Who is the G.O.A.T? If you are talking football, Tom Brady or maybe Joe Montana. Boxing? That’s easy, Mohammed Ali. Hocky? Wayne Gretzky. Soccer? Lionel Messi or maybe Pele. Basketball? Lebron James … no, Michael Jordan. Baseball is easy … it is the Babe. There is a lot of talk these days around who is the G.O.A.T. – the Greatest Of All Time. Well, like scripture says …
For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory. 2 Corinthians 1:20
Jesus truly is the G.O.A.T. He is the greatest of all time, among all who ever lived! Fully God, fully man, living and dying for all of humanity that we might live in His greatest! You are greater because He is greater! You and I overcome because He overcame. We love because He first loved us. Jesus is the greatest! The prophet Jonah came with a warning from God and the people repented. Solomon was sought out for his godly wisdom and people listened and were listened to. Jesus says that He is greater than both!
The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here. The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here. Matthew 12:41–42
Echoing the words of Job … for God is greater than man. Job 33:12 … Jesus is God in the flesh and there is none greater!
What is amazing is that Jesus tells us that we are great and even greater than others who came before ...and what He gives us is a call to greatness. Jesus said of John the Baptist …
Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. Matthew 11:11
In the kingdom of heaven, things are always upside down and inside out. The first will be last ... and the last will be first. The exalted will be made low, and the humble will be exalted. The greatest will be the least and the least will be the greatest. Isn’t it just like God to take broken, sinful, fallen humanity ... and make us great, to give us His greatness. Undeserved greatness that only comes through the greatness of our God.
The Greek word is μέγας (megas) … yes … it is where we get the word Mega, as in mega-phone, mega-bomb, mega-vitamins, mega-hertz, mega-pixels, and more! The word μέγας is translated great, greater, magnify, and loud! Because of Jesus, we are called to live a life of greatness! But not as the world sees greatness ... but rather a greatness that magnifies God and everything about Him: His character, glory, love and more.
Those who are in the Kingdom of Heaven, those who have been redeemed by Jesus and brought into a right relationship with the Father are greater than John the Baptist or any other figure in the Bible and we, through Christ, are called to do great things. Jesus said …
Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. John 14:12
We are not greater than Jesus, as He said in John … Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. John 13:16
But He has shown us how to live greater lives of love … Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. John 15:13
Remember, Jesus is the G.O.A.T. and we are able to do G.O.A.T. like stuff because of His greatness that is in us through the Spirit. The G.O.A.T. lives on in you! Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. 1 John 4:4
Take some to reflect upon these thoughts in the presence of the Holy Spirit. What might God be telling you about His Greatness and the greatness He has put in you?
-Pastor Jerry