4-5-98 Games People Play! John 19

By Ronald E. George Jr.

Themes: Meeting the need for meaningful experiences in life. The need for a satisfying life. Need for authenticity. Need for real Christians. Need for a real life changing experience with the Lord. Need for seeing the real Christ of the cross.

Earl Weaver, the feisty roly-poly manager of the Baltimore Orioles certainly has never made any boasts about being a deeply religious man. But his hard-nosed rebuff of one of the Christian players on his team years ago, certainly smacked of blasphemy. Pat Kelly, one of the Orioles promising young outfielders several seasons ago, told Weaver that he put a heavy priority on learning to walk with God. Weaver shot back, "I'd rather have you walk with the bases loaded." My Paraphrase of Weaver: "Don't give me that stuff about Jesus Christ. Help me win baseball games. That's what I care about. I don't care whether Jesus Christ can save souls. If He can come in in the eighth or ninth inning and save ball games, then I might be interested in talking with Him." - Testimony of Pat Kelly at a youth conference in 1987.

We are a world that loves to play games. We have made our games the god’s of the modern world. Think of the hero status that we give to professional game players and the monumental salaries that they receive for their play. What about the great status we have given to the super bowl. Don’t you like to play games? We all have played some games in our lives. If not football or basketball then it is ninetendo or cards.

What is your game?

John 19:19 (KJS) And Pilate wrote a title, and put [it] on the cross. And the writing was, JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS. 20 This title then read many of the Jews: for the place where Jesus was crucified was nigh to the city: and it was written in Hebrew, [and] Greek, [and] Latin. 21 Then said the chief priests of the Jews to Pilate, Write not, The King of the Jews; but that he said, I am King of the Jews. 22 Pilate answered, What I have written I have written.John 19:23 Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments, and made four parts, to every soldier a part; and also [his] coat: now the coat was without seam, woven from the top throughout. 24 They said therefore among themselves, Let us not rend it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be: that the scripture might be fulfilled, which saith, They parted my raiment among them, and for my vesture they did cast lots. These things therefore the soldiers did. 25 Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother's sister, Mary the [wife] of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son! 27 Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own [home]. 28 After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst. 29 Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar: and they filled a spunge with vinegar, and put [it] upon hyssop, and put [it] to his mouth. 30 When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.

1. Recreational Games…Soldiers. Recreational Games for pleasure, fun, and profit. Heads ducked, eyes downward, and cross-forgotten… The soldiers had ignored the death of the Christ to indulge in their games. Often we overlook some of the most important events in life because we are completely involved in our games. We want to experience the best of life and miss the importance of life. Even though they had just crucified three men, the soldiers were unconcerned with their deaths. Are we too involved with the games we play for fun and miss the games we are really playing for keeps.

   When I was growing up, one of our favorite games was marbles. I loved to play for fun or funsies, but when someone called the game for keeps I would immediately begin to count the cost of losing my most precious marbles.

   Let’s remember the cross was for keeps for the Lord Jesus laid down his life that I might live. It was a horrible execution. What is that to me? Have we forgotten the seriousness of the cross? This is real life. This is not a game.

2. Religious Games… Priests, Scribes, and Pharisees. The religious leaders of Jesus’ Day continued to play their religious games. They proclaimed to be the chosen people of God, yet they were the ones who cried out for the death of Jesus. Religious games are some of the most serious games that we play and we don’t realize their devastating effects. How many have been disillusioned because of some religious leader’s hypocrisy? How many have gone into eternity thinking they were prepared for the judgement with a false sense of security?

Have you ever played pretend? This is one of the best games we can play

Children to increase our imagination, but one of the most deadly we can play as an adult. We can the same game as the soldiers, but the stakes are higher than the garments of the savior. We are playing with our very souls. We are taking chances with our most precious possession. The world is looking for some Christian to be real! Can that be you and me?

3. Reality Games… John and the Mary’s …Is it real or is it Memorex? Is it real or is it Virtual? Today, we can play Deer hunter, 007, or go on a high-speed adventure and never leave the comfort of your computer chair. It is a virtual world that we live in. But welcome to the real world of True Christianity. You can’t play it on a computer screen. You have to carry your own cross as Christ was nailed to his. He was nailed to the cross and carried the shame of his weakness and nakedness on our behalf. We can’t be a virtual Christian.

The disciple John and the Mary’s were real for Jesus on that day. Will we be real for him now?

The following is the account of the conversion of Ty Cobb, that all-time great who played 3,033 games and for 12 years led the American League in batting averages. For four years, he batted over 400. On his deathbed, July 17, 1961, he said, "You tell the boys I'm sorry it was the last part of the ninth that I came to know Christ. I wish it had taken place in the first half of the first."

What’s Your Game?