownership.
It is the privilege of every Christian to live in victory every day. It is by faith that we claim what is ours. It is by humility that we are exalted. Are you living every day in His power and victory?
What has gotten you down? In the strength of Jesus, get back up!
You can read some of my similar posts: How to Handle the Storms of Life, When Bad Things Happen to Good People, What To Do When Tragedy Strikes.