Victory in Defeat
January 31, 2010
1 Corinthians 1:26-31 26 Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things– and the things that are not– to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before him. 30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God– that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. 31 Therefore, as it is written: “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.”
This is the in-between week for NFL fans. In recent years there has been no football this Sunday before the Super Bowl as they try to build up excitement for the big game next week. This year, they decided to have the Pro Bowl BEFORE the Super Bowl, which is about the same as having no games this week. All the focus in on what will happen next Sunday between the Colts and the Saints. Both teams go in thinking they will win. There will be a lot of posturing and boasting and bragging all week long about who is or who will be number one. Next Sunday evening, one team will achieve victory in yet another Super Bowl, claiming bragging rights until the next season begins. They will take pride in the fact that they were able to overcome all of their opponents by their own strength and desire and inner resolve. They will be the champions.
The big story this year is the New Orleans Saints. They have never been to a Super Bowl, and some folks don’t think they deserve to be there now. Even though they had the best record of any NFC team, everyone thought the Minnesota Vikings (with Brett Favre leading them) was the best team around this year. Even with five or six turnovers in the game, Minnesota seemed to be in control of the game. It was tied with time running out and the Vikings were almost in field goal range. Then Favre threw and interception, the game went to overtime, and the Saints were the ones who kicked the winning field goal. They somehow managed a Victory from what moments earlier, to all appearances, was going to be a Defeat.
Victory and Defeat. Those words are used to describe the same thing from different perspectives. Either you gain the Victory, like the Saints did, or you are defeated, like the Vikings were. The same will be true in the big game next week. One team will claim Victory, the other will go down to Defeat. And the same is true when we consider what God has done for us in Christ Jesus. We see Victory in Defeat. But this is not a case of almost being defeated and then running away with a victory. Let’s look at the victory and defeat that Paul speaks of here.
The cross reminds us that Christ has obtained victory through what the world considers to be foolish, weak and lowly things. This victory was obtained through the entire life of Christ, beginning with the fact that He became one of us. And that, of course, is something that the world continues to dismiss as foolishness. Johnny Hart, the man who wrote the B.C. comic strip, was a wonderful voice for Christ. One of his strips that used to hang in my office window pictured Wiley writing this birthday card:
It seems to me that since the “fall” – without even thinking it odd
That man has had no trouble at all believing that he can be God
How he would do this I cannot conceive, tho, he certainly thinks that he can –
and yet, he cannot bring himself to believe, that God can become … a man.
If people think it is foolish to believe that God became a man, they must see as even more foolish, a weak and lowly thing, that God in the flesh should die, nailed to a cross. Even if someone was willing to allow that God had become a man, how could He possibly allow Himself to be killed? The world cannot accept that as being anything other than foolish and weak and lowly. It looks like a defeat.
We know, of course, that it is a defeat. Although, things are not always as they appear. The defeat is not of God – it was His defeat of sin and death and the devil. By the cross, Jesus made payment for sins in order to bring us life. Jesus was winning the victory through what the world thinks is “foolish things.” The Duke of Wellington led the English forces against Napoleon at Waterloo. News of the history making battle came by sailing vessels to the southern coast of England. It made its way across land toward London by semaphore. Atop Winchester Cathedral, the semaphore began to spell out the eagerly awaited news. A dense fog settled in just as the words “Wellington defeated” were spelled out. The semaphore was no longer visible, and the heartbreaking news of his defeat spread throughout London. Before long, the fog lifted, and again the semaphore atop the cathedral was visible. This time the entire message was spelled out. “Wellington defeated the enemy.”
That is how it is when you first look at the cross. It may have appeared that Christ had lost when he died, but the entire message needs to be heard. Jesus defeated the enemy. His death paid for sin. But He did not remain dead. He rose again from the dead to let us know that His victory is for all people. Everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness and life everlasting. So we proclaim Christ crucified, which appears once again as foolishness to the world. But in that foolishness is the most important truth that people need to hear: God has in Christ reconciled the world to Himself. Jesus won the victory. And that victory is given to all who believe that He is their Savior.
This message was written to the Corinthians because they were a people who prided themselves in their religious knowledge and boasted about it to the world. Paul was trying to remind them that apart from what God had done for them, they were nothing. They were not wise, not influential, not of noble birth. They were not worth choosing. And the same can be said of all of us. God’s Law reminds us that on our own merit, we are nothing in His sight, nothing but defeated and damned without Christ.
When you reach that point, you are prepared to accept the righteousness, holiness and redemption that God has for you. While coming to faith in Christ is something that is in your past, you should not forget about it. Paul encouraged his readers to REMEMBER what they were. You should remember, too. You should daily confess your sins, remember your Baptism, receive God’s forgiveness. You should rejoice in the foolishness of preaching and the Lord’s Supper, because you know that they are the source of wisdom and forgiveness and life. The very things the world considers foolish, weak and lowly are what God used and uses to bring His salvation to the world.
If you remember, as Paul encourages here, it will change your living, like he wanted the Corinthians to change their living. Afflictions, weaknesses, illness, even death will become reminders of your victory. God uses things like this to remind us of our own weakness, and that of the world. At the same time, these things remind us of the victory over all things that comes through Christ. Knowing what Jesus has done for you through His death and resurrection, the bad things in life take on a different meaning. Remembering the victory you have in Christ, these things should cause you to look away from yourself and to Christ. You take part in His weakness. You boast in foolish and weak and lowly things because you know the victory Jesus gives.
Someone once asked why do they call it the Super Bowl and proclaim a team World Champions if they know they are going to do it all again next year? While the Super Bowl is played year after year, the Victory that Christ won for us in for all time. It is a done deal. By His death He has destroyed death, and by His rising has brought life and immortality to light. Sin, death and the devil have been defeated. Through faith, His Victory is ours.
