A Championship Parade for Jesus

I have a confession to make.

I have been a fan of the Philadelphia Eagles since 1976, 49 years ago.

Over the next 41 years, the Eagles enjoyed only one trip to the Super Bowl. It was a crushing game to watch as a 19-year-old as the Eagles were demolished by the Oakland Raiders 27-10 in Super Bowl XV. The Eagles had a very good team in the early 1990s but they never made it back to the big game. The rest of that decade was at best mediocrity as the Eagles were an afterthought to the rest of the NFL. Thanks to head coach Andy Reid, the Eagles went to five NFC Championships and one Super Bowl in the 2000s. Yet, the joy of winning a Super Bowl championship was something only the fans of other cities enjoyed. For my readers who are not into sports, being a Philadelphia Eagles fan was like always being a guest at a wedding, with the rare opportunity to be in the bridal party, but never to enjoy being the bride.

Yet, something happened in 2017 that has transformed the Eagles. The Eagles have gone to three Super Bowls in the last eight years, winning two of them. Their dominent victory on February 9th over the Kansas City Chiefs, just two Sundays ago, was arguably one of the greatest performances in Super Bowl history. Philadelphia Eagles fans now look in the mirror and enjoy a makeover of their pschye. They are no longer fans of one of the least successful NFL teams. They are now fans of a team that has sustained excellence for almost a decade.

I share this to give you background for my trip home to Massachusetts on February 10, 2025. I drove down to Pennsylvania for the weekend to enjoy the Super Bowl with my two adult children, my son-in-law, and my precious granddaughters. We all wore our Eagles gear as we gathered around the television. Jumping for joy with family, giving them hugs and kisses throughout the game, was a memory I hope to carry with me until the day I die. I felt an inner joy and sense of deep liberation from past disappointments that is still rippling through my soul 10 days later.

On the day after the victory I stopped at a rest stop on the New Jersey turnpike. I saw a young girl who was a complete stranger to me. I had never seen her before and I will never see her again. Yet, she had an Eagles jersey on. I approached her and offered her my congratulatory fist. Seeing the Eagles logo on my hat, she gave me a fist back and said “Go Birds!” We knew nothing about each other but yet we both felt like family, sharing a mystical bond over a football team.

Several hours later I pulled into a rest stop on the Massachusetts Turnpike. There was a man wearing a bright green Eagles jersey pumping gas. I intentionally pulled my car next to his. I got out and gave him a fist as well. He was from Doylestown, PA and shared bright smiles and happiness with me. He too felt like family.

What does this have to do with Jesus?

Everything.

The day will soon come when the Eagles return to mediocrity. Even the mighty New England Patriots, who won six Super Bowls in the 21st century, are now at the bottom of the NFL. The day will come when all things of earth will fade away and all things will become new for those who believe in Him. There won’t be an NFL and, therefore, there won’t be a Philadelphia Eagles football team. There will be no joy at winning championships in any sport and there won’t be millions who come to a parade honoring the championship team.

Yet, we will have that championship celebratory feeling forever and ever. We will, metaphorically speaking, all wear the same jersey with the same name and number on it. We will be one huge family, from all cultures and generations, high-fiving, hugging, and kissing one another as we endlessly relish the greatest of victories.

“Our God is Almighty! Our Jesus won the victory! He defeated His enemies! Who is like our God? He is awesome and mighty! He is all-powerful! He is all-knowing! He is everywhere! He is sovereign! He is holy and righteous! He is just and true! He is loving and kind! He sent His Son to pay the penalty for our sin! Our sins were washed away by His grace and mercy on the cross of calvary! Evil is defeated! Wickedness has disappeared! Satan has been crushed! There is no more suffering or heartache! Life is perfect! Praise Jesus! Praise the Father! Praise the Holy Spirit! Forever and ever and ever!”

I can imagine the metaphorical sporting goods store in heaven. Racks and racks of jerseys with Jesus name on it and long lines of smiling people waiting their turn. Everywhere you go in heaven you see people wearing the same jersey. You see banners glorifying Jesus hanging from buildings and stretched across boulevards. People drive by in their cars honking their horns, shouting the name of Jesus. Fireworks are set off on every street corner and people are dancing to music praising Jesus all throughout the town.

Yes, our celebration of Super Bowl victories is a ghostly foreshadowing of what it will be like one day to celebrate the true champion of world history. Jesus Christ!