John 16:33
I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.
Okay, that title’s a bit misleading, because today doesn’t really mark the end of Tim Tebow. He’s still got one more college football game in him. But it does mark the end of 2009 and Tim did wear this verse on his eye black during his last game and this verse does contain the last words Jesus spoke to His disciples before the end of His ministry and the beginning of the end on the cross. Simple enough? No? Let me ‘splain a bit more.
While I was watching Alabama stomp Florida a couple weeks ago in the SEC Championship game, I noticed that Tim had John 16:33 on his eye black, and when I looked it up I thought it was a curious choice. Did he know that he was going to face trouble from the Tide in the game? Had God spoken to him in the locker room and given him a glimpse of the next 40 minutes he’d face in the game? Whatever the reason, it was quite prophetic, and I’m sure at some point he must have thought that it was good to know he had peace, even though he didn’t have a championship.
But this isn’t really about Tim Tebow. It’s about the rest of us and how we can take these final words of Jesus on the final day of the year and move into the new year with our eyes wide open to what this world has to offer and the peace that Jesus gives us in it. Will we face things in 2010 that are painful? Yes. Confusing? Yes. Bigger than us? Yes. Bigger than God and the peace He gives? Absolutely not!
Now, it you really want to make a statement in 2010, why not wear some eye blacks like Tim?
Go on. You know you want to!
