Marathon

Verse: Romans 6:8-10
Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.

Devotion
Ready for the worst analogy you’ve ever read? Let’s do it.

Sometimes I think about this show that was broadcast a while ago called The Biggest Loser. The contestants tried to lose weight, and whoever lost the most would win some money at the end of the show. Probably not a very healthy mindset. I admit I did eat a lot of junk food while watching the show too.

In one season there was a guy who wanted to run the contestant marathon at the end of the season, and they made a big deal out of him running it, complete with a slo-mo montage of crossing the finish line. Unfortunately, he didn’t actually run the marathon and one of the show’s producers picked him up and brought him to the finish line in a van, dropped him off, and set up to film him completing it.

It feels like cheating right? Getting carried over the finish line without actually putting in the work? Don’t we intuitively feel like we should have to do something, or earn it? Or keep earning it, kind of like running a marathon earns you a medal at the end?

To me the fact that Jesus died and wiped away all sin forever on our behalf feels like a cheat code for life. I told you this is the worst analogy of all time, but you get credit for crossing the finish line if you let Jesus pick you up and bring you there in his proverbial van.

Whatever miraculous things Jesus did by dying on the cross allows him (and us) to avoid eternal separation from God, and not only that but to actually live life in alignment with him.

Author: Jordan Ambra