Late-Game Heroics

One of the most exciting parts of March Madness every season is the bevy of late-game drama that leaves us on the edge of our seats. With so many talented teams duking it out on the quest to cut down the nets, we can look forward to a multitude of contests featuring buzzer beaters and thrilling finishes.

The early pair of games in last night’s Sweet Sixteen matchups were a prime example of those captivating finishes we’ve grown to love.

In the first contest of the evening, Purdue and Texas battled in a classic back-and-forth affair, with neither team able to pull away. 

Trailing by three points in the closing seconds, Texas guard Dailyn Swain muscled in a tough and-one layup with approximately 12 seconds left to notch the score at 77-77.

With Purdue then having one final possession to win the game in regulation, the Boilermakers placed the ball in the hands of their star point guard, Braden Smith. Smith was able to gain enough separation to get off a decent look from the right block, but his bank shot ended up missing just short.

Then, just when it looked like the game might be headed to overtime, Purdue forward Trey Kaufman-Renn muscled his way to the basket and tipped in Smith’s missed attempt with 0.7 seconds remaining to advance the Boilermakers to the Elite Eight for the second time in the last three years.

Meanwhile, in the Sweet Sixteen matchup between Big Ten rivals Nebraska and Iowa, the ninth-seeded Hawkeyes made the key plays down the stretch to punch their improbable ticket to the Elite Eight following a 77-71 victory.

Despite not taking its first lead of the game until there were only about two minutes left, Iowa knocked down a series of clutch shots as the clock ticked down to snatch victory away from the Cornhuskers. 

Yesterday’s games were a thrilling reminder of the fact that no matter how things might look coming down the stretch, the possibility for late-game heroics always exists in March Madness. 

There are many ways we could parallel the potential for late-game drama in the NCAA Tournament, but I want to focus on one specific topic that undoubtedly hits home for many of us. 

As followers of Jesus, one of our greatest passions in life is to see those around us experience the joy, hope, and peace found in a relationship with God through Christ. We long with all of our being to see our closest friends and loved ones find eternal life as they come to place their trust in Jesus for salvation.

Unfortunately, we all have almost certainly experienced the sadness and frustration that can come when the people we care about continue to reject the gospel to their own detriment.

When that occurs, the temptation can be to dial back sharing the truth with that person, or we can choose not to give up and persevere in fervent prayer for their salvation. 

But no matter how things may appear on the outside, we must always remind ourselves that, with God, the possibility for “late-game dramatics” always exists. 

In the Parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard found in Matthew 20, Jesus tells a parable of a man who sets out to hire workers for his vineyard. After the man hires people to work in his field at a set rate of pay, he eventually returns to the marketplace to hire additional people as the day wears on. 

Amazingly, the man continues to look for additional workers even as the day draws to a close. And to the shock of many, the generous and gracious man eventually pays the same wage to workers hired at the end of the day as he does to the people hired at the start of the day.

The intention of the parable is ultimately to highlight the incredible mercy and generosity of God, whose grace is poured out abundantly on all who believe, regardless of the timing or the circumstances that eventually brought them to Christ. 

But we should also not overlook the fact that God is in the business of continuing to bring people into His kingdom even when it appears they may have been on the verge of missing out. 

Of course, this doesn’t mean we have a promise that every single person we love will eventually come to know Christ. However, it reminds us that God is capable of saving sinners, even if they have rejected him for a long time.

Another prime example of this is the thief on the cross. Although this man had obviously lived a life that had not been the most righteous, he cried out to Jesus for mercy in his final moments of life and found eternal life.

Luke 23:42-43 (ESV) records that moment here: “And he said, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into Your kingdom.’ And He said to him, ‘Truly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in paradise.’”

While it can be discouraging to see the people we care about most consistently reject Jesus, we must resist the temptation to throw in the towel. No matter how things might look, we must continue to speak the truth in love and persevere in intercession for their salvation. 

Even when a person is nearing the end of their life, God can still change their heart and give them the gift of salvation. 

We are not God, so we don’t know how things will turn out. As such, we must persevere in prayer and evangelism while maintaining our faith that our God is mighty to save, even those who have been steadfast in rejecting Him. 

So today, let's find encouragement to have those difficult conversations with the people we love. Let's continue to bring them before the throne of grace in prayer, asking God to work His “late-game heroics” in their lives by giving them the gift of salvation.

I’m Matt Osborne, and you can UNPACK that!

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I pray that You would be pleased to save my loved ones. Please help me not grow faint when sharing the gospel and praying for the people I love and care about. I pray that my efforts would produce much fruit for Your glory. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.