The Greatest Comeback

There have been two great comeback stories in the last week. The first was the men’s basketball team from the University of Virginia. One year ago the Cavaliers made history when they became the first ever #1 seeded team in March Madness to lose to a #16. For those who do not know, the field of sixty-four teams is divided into four regions, each having sixteen teams. The #1 team plays #16, #2 plays #15, etc. The four teams that win their region make up the Final Four.

There are four chances each year for a #1 to lose to a #16, and this has been the system since 1985. That means there were 132 games before a top team fell to a #16. It happened in 2018 when the University of Maryland, Baltimore County beat UVA in Charlotte by an astounding twenty points (74-54).

This year Virginia returned to the tournament as a #1 seed (UMBC did not qualify for the tournament). They were once again the talk of the sports world: would they lose to another 16? Not only did they win their opener, they won all six games and the National Championship.

The second great comeback story this week was when Tiger Woods won the Masters gold tournament. Tiger was a household name in the 90’s, and possibly the greatest golfer of all time. A series of moral, legal, and professional failures sidelined him from the game, but he returned in a big way, winning his first major tournament in fifteen years. He received congratulatory tweets from former President Obama, as well as President Trump. It was a shocking return to form for the legend.

I am not a fan of Virginia or Tiger, but everyone loves a good comeback story. To go from historical embarrassment to National Champion in one year is incredible. To go from having a mug shot go viral, to receiving praise from Presidents is a rare second chance. UVA and Woods received their share of criticism for their performance when they were down, but they silenced their critics when they returned to the top of their game.

Those are great comeback stories, but the greatest comeback is what we celebrate this week (and all year long). When Jesus was taking His final breaths on the cross, all of hell was rejoicing. I can imagine the evil imps high-fiving and letting out shrieks of praise as they watched their enemy’s limp body be placed into a borrowed tomb. Mary was crying, disciples were hiding, and Jesus was dying. This dark day was the best one they had experienced since they revolted from heaven.

But early in the morning that next Sunday, their celebration turned to dismay as they saw the stone roll away from the tomb. Out walked the Savior, the victor over death, sin, and hell. He is still alive and well, forever the champion. Satan couldn’t stop Him, death couldn’t defeat Him, and hell couldn’t have Him. Thank God for the empty tomb!