The Clock That Matters

On Saturday night in Ann Arbor, most of the world thought time had run out.

The Michigan Wolverines trailed the Western Michigan Broncos 12–7. With the clock winding down, Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood heaved a Hail Mary toward the end zone.

The pass fell incomplete.

The television clock hit 0:00.

Western Michigan players celebrated. Michigan players walked off the field. It looked like the game was over—and if you were watching the broadcast, there was no reason to think otherwise.

But the officials weren’t relying on the television clock.

They reviewed the play using the official stadium timing system, which had been synchronized and verified. Their review determined that a defender had touched the ball while out of bounds with one second still remaining.

So they put one second back on the clock.

Underwood got another chance.

He threw another Hail Mary.

JJ Buchanan caught it.

Michigan won 13–12.

For most of the people watching at home, the clock had already reached zero. But the clock they were watching wasn’t the clock that ultimately mattered.

And that got me thinking about another clock.

The Clock We Can See

We spend our lives watching clocks.

We watch calendars. Birthdays. Deadlines. Bank accounts. Retirement dates. Doctor’s appointments. Seasons. Years.

We measure our lives in minutes and months, and because we can see those things, we can easily assume that what we see is the whole story.

But it isn’t.

Jesus told His disciples that there is a day coming that we cannot see on any calendar:

“But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.”
—Matthew 24:36

There is a clock we can see.

And there is a clock we cannot.

We don’t know when Jesus will return. We don’t know when our own lives will end. We don’t know how many ordinary Tuesdays, Sunday mornings, conversations, meals, songs, opportunities, or breaths remain.

But God knows.

He is not watching time unfold from a distance. He is Lord over time itself.

That changes the way we should live.

What Looks Like Zero

Imagine being a Michigan fan watching that first Hail Mary fall incomplete.

The clock says zero.

Game over.

Except it wasn’t.

There was still one second that the people watching couldn’t see.

Sometimes life feels like that.

Maybe you’ve looked at your own life and thought, It’s too late for me.

Too much sin.

Too many failures.

Too much wasted time.

Too many wrong decisions.

Too much shame.

Maybe you’ve looked at someone else and thought the same thing about them.

They’re never going to change.

They’ve gone too far.

There’s no hope for them.

But the gospel keeps reminding us that we are not the ones who get to declare when the clock has run out.

The thief hanging beside Jesus had no future on earth that we would have considered promising. Yet in what appeared to be the final moments of his life, he turned to Jesus in faith.

And Jesus saved him.

That’s grace.

Don’t Waste the Time You Have

There is an important distinction, though.

The lesson isn’t that we can wait until the last second.

The lesson is that we don’t know when the last second will be.

James warns us against boasting about tomorrow because our lives are “a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes” (James 4:14).

Paul writes:

“Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.”
—2 Corinthians 6:2

Now.

Not someday.

Not when life settles down.

Not when you’ve cleaned yourself up enough.

Not when you’ve had your fun.

Not when you’re on your deathbed.

Now.

If you have never placed your faith in Jesus Christ alone for salvation, don’t assume there will always be another play.

There may not be.

And if you’ve believed that it is already too late for you, listen carefully:

If you are still breathing, you have not missed God’s invitation to come to Christ.

Your salvation does not depend on whether you’ve lived a good enough life or made up for your past. It depends on Jesus—His righteousness, His death, His resurrection, and His grace.

Come to Him.

Turn from your sin.

Trust Him.

There is no better time than now.

What About the People Around Us?

And for those of us who already belong to Christ, Jude gives us a sobering assignment:

“Save others by snatching them from the fire; to others show mercy with fear.”
—Jude 23

There is urgency because the clock is real.

We don’t know how much time our neighbors have.

We don’t know how much time our coworkers have.

We don’t know how much time our children have.

We don’t know how much time the person sitting next to us in church has.

And we certainly don’t know how much time we have.

So we shouldn’t waste our opportunities.

We should speak about Jesus.

We should show mercy.

We should share the gospel.

We should love people enough to tell them the truth.

Not because we know exactly when the clock will hit zero—but because we don’t.

The Clock That Matters

In Ann Arbor, millions of people watching on television saw the clock hit zero.

But the officials knew there was still one second remaining.

The difference was perspective—and authority.

The clock on the screen wasn’t the clock that ultimately determined the game.

And neither is the clock we can see the final authority over our lives.

God knows the beginning from the end.

He knows the day of Christ’s return.

He knows the day our earthly lives will end.

He knows exactly how much time we have been given.

We don’t.

So what should we do with the time we have?

Don’t waste it.

If you don’t know Jesus, come to Him today.

If you do know Jesus, tell someone else about Him.

And whatever seconds remain on your clock, spend them for the One who holds the clock.

Because when everything else reaches zero, the only clock that ever truly mattered was His.