Scoreboard...Scoreboard!!

Scoreboard!!

If you are a sports fan, you are probably familiar with some of the chants that fans get going at football and basketball games. Personally, I am a college sports fan. Whether it’s basketball, football or baseball, there just seems to be more passion in the college game – both for the athletes and the fans. Maybe this is why you hear more of these cheers and chants in the college arena than in the professional arena.

In any event, there are chants I enjoy, chants I despise, and chants I can’t figure out. One of the chants I can’t figure out is when a crowd starts in with “Over-rated! Over-rated!” This chant usually takes place when an underdog team beats a highly ranked team. But the whole chant seems counter intuitive. Wouldn’t it reflect better on your team to defeat a highly ranked team than a team that really isn’t as good as everyone thought? Isn’t it better to beat the best team in the nation than someone who should’ve been ranked number ten?

One of my favorite chants is “Scoreboard! Scoreboard!” While it’s not exactly a Christian virtue to rub defeat in someone’s face, I like the value this chant has in silencing an opponent. It is intended to remind the other team of their impending defeat – as evidenced by the numbers on the scoreboard. It says, “Cheer all you want, but your team is headed for defeat. End of story.” A slam dunk or touchdown by the losing team may bring temporary celebration, but the scoreboard serves as a reminder that their defeat is just a matter of time.

So what do sporting event chants like “Scoreboard!” have to do with the Bible? Good question. Believe it or not, they have much to do with the scene the Bible paints of the heavenly realm.

In one of the best-known portrayals of the spiritual realm, a conversation between God and Satan (the enemy of God) is recorded for us. This is found in the famous story of Job. Is it fair to say that God holds up Job as one of his MVP’s? Think about it, of all the people on the earth, God picks Job as an example of a blameless and upright man! That’s an MVP if I ever heard of one! But Satan doesn’t care about Job’s amazing performance. Satan argues that Job is a dedicated, hardworking player only because God has given him a full-ride scholarship. Satan says, “Take away his scholarship and perks around campus, and this guy will bad-mouth you faster than you can say‘first-round draft pick.’”

In the last book of the Bible, Satan, this enemy of God, is described as “the accuser of our brothers and sisters, the one who accuses them day and night before our God.” In other words, Satan doesn’t just question Job’s dedication to God, he badmouths all followers of God. Satan says, “Look at these poor excuses for Christians. There he sits, preparing the lesson for the men’s bible study. But did you see him last night when he was arguing with his wife? He didn’t look much like Jesus then, did he?” “Or how about James over there. Sure, he’s never cheated on his wife – at least not in person. But how about all those women he fantasizes about on his computer screen? He seems more loyal to his sex drive than he is to your commandments. Some follower that is.” “Or how about Julia over there? She tells all of her church friends that you are going to provide a husband for her some day, but deep down we both know she doubts you. Any day now, she’s going to take matters into her own hands and settle for the first decent guy that comes along – Christian or non-Christian.”

Ahhh. But here’s the part where the chants come into play. A lot has happened since the days of Job, and the Bible fills in some important details. Following his resurrection, Jesus is given the privilege of being seated next to God. And he’s sitting victoriously at God’s right hand – symbolic of God’s power. Picture the new scene: Satan approaches God’s throne with a real ringer of an accusation against you, but he can’t help but notice Jesus sitting there next to God. And from the time he entered the throne room, he could hear the chanting of the angels ringing in his ears. They are chanting “Scoreboard! Scoreboard!” and they are pointing at something. It’s Jesus. He is God’s scoreboard! The presence of Jesus is a constant reminder that Satan’s defeat is already decided. The clock is running out and there is nothing Satan can do to overcome the victory of Christ. Before Satan even levels his accusations against you, he knows they will fall short of accomplishing anything meaningful. You belong to God. And then there is the fact that Jesus is described as our advocate who intercedes for us – he is our high-powered attorney. To every accusation of sin or disloyalty, he simply responds, “Paid for. Game over.”

So, the next time Satan goes on one of his condemnation streaks against you, remind him that you belong to Christ, then picture the heavenly scene pictured above. You might even describe it to him! And while you’re at it, you may as well chant “Overrated! Overrated!” because we give Satan way too much power and credit. As one author put it, Satan is a roaring lion, but he is a de-fanged roaring lion– he was defeated once and for all by Jesus Christ.