In The Huddle

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here were only 30 seconds left on the clock.  The crowd in the stands was on its feet and the noise in the stadium was deafening.  On the field, both teams gathered for final instructions, developing their strategies before the last play of the game.  On the sidelines, Rick, the team’s quarterback, conferred with the coach.  After a flurry of hand signals and a quickly sketched play, Rick headed back toward the field and gathered his team into a huddle.

Although the shouts and jeers from the fans on both sides of the field continued to crescendo, the players in the huddle concentrated on every word coming from Rick’s mouth. These were their final instructions, the words that would determine the outcome of the game. To this point every man had done his job, they had played hard, they had executed all the coaches instructions, and now they stood only yards away from victory.  However, if they blew the play and failed to score, the other team would carry the day and all their effort would be a fleeting memory, a mere byline in tomorrow’s newspaper.

Rick’s instructions were very simple.  One man would carry the ball straight up the middle and into the end zone for a touchdown.  There would be no fancy footwork, no reverse handoff, and no final pass.  Both Rick and the coach knew that the only way to win this game was to charge right into the defending team’s line and score, slugging and pushing their way through until the game was won.

The men broke the huddle and approached the ball.  As the two teams faced each other across the scrimmage line, the crowd fell silent. Everyone waited with baited anticipation to see what the next few seconds would bring.  Rick called the signals, the ball was snapped, and he handed it to one of the players behind him.  As soon as he received the ball, the player tucked it into his gut, put his head and shoulders down, and hit the opposing line.  His teammates ran ahead of him, blocking, pushing, and hitting, creating a hole just big enough to allow entrance into the end zone.  As he crossed the line, the final gun sounded, the crowd went wild, the team broke into a victory dance, and the scoreboard changed over, revealing that all their effort during the last play had paid off.

This could be the scene all over the United States on any Friday night at high school football games.  It could also take place on college and university campuses as well as in the professional football stadiums that dot our country. In fact, this story could take place in many countries involving many different kinds of sports.  The most important element of the story however, is not the final play but the final instructions given in the huddle.  It is there that the team makes the decision about winning the game.  It is in the huddle, when the team comes together, that the plan for victory is given.

Jesus and the disciples spent many long hours huddled together.  Sometimes Jesus told them parables, stories using every-day situations to reveal God’s truths.  Sometimes, he would reveal great secrets to them, and sometimes he asked them very important questions about their faith and who they believed he was.  However, the last time they huddled together was just before his ascension.  It was during this time that he gave them the final instructions for continuing his work, for winning the game.

Matthew 28:18-20 says, “Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

Please notice that Jesus’ final instructions involve no fancy footwork, no razzle-dazzle, and no glitz or glitter.  The command is simply take the message, run right into the opposing line, and push forward until they achieve victory.  Moreover, Jesus included both you and me in that huddle.  Although we were not physically there at the time, the command still comes to us today to take his message and run with all our might, pushing into the opposing team, heading straight for the end zone.  The only thing upon which we must concentrate is Jesus’ directions.  He calls all the plays, he tells us what to do, and he knows how we will achieve victory.

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he command is simple.  We are to make disciples as we go forward in life.  We are to take every opportunity we have to tell others about the saving grace of Jesus Christ. Although the noise of the world is deafening, although the movement in the stands and on life’s sidelines can distract us, we must remember Jesus’ instructions and press on toward the goal.  Have you spent time in the huddle with Jesus today?