“For it’s one,
Two,
Three strikes you’re out
At the old ball game”
— Take Me Out to the Ball Game
Once on a family vacation, I found a flattened snake’s head baking on the pavement under the Ozark sun. It reminds me of the hope God promised in His declaration to Adam and Eve in Genesis chapter three. The serpent had just deceived the couple and they rebelled against God’s command. Though there was a price to pay, God told Eve her offspring (Jesus Christ) would crush the treacherous serpent’s head (Satan).
The serpent snagged the first inning in a World Series of sorts for humanity’s heart in the garden that day. And he’s tried his best to win every inning since.
The Ball Game: Play by Play
Later, the serpent incited King Herod to kill the babies in Bethlehem, hoping to catch Jesus in death’s net. But when an angel warned Joseph of the murderous plan, the surrogate father escaped to Egypt with Mary and Jesus.
Strike one.
Nearly 30 years afterward, the serpent with glove and ball attempted to tag Jesus out at the beginning of the Savior’s ministry. A 40-day fast in the wilderness would leave anyone hungry and weary. It was a vulnerable moment for Jesus and his mission. But Jesus got on base by the power of the memorized word of God.
Strike two.
Nearing the climax of Jesus’s ministry, Satan struck with full venom. It was the bottom of the ninth inning, the last chance to dethrone the champion a desperate world needed. He threw pitches of betrayal, a friend’s denial, mob action, false accusations at a sham trial, a brutal beating, ridicule, and death on the cross.
The serpent thought he had won. But Jesus hit the ball out of the park when he rose from the dead three days later.
Strike three.
Playing the Long Game
The serpent didn’t understand death’s part in the plan. But Jesus did. In Luke’s gospel, Jesus set his face towards Jerusalem (Luke 9:51), anticipating the cross. Hebrews 12:2 says Jesus endured the cross scorning its shame.
Why was Jesus so determined to see his mission through to its costly end? It’s because sin separated the human race from a loving God. And death entered the picture, dogging our every step. But Jesus volunteered to pay the penalty. He substituted his life for each of our lives. No, death didn’t end the game, it kicked it into an extra inning culminating in Jesus’ resurrection!
To the serpent’s dismay, men and women, adults and children, of every tongue and skin color, from East to West, and North to South humbly accept Christ as their Lord and Savior. Daily they appropriate a power not of their own. It is a resurrection power that helps them resist their own wilderness temptations of self-destructive habits and sin. And they find guilt lifted from their shoulders.
Every Holy Week we commemorate Jesus as the MVP* of all time. We celebrate the fulfillment of God’s words to Adam and Eve in Genesis 3. The devil’s head was crushed at the empty tomb and it will bake in eternal fire someday, not on a hot Ozark road.
Prayer: If you would like to start a relationship with Jesus Christ, you can pray this simple prayer:
“Lord Jesus, I need you. Thank you for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life and receive you as my Savior and Lord. Take control of my life. Make me the kind of person you want me to be. Amen.”
Have a blessed Easter Sunday!
© 2021 David Harlen Brooks | All rights reserved.
*MVP — Most Valuable Player
Photo by Clayton Cardinalli on Unsplash
