In May of 2015, former presidential candidate Mitt Romney fought Evander Holyfield, former heavyweight boxing champion, for charity. They hoped to raise more than $1 million for CharityVision, to aid people with eye impairments.
The interesting thing about the fight was when the politician took down the boxing champion with a devastating right. Bam, out of nowhere, just like Muhammad Ali once took down Sonny Liston.
A bolt out of the blue. A sucker punch. Something unexpected that changed the outcome in a way that no one could have predicted.
That’s the story of the Bible, Jesus sucker-punching the world!
Hold, now, you say. That’s not like the story of Jesus at all. He came as a vessel of love and understanding, his hands held out in supplication for all to come to the cross. Why, he didn’t even resist the soldiers in the garden, even healing the ear of the high priest’s servant when Peter cut it off.
Jesus never sucker punched anyone.
Oh, but he did! The story starts in John 3:16:
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”
Bam, bam, take you down, devil!
Do we really think Lucifer saw it coming, the birth of Jesus, a little baby who would turn the way of the world on its heels, changing everything?
Absolutely not! Rather, it was like Holyfield stepping into the ring, remembering his awards and platitudes, and looking at Romney, thinking, “Sucker! I’m the best, and you’re going down!”
Then, out of the blue comes something he didn’t expect. Bam, and he goes down.
The devil’s going down, already sucker punched by Jesus. We read of him dropping to the floor of the ring in Revelation 20:10:
“And the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.”
Slam, bam, down you go, devil, sucker-punched by the birth of a baby. Did you know he was God, and his fist was already in the air?
Let’s cheer for Jesus. He’s already won, even if the world hasn’t received the news!
Jesus’ love is a fist aimed at the evil the devil tries to do. Jesus’ fist makes contact with the devil’s jaw every time we show compassion for those who walk at our side.
Copyright © 2015 MyChurchNotes.net
Code: FGO.G.29.15b.vp.esv