Public Spectacles

11 In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. 13 And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, 14 by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. 15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him

A crystal football is raised, thousands of pounds of confetti is dropped as 50,000 fans cheer as the band plays. Auburn had just won its first title in 53 years and the awards ceremony was a rather large public spectacle. Next week there is another celebration at the stadium, and just like last year when Auburn's rival Alabama won, the trophy will be on tour so that you can go and get your picture taking with it. The trophy which is a crystal football is physical proof that there is only one champion and so it alone draws people to it as everyone wants to be identified with a winner.

Read what Paul says in the verses above. God planned the Cross to make a once and for all victorious public spectacle over sin and death by nailing it to the Cross. The Cross is unlike any other spectacle since as it has eternal staying power and requires no previous affiliation, but only eternal allegiance to Christ. The joy we feel for a football championship should be infinitely multiplied as we look at the Cross and Christ.

Why can we get so fired up about games and trophies yet at times remain so blase about Christ and His cross? Unlike football teams, in which we have to worry about next season, the cross is the only spectacle that has eternal and lasting meaning. It is an eternal public spectacle over all creation that even angels admire. Christ on the Cross was a planned victory by the Father. Jesus has been raised on high and is now at the right hand of the Father in His Glory. he desires that we all follow Him to the father, but the biggest challenge to that is our idols here on Earth that satisfy us instead of His love. We all need to be careful over which public spectacles hold our admiration, thoughts and affections.