Calling His Shot

One of the most legendary moments in all of sports history occurred during the 1932 World Series when Babe Ruth is said to have called his shot. 

It was Game 3 of the World Series between the New York Yankees and the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field.  There was no love lost between the two teams.  The Yankees had played in six World Series with the Babe, winning three.  At points during his career, Babe Ruth had more homeruns than entire teams combined.  The upstart Cubs wanted to take down the heavily favored Yankees. 

At the top of the fifth inning, the Babe entered the batter’s box with the score tied at 4 to 4.  The crowd at Wrigley Field began heckling the aging athlete, as the Cubs bench began insulting him.  Charlie Root, the pitcher for the Cubs, sent the first pitch sailing across home plate.  Strike one!  As the fans and bench continued to hurl insults at Babe, Charlie Root sent another pitch.  Ruth swung and missed again.  Strike two!  Incensed by the heckling from the crowd and insults from the bench, Babe Ruth turned to the bench and pointed with two fingers toward center field and screamed, “It only takes one!”  On the next pitch, Ruth took a massive swing.  CRACK!!!  As the ball sailed over the center field scoreboard, even the hostile crowd went wild at this spectacle.  Ruth scored two on his home run to thunderous applause.  The Yankees would go on to win the game 7 to 5. 

Legend would grow over this gesture of Ruth pointing toward centerfield.  Though most sports historians would deny that Ruth actually called his shot, the myth will always loom large in the imaginations of sports fans. 

I bring up Babe Ruth because it reminds me of called shots all throughout the Bible.  Promises made to us that God has or will fulfill through his Son. 

It reminds me of the Fall, when Adam and Eve disobeyed God and plunged the world into sin.  And though all humanity would suffer through sin and death because of our disobedience, God spoke this promise to Satan, “I will put enmity between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”  In time, a son of Adam would come.  And though all died through the trespass of Adam, many would receive grace through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. 

It reminds me of Abraham the Patriarch and the covenant that God made with him.  God promised, “in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed.”  This too would come to pass when Christ died for our sin, was resurrected, and poured out the Holy Spirit upon the Church at Pentecost.  Through the Great Commission his disciples would proclaim the gospel to all nations, even to the ends of the earth. 

It reminds me of the words of Moses in Deuteronomy proclaiming God’s promise.  “I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers.  And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him.”  This was ultimately fulfilled in Christ, who would come in his Father’s authority and obediently speak only what was given him by his Father.  His words would bring life to those to whom they were given.  It is the word that is still spoken from him to us from the pulpits of the Church all over the world. 

It reminds me of King David and the covenant that God made when David announced his plans to build a temple for the Lord.  “I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom…And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me.  Your throne shall be established forever.”  He would establish it by sending his only Son, Jesus.  He would come to us as a servant and lay down his life for us, yet be raised from death, imperishable and established on his Father’s throne forever.  To Him, every knee will bow, and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord to the glory of God the Father. 

It reminds me of the promise made through Isaiah, that a suffering servant would come to Israel.  “But he was pierced through for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our well-being fell upon him, and by his scourging we are healed.  All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way, but the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on him.”  This would be fulfilled when Christ willingly went to the cross.  He endured the ignominious death of a criminal, hanging humiliated, beaten, and naked upon a cross.  He endured the death that we owe as the wages of our sin. 

And yet, he also promised through David, “For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption.”  And again through Isaiah, “When his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.”  This promise would be realized on Easter morning, when death and the grave could not hold Jesus.  He rose, the victor over sin and death, so that we too might be the heirs of eternal life in Christ. 

It reminds me of the promise made through Ezekiel to the people of Israel, “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.  I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes, and you will be careful to observe my ordinances.”  Through our baptism, we were baptized into Christ’s death, and raised with Christ into a new life.  In baptism we receive the deposit of the Holy Spirit who gives us faith, and nurtures, instructs, guides, and sanctifies us. 

And now, today, Jesus stands in the batter’s box, digging in his heels, and is ready to deliver the final promise.  Though we and the creation were subjected to sin and death, John delivers the word of Christ to us saying: “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man.  He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.  He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away…Behold, I am making all things new.”

Jesus is calling his shot, and the crowd is going to go wild.  May we persevere in the hope that we have in Jesus Christ, knowing that he is able to fulfill his promises. 

“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.  For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” – Romans 8:37-39

To Live Is Christ And To Die Is Gain

My wife has been a registered nurse with a faith-based hospice provider since July.  We frequently discuss her experiences and impressions of being a caregiver that is ministering to the sick and dying.  My wife is a compassionate woman, and I am proud that she has the opportunity to provide comfort and aid to patients who are coming to the end of their lives, and to the patients’ families who are experiencing the significant event of losing a loved one. 

Naturally, because of these conversations, the subject of life and death has been on my mind lately.   

Within the last few years, my kids have begun to experience death.  Through the loss of a few long-time pets, and an aunt whom they loved, they recognize death as the alien intrusion into life that it is.  Unfortunately, they have developed a fear of death that I am not sure is entirely healthy. 

I am also a little uneasy about death, although for a different reason. 

It is not that I am afraid of death.  I have had plenty of experience with it.  As a kid I lost my grandfather at an early age to cancer.  As a teenager, I experienced the earth-shattering loss of a close cousin who was taken from us.  In the army, I experienced the loss of friends and comrades in combat.  I have knocked on the doors of soldiers’ spouses to notify them of the loss or severe injury of their beloved soldiers.  I have experienced the feeling of being shot at and knowing that death can come suddenly.  It isn’t that I fear the coming of death.  It is more the apprehension that I want mine to mean something.  If death will be the legacy that I ultimately leave to my wife and children, then I want to die well. 

Then I read Paul’s epistle to the Philippians, and things clicked into place.  Paul’s epistle to the Philippians is one of his prison letters.  Paul is in jail, probably awaiting trial before Caesar.  Trial before Caesar usually doesn’t end very well.  In his letter, Paul doesn’t seem to be very certain what his fate will be.  Parts of the letter indicate he might be released, but others indicate he has just as much expectation that he might be executed.  Yet in his uncertainty, Paul pens the following passage:

“With full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death.  For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” – Philippians 1:20b-21

He then continues by exhorting the Philippians:  “Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, and not frightened in anything by your opponents…For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.” – Philippians 1:27-28a, 29-30

For Paul, it doesn’t matter whether he lives or dies.  Christ will be glorified either way. 

Paul believed that all men are sinners, in rebellion against God because of our sinful nature.  But God sent his son, Jesus Christ, to die for our sin so that we might be reconciled to Him through Christ.  We have been made alive together in Christ, raised up with Christ, and seated at his side in Christ.  Through God’s grace, we are saved through faith in His Son. 

To Paul, we have communion with God and with one another in the community of faith in Christ.  The most important thing to Christians is communion with Jesus Christ.  Death and suffering are not what scares us, because we have fellowship with the one who will destroy sin and death.  Therefore, we can say that everything about our life and even our death becomes a witness for him.

We first come into communion with Christ in our baptism.  Here we are buried with Christ in His death and raised to new life with Him.  In our daily lives we work for the good of the body of Christ.  We work in our vocations and demonstrate Christ by following him.  We try to demonstrate Christ in our marriages as we try to be imitators of him as husbands or wives.  We try to be dutiful children, honoring our parents as we would our Heavenly Father.  We raise our children instructing them in the ways of the Lord.  When we sin, we repent and take comfort in experiencing the knowledge of forgiveness of sins that were delivered to us when Jesus died on the cross.  When we take communion, we rejoice in the promise of salvation which is guaranteed by Jesus body and blood.  We proclaim Christ crucified in every aspect of our lives to everyone around us. 

Even in the hour of our death we have the opportunity to be witnesses to our loved ones.  We can rest peacefully, knowing that because we have been called by Christ into fellowship with Him, we have peace with God.  We rejoice at being united with the body of believers who are at His side to await the resurrection of our bodies and eternity with Him.  This is the witness I hope to provide to my wife and children. 

God help me to live well and help me to die well.  Let me live and die in Christ, secure in the peace which surpasses all human understanding.  Amen.

“Where shall I go from your spirit?  Or where shall I flee from your presence?  If I ascend to heaven, you are there!  If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!  If I take the wings of morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.  If I say, ‘Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me become night,’ even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is as bright as the day for darkness is as light with you.” – Psalm 139:7-12