PPic: Oberon Golf Course - Links Pro Am 2006

PGA Chaplain Bible Studies

Study 36 – November 26th - December 2nd 2007.
Reading – John Chapter Ch11: verses 45 to 57.

A Bad Sport!

“Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, put their faith in him. But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. Then the chief Priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin. What are we accomplishing? They asked. Here is a man performing many miraculous signs. If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, then the Romans will come and take away our place and nation.” John Chapter 11: verse 45 to 48. (New International Version)

Losing in sport is not the end of the world. Being a good sport I think is important. Acknowledging your opponent, particularly when they play well is what sport is about. A bad sport hopes for bad results and even sometimes will go to subtle ways to put their opponent off. It’s one reason why I don’t like sledging in cricket. Hopefully this will not develop in the game of golf. The line between being a good and bad sport is a fine line indeed.

One might expect a positive response to Jesus after the long account in John Chapter 11 of Jesus returning to see Lazarus, finding him dead and raising him back to life. Some were glad and grateful, particularly the family and close friends and some believed in Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God.  But our reading today shows a group who were not.  Some of the religious leaders were jealous of Jesus and felt threatened by his popularity. So much so that they made plans to arrest and put Jesus to death, thinking it is better to get rid of him than to continue for him to cause unrest among the people. They were bad sports because they refused to acknowledge one among them who had more authority, power and appeal. Jesus was superior to them as God’s Son, but giving up their position and status was too costly for them.
There are times in life and sport when we need to let go, to be humble enough to pass on the baton.  But it is hard to let go, particularly when we have enjoyed a long stay at the top.

In some ways the death and rising of Lazarus is a preview of what will happen to Jesus in the near future. The jealousy towards Jesus concerning the raising of Lazarus will transfer to a plan to rid themselves of Jesus. In John’s gospel you will notice this is the last of Jesus’ public appearances prior to going to Jerusalem and that most of the rest of the gospel will concern Jesus and his time with the disciples prior to his death. This is a great section to look forward to.

Jesus will also go through a process of dying and rising like Lazarus. Lazarus has risen to die again. Jesus will die and rise but with more significance. Jesus’ death and rising again is a victory over the forces of evil and sin. Jesus will rise never to die again. Jesus won the victory for the world, to offer new life and a new start for us.
Believing in Jesus means that we can cast all our sins away and lay them at the foot of the cross where Jesus died. We are then free to live a new life that Jesus won by rising from the dead.

Being a bad sport can involve being jealous, having a need for recognition, pride and arrogance. Our world is a better place when excellence is recognised and where sport is played with all our effort, and the winner is acknowledged.  

Prayer,
Lord; help me to see you at work in the life of Jesus. Help me not to be a bad sport when it comes to others being better than me. Amen.

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