“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” — 2 Peter 3:9
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Joe Namath is perhaps best remembered for something that happened more than 50 years ago, in 1969. As the starting quarterback for the AFL’s New York Jets, his team was an 18-point underdog in Super Bowl III against the vaunted Baltimore Colts of the NFL.
Yet that didn’t stop Joe. A few days before the game, he boldly guaranteed that his Jets would win.
Most people thought he was crazy, except his teammates and coaches. Led by Namath, New York shocked the football world by beating Baltimore, 16-7, with Namath being named the game’s MVP. The upset is considered by many to be one of the greatest in sports history, and the result was one of the major factors in the decision to merge the AFL and NFL before the 1970 season.
Namath’s guarantee was certainly a momentous event in the history of the NFL, but it is nothing compared to what God has guaranteed for His people. He promised in the Old Testament to one day deliver His people, atoning for their sins and restoring them to a right relationship with Himself.
And He did just that through the Person of Jesus Christ — God Himself and our great Mediator — in His death on a cross and resurrection to life. Jesus faced a far tougher opponent than Namath’s New York Jets in 1969: sin and death. But His victory was certain, and He invites us to participate in it.
We do that through faith in Him and repentance from our sins. We turn from the things that draw us away from Him, confess to Him when we’ve come up short, and trust in His promise that He’s cleansed us of our wrongdoing.
But here’s the thing: Jesus didn’t just make a promise to come once. He guaranteed that He would come again. That guarantee is just as certain, and that is where we find our hope each and every day.
— Kevin Mercer
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