Checkmate

Hanging in a gallery in Paris is a haunting painting of a chess game. On one side of the board sits the Devil, his face twisted into a wicked, triumphant grin. On the other side is a young man, no older than sixteen, his head bowed in despair, tears streaming down his cheeks. The Devil has cornered him—it’s checkmate. The game of life, it seems, is over. The title of the painting? Checkmate.

One day, a renowned chess master happened upon the artwork. He studied it closely—first with curiosity, then with intensity. Something didn’t sit right. After a long pause, he suddenly exclaimed, “Young man, don’t give up! I see it now—there’s one move left. One move... and you can beat him!”

He was so captivated, he forgot it was only a painting.

That painting is more than art—it’s a parable.

On Good Friday, as Jesus hung on the cross, it looked like evil had won. Righteousness was crucified. Hope buried. Love silenced. It was, in the eyes of the world, checkmate. But what no one could see was that God still had one more move. And on Easter Sunday, He made it.

Jesus rose from the grave—conquering sin, death, and the Devil himself. It was the greatest reversal in history, the ultimate checkmate. Easter reminds us that no darkness is final, no defeat permanent. There is no grave deep enough, no stone heavy enough, no force of evil strong enough to stop the power of God’s love and victory.

Through the resurrection, God declares that He wins—and He invites us to share in that victory. Because of Easter, we as Christians can face every hardship, every injustice, every shadow in this world and proclaim with confidence:

“Checkmate! The game’s over. We win.”