Every season the Green Bay Packers seem to be a playoff caliber team because of the great starting quarterbacks they have. From Brett Favre to Aaron Rodgers, they’ve almost always had a quarterback they can trust.
Although they’ve made the playoffs eight straight years, ever since Rodgers went down early in the season those chances have been in doubt.
Rodgers helped get the team off to a strong start with a couple of comeback wins and leading the league in touchdown passes (13) the first five weeks. But when he broke his right clavicle in October, the Packers slipped in his absence going 3-4 with Brett Hundley filling in for him.
Of course, fans and teammates are now thrilled about his return to the field this Sunday against the Carolina Panthers. With a 7-6 record and three weeks left in the season, they need to win each game...and the teams they’re fighting for a playoff spot need to lose.
With Rodgers returning, there is plenty of pressure and an expectation that he’ll come in and save the season. However, this is his response to the situation:
"Hopefully it gives a lift to some of the guys, but I'm not coming back to save this team. I'm coming back to play quarterback the way I know how to play it. Hopefully, we all raise the level of our play collectively and find a way to win these three games."
Maybe he doesn’t see himself as the savior, but fans are counting on him to come back and get this team to the playoffs.
As I think about Rodgers feeling the pressure to save the Packers, I consider how we place a similar weight on people or things in our own lives to be our savior.
We expect a spouse to save us from our loneliness, kids to save us from our unhappy marriage, money to save us from our dissatisfaction, a promotion to save us from our feelings of inadequacy, and addictions to save us from our emotional pain.
A spouse or kids can “give a lift” and change our lives for the better, but they will not provide the saving that we deeply need.
The truth is, there is only one Savior qualified to rescue and deliver us. His name is Jesus and we’re celebrating Him this Christmas!
Jesus embraced and understood His role and purpose in coming to earth. He is the Savior and didn't shy away from doing what needed to be done on the cross because He loves us and knew we required saving from our sin.
The Bible says in Luke 19:10 (ESV), "For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
1 Timothy 1:15 (ESV) tells us, “The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners…”
The Packers still hope they can sneak into the playoffs, and that Rodgers can save them, but today let’s remember the true Savior of the world. Let's thank Jesus for what He’s done for each of us.
I’m Bryce Johnson and you can unpack that!
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank you for providing a way for me to be saved through Jesus. I know that nothing else can save me from my sin. I place my hope and trust in Jesus. It’s in His name I pray, Amen.
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