Taking One for the Team

Then the king and all the people offered sacrifices before the Lord.

-- 2 Chronicles 7:4

Taking one for the team means sacrificing for the good of the many.

This phrase comes from baseball, where a weak hitter lets himself be struck by a pitch so the next batter has a chance at the plate. In the business world, a highly paid executive might take one for the team by accepting a salary cut so that his or her employees can receive a pay raise. Another example is someone who volunteers to babysit their neighbor's twin 2-year-olds so the beleaguered parents can enjoy a rare evening out.

Jesus’ crucifixion to pay for the sins of the world is the ultimate illustration of taking one for the team. Since mankind consistently falls short of God’s standards of perfection, he was willing to pay the exorbitant price by taking on the punishment that we all so rightly deserve. The result, which we can read in Acts 2:21 and Romans 10:13, is that “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

We’re helpless to save ourselves, and even the best of our so-called good works is what the Bible describes as nothing more than “filthy rags.” But there are still times that Christ-followers

are called to sacrifice and take one for the team. Sometimes these situations defy human logic. And it’s only later that we discover the reason behind them. Let's consider the famous Old Testament story about Abraham and Isaac. It’s in Genesis that we read about the origins of the Jewish people through God’s promise of a son to Abraham. “I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky,” the Lord said, “and as the sand on the seashore.”

After years of fervent prayer, Abraham's wife Sarah finally became pregnant and gave birth to Isaac, even though the couple was very old. Abraham and Sarah were thrilled and grateful for their long-awaited child. But soon came God's call.

"Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah," he told Abraham. "Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about."

It was a shocking demand that made no sense. And it also confused Abraham because God would never ask for something so precious. (Or would he?)

Even so, Abraham obeyed God in faith, took Isaac to Moriah and built a sacrificial altar. But then comes the twist to the story. Just as Abraham raised his knife to slay Isaac, one of God's angels called out.

"Don't hurt the boy or harm him in any way!" the angel said. "Now I know that you truly obey God, because you were willing to offer him your only son."

  

Abraham proved his devotion to his Creator, and his descendants indeed spread across the earth. One of them was born to be the Savior of the World — Jesus Christ.

Whether it’s baseball or our faith-journey, taking one for the team can be scary and confusing. We need to remember, however, that the big picture of God's plans and promises always extends beyond our immediate line of sight. Human comprehension is limited. But what we do know is that our Creator always provides a way for us when we’re willing to sacrifice for him.