The Sweet 16 is upon us.  Is your team still alive?  If rankings ruled, then only 1, 2, 3, and 4 seeds would be in the Sweet 16.  How come 6 teams seeded at 5, 8, 10, 11, and 12 made it this far?  It’s hard to pick the March Madness winner.  Upsets happen all the time. 

     In the biggest conflict of all time, upsets appear to happen, but they never really do.  The most powerful created being thought he could overthrow God, but Lucifer, the devil, lost that battle and was thrown out of heaven. 

   Our first ancestors, Adam and Eve, thought they could be like God.  They rebelled against God and brought death and suffering into the world.  The God of love did not want this, so God sent his Son, to be born as a human and named Jesus. 

   The devil plotted to kill Jesus and destroy God’s plan to rescue all people.  The devil enticed the Jewish leaders, Judas, Pilot, and the crowds to crucify Jesus on a cross.  It appeared the devil had won, but then Jesus declared “It is finished.”  On the cross Jesus made the final and complete payment for the sins of everyone who would ever live.  Jesus defeated death and the devil.  Jesus’ resurrection from the dead 3 days later confirmed his victory.   

    God wants you to be a winner in the biggest conflict of all time.  God wants to give you eternal life in heaven.  Jesus did everything necessary to get you there.  You have probably seen the words, John 3:16.  This is a Bible passage where God says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. “