The reign that never ends

The World Series is over, and it was a disappointing week for the Phils. They were only two wins from a repeat championship, but couldn't pull it off. Their reign as World Series champions is over, and though last year's victory was great, there's still a sour taste in the mouth of Phillies' fans after losing this year.

Yankees fans should know something of that taste. After winning four championships in five years in the late 90's, they had the pieces to win every year since 2000, but came up short each year until this one. And all those victories in the late 90's probably didn't make losing year after year any sweeter.

But the end of the Phillies' reign as champions has increased my joy in sharing in the reign that will never end. At the beginning of Luke's Gospel, when the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary to tell her about the Son whom she would bear, the angel told her:

"He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end."

Imagine that: a reign that never ends. The thrill of sharing in the triumphant reign of our favorite sports teams is an echo written on our hearts testifying to us that we were created to be part of an eternal reign, infinitely greater than the Phillies or Yankees can imagine. Their reign lasts for a season (or two or three if they're fortunate); but the reign of Jesus Christ endures forever.

So it will be a long offseason for the Phillies and their fans, as they seek to recapture their championship reign in 2010. Yet their loss this season makes me incredibly grateful that, by God's grace, in Christ I share in a reign that never ends.