Tomorrow evening: England v France. It’s a David and Goliath situation! But not in the way you may think.
You know the story, how Goliath stood before the army of Israel, awesome in appearance and terrifying in his taunt: “Why bother using your whole army? So pick your best fighter and pit him against me.
He shouts how it’s going to work: “If he gets the upper hand and kills me, the Philistines will all become your slaves. But if I get the upper hand and kill him, you’ll all become our slaves and serve us. I challenge the troops of Israel this day. Give me a man. Let us fight it out together!” (1 Samuel 17:8f}
Essentially the battle between the Philistines and the army of King Saul is to be subcontracted to just two fighters. Their contest is to decide the outcome; no need for some bloody battle between the two armies.
However, no one from Israel had the guts to engage the giant - until shepherd David steps up to accept the challenge. Then battle was to be joined, not just Goliath v David but more significantly, the Philistines v the Israelites.
This is to be the prime example in the Bible of champion warfare as these two fighters slog it out, two men representing their respective tribes. As one wins, the whole tribe claims his victory for themselves (even though they may have watching from a safe distance!)
And such representative warfare is alive and well in Qatar!
You may remember the headlines in the UK press following our victory against Senegal! The Express for example: “We’re ready. Now bring on the French!” The Metro chose to raid the language of our opponents to display their patriotism: “Here oui go!”
Yes, it’s all US and WE. There may have been only eleven players on the pitch at any one time but their stunning victory we claim as ours, achievement of the English team as in a very real way belonging to us. We beat them, the Senegalese.
And should we be successful tomorrow evening, then we will all loudly celebrate our victory. Even those who would portray themselves as not particularly patriotic will most likely shout themselves hoarse in their support for our team. Supporters so sozzled who can barely make it to the bar will claim an English victory as their hard-won achievement!
Similarly, I’m sure, in France. For such behaviour seems deeply embedded in our human nature, claiming our champion from our tribe or group as our personal representative. Their fate is our fate; to all intents and purposes they are us.
And we assume that is this is how God has made us - for this, in fact, is how the Christian faith works. The key verse in the Bible here has to be from the apostle Paul as he explains to the wayward Corinthians the implications of the resurrection victory of Jesus: “As in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.” (1 Corinthians 15:22).
The reality is that each and all of us share in the fall of Adam as a result of his disobedience, so we may each and all share in the victory of Jesus. Amazing.
So the writer of the letter to the Hebrews may well be alluding to the cross of Jesus as representative combat: “By embracing death, taking it into himself, Jesus destroyed the devil’s hold on death and freed all who cower through life, scared to death of death!” (Hebrews 2:14f)
For Adam’s fall is in some way my fall as I suffer the consequences of his disobedience. But far far more significantly, the resurrection victory of Jesus is to be my triumph, his conquest over death is in reality my achievement.
So the apostle explains to the Roman church: “Don’t you know that all of us who were baptised into Christ Jesus were baptised into his death?” (Romans 6:3). So Jesus’ cross is not simply an event in history but remarkably an event in my life as in baptism I place my whole trust in him, to be found in Christ. And as he is raised to newness of life, so am I!
Amazing, but how?
The wonder is that Jesus chooses to identify with us, with me. As David freely offered to represent the people of Israel in armed combat, so Jesus offered himself as our champion. Such is his love and his commitment to us.
There is some theological debate on whether Jesus acts as our representative (“on my behalf”) or as our substitute (“in my place condemned he stood”). I’ve never really understood the arguments or the theological implications. Either way we are the beneficiary
However, my theological hero, NT Wright, claims both/and rather than either/or He writes: “All this makes the sense it makes not by playing ‘substitution’ off against ‘representation,’ as has so often been done, but through Jesus’ role precisely as Israel’s representative Messiah, through which he is exactly fitted to be the substitute for Israel and thence for the world” (How God became King page 24).
There are huge implications here, not least that there is nothing we can do to add to Jesus’ victory. Should England win, there is nothing we can add to the achievement of the players. Once the referee blows the final whistle, the result is final, complete. That’s it, just look at the score line.
And more, we may live with the fruits of his victory, not least that “sin is no longer our master.” As Paul explains: “For you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, we live under the freedom of God’s grace.” (Romans 6:14). Once David’s sling shot brought Goliath crashing down so did the tyranny of the Philistines come crashing down with him.
And once the stone blocking Jesus’ tomb was rolled away so we may claim a new status before God as we acclaim Jesus as Lord. We are promoted, so to speak, to
God’s Premier League: that is our status in Christ. Losers no more.
So tomorrow let’s hope our team wins! If so, as we celebrate, quite possibly to excess, may we never lose sight of that seminal victory won some 2000 years ago. Above all, to know Jesus as our Champion!