Next Play!
Sweat ran down his face, and his chest heaved from running up and down the court. He was obviously frustrated. The opposing team was physical, and the refs weren’t calling much.
Harrison was a tough kid, but he had a short fuse. The kid defending him was all over him, and we could see Harrison talking to him through gritted teeth. Then Harrison was fouled. The guy walked away laughing. Harrison walked away, fuming.
“Next play, Harrison!” Alan yelled. “Next play!”
My husband is a genius.
“Next play.” Two of my favorite words. My husband used them often with our boys as he coached them through years of basketball. He also uses the phrase off the court – when his wife or daughter needs a pep talk.
“Next play” means stop focusing on what happened; that play is over; move on; get ready for the next play or you’re going to miss an opportunity. Such wise words and so true! I credit the words to Alan. He credits them to Coach K, but either is fine with me because Alan and Coach K are the GOAT!
Anyway…
March Madness
I started wondering if there was ever a time in Jesus’ life when He might’ve used the phrase, “next play.” Perhaps I found one: when He was dying on the cross.
This isn’t meant to come across as sacrilegious. Jesus’ work on the cross is far deeper than what I’m about to say. But it’s basketball season and my husband has basketball on ALL.THE.TIME. So I still have Jesus in my heart and on my mind, but for the month of March, I may or may not dream about Him shooting some hoops. It is March Madness…
It is finished…next play!
To a basketball player… To the mother of a basketball player, especially during March Madness… I imagine Jesus as the perfect coach in the final minutes of a championship game. He could’ve fought with the refs; He could’ve complained that the game was unfair; He could’ve argued about good and evil and right and wrong… But He didn’t. Instead, He left us with, “It is finished.”
29 A jar of sour wine was sitting there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put it on a hyssop branch, and held it up to his lips. 30 When Jesus had tasted it, he said, “It is finished!” Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
John 19:29-30
“It is finished.” There is a lot of scholarly dialogue about what those last words mean, and I encourage you to research that. But I think it’s partially accurate to say it like this: next play.
“…When Jesus had tasted it, he said, [NEXT PLAY!] Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.”
Remember what it means. “Next play” means stop focusing on what just happened; that play is over; move on; get ready for the next play or you’re going to miss an opportunity.
Jesus was talking to his team; his disciples; his family; his friends… He was their leader; their coach. And the message He needed to get across to them was SUPER important! “It is finished!” In other words: This is done! Turn the page! Don’t stop! Keep going! Pay attention! Don’t miss what comes next because you’re distracted with disappointment or anger or doubt or pity… It is finished! NEXT PLAY!
Get ready for what’s coming!
And what an awesome play for our team, right?! A few of those fellows almost missed it because they were still recounting what happened three plays earlier. But God had that game won (check out my article, I See You) and He needed the team to focus on the future.
We are lucky. On this side of things, we recognize what the next play was – – the Resurrection! But now we are in the midst of another nail-biter. We are waiting for another next play: when Coach J returns to take us home! So quit worrying about yesterday – that was the last play. Get ready for what’s coming!
