Touchdown Jesus

Behold, a day is coming for the LORD, when the spoil taken from you will be divided in your midst. For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city shall be taken and the houses plundered and the women raped. Half of the city shall go out into exile, but the rest of the people shall not be cut off from the city. Then the LORD will go out and fight against those nations as when he fights on a day of battle. On that day his feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley, so that one half of the Mount shall move northward, and the other half southward. And you shall flee to the valley of my mountains, for the valley of the mountains shall reach to Azal. And you shall flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the LORD my God will come, and all the holy ones with him. (Zechariah 14:1-5 ESV).

I love college football season whether the Aggies win or lose. This time of the year you get all the pageantry of the event, the fans cheering, the big games, the great rivalries. With every new season there’s always anticipation and hope. Will the players rise to the challenge, or will some bad play cost the team a game? Or even a season? And certainly no play in football is more important than the touchdown which is the goal of every drive. Notre Dame Football is especially tradition bound. Once the ’64 football season started, with Ara Parsegian’s first year and Heisman John Huarte throwing TD passes to Jack Snow, Touchdown Jesus was born. It was particulary visible the higher you were in the south portion of stadium, and perfectly positioned for the cameras atop the West side press box in Notre Dame Stadium. The nickname caught on right away and, along with the camera and aerial shots of the Golden Dome and Sacred Heart, appears on every telecast. Touchdown Jesus is known to millions who have never been near Notre Dame stadium. The next time you watch a Notre Dame telecast, note how long it is before they show some or all of Touchdown Jesus. Did you know the Bible speaks about a touchdown, the greatest touchdown ever? It’s something Jews and Christians alike will agree on. The Bible says it’s going to happen just as time is running out, at the end of the game. The Messiah is going to “touch down” on the Mount of Olives in Israel. He’s coming for those who are on His team, and to judge those who are not. His touchdown will mean victory for His team, and lasting defeat for the opponents. The question is, are you going to be one who celebrates His touchdown, or one who loses the ultimate game of life? This is determined by your relationship to Jesus. In fact, it is a simple moment of faith. You never need play one down of the game. Jesus has already done that and won! Trust in Him today!