That Explains Everything

In a few weeks, my husband and I are going to a football game.
It is not just any football game.
It is a game between my husband’s alma mater and our son’s law school.
Many friends will be at this game; people I haven’t seen in over thirty years.

I am not a football fan; I cringe at any play that involves sounds of injury.
I think my reactions are entertaining to my family.
I have sat through soccer games, field hockey and lacrosse games, as well as track meets.
Football is just not for me.

This game is different.
It is really an opportunity to see our friends, and to visit with our son.
It takes me back to a football game in college.

My husband went to Georgia Tech.
Ramblin’ Wreck football was highly celebrated.
There was a long-standing rivalry between Georgia Tech and the University of Georgia.
Those two teams happened to be playing for Tech’s homecoming one year.

I usually went down each spring so I could go to his formal.
I never went down for homecoming, but one particular year, it worked out for me to go.
I wanted to look nice and asked him how people dressed for football games.

Since our son goes to law school in the south, he said there are two styles of game attire.
Mom, you know how people dress for games in the north?
They wear jeans, football jersey, and a hat; you dress in layers for warmth.
There’s some of that here, but then some people dress up.
Guys wear jackets and bow ties, girls wear dresses…

That particular homecoming year, I decided to wear black jeans and a red sweater.
I felt like I looked nice; not too overdressed.
Until I got to the stadium.

We were obviously sitting on Georgia Tech’s side of the stadium.
I saw a sea of “Old Gold and White.”
Georgia Tech jerseys abounded; everyone wearing their colors proudly.
Since I did not go to Tech, I didn’t think I needed to wear “Old Gold and White.”

No one expected anyone on the Tech side to be wearing the colors of the other team!
I was wearing red and black, the official colors of the Georgia Bulldogs.
There were stares and nasty looks.
People that knew me realized that it was not my intent to offend the diehard Tech fans.

I actually heard someone say quietly, She is from the north…
As if that explained everything!
I was mortified at my mistake.
I never thought to ask my husband about the colors of the opposing team.

She’s from the north…that explains everything.

After the Holy Spirit came at Pentecost, the apostles had a boldness they never had before.
They stood before religious leaders and spoke eloquently about Jesus Christ.
They were fearless and determined to spread the Gospel.

“Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which they must be saved.” When they (leaders) saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. But since they could see the man who had been healed standing there with them, there was nothing they could say. So they ordered them to withdraw from the Sanhedrin and they conferred together. “What are we going to do with these men?” they asked. “Everybody living in Jerusalem knows they have done an outstanding miracle and we cannot deny it. But to stop this thing from spreading any further among the people, we must warn these men to speak no longer to anyone in this name. Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John replied, “Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to obey you rather than God. For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.” (Acts 4:12-20)

They were with Jesus…that explains everything.
That is why they are acting this way.
That is why they are teaching about Jesus and speaking in His name.
That is why they continue to talk about Jesus even when we order them to stop.

What colors are YOU wearing?
Are wearing the color of Jesus’ team?
Any other color is the opposition.
Jesus’ team color is RED, the color of the blood He shed for us on the cross.

That color was hard fought in the Garden…a battle of wills.
Jesus gave it His all.
Jesus gave His life.
We need to be washed in His color; we need to be on Jesus’ team.

Imagine walking into the Stadium and seeing a sea of red!
Believers wearing Jesus’ color.
Believers proclaiming the same truth.

Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which they must be saved.

Can you imagine someone saying of you:
Oh, they were with Jesus.
That explains everything.

What a compliment!