The G.O.A.T.
Who is the greatest? Eddie Merckx? Gino Bartali? Fausto Coppi? Mark Cavendish? Tadej Pogačar?
I’m sure we could have some passionate discussions over this, huh? These names are just a few choices from the cycling world. What about other areas? Who’s the greatest football player? All-around athlete? How about outside of sports - the greatest President of the U.S.A.? Scientist? Scholar? Humanitarian? Composer? And on and on…
What does the Bible have to say about this? (I’m a little embarrassed how easy this one is).
Yep, you got it, Jesus Christ.
But, check this out. Do you know why Jesus is the Bible’s G.O.A.T? We learn it in its simplest form in the second chapter of the book of Philippians. Verses 3-11 say:
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
In a nutshell, what it says is that before time began, Jesus was God. Not one of the gods, or just amplified humanity, but God. God, equal with God the Father. God, capital G. But, and this is crazy, He didn’t care. It says He didn’t use it to His own advantage. He didn’t strut His stuff. He didn’t flex. He wasn’t all about Himself. In fact, He wasn’t about Himself at all! He was all about what the Father wanted, and what the Father wanted was to rescue us from an eternity without Him!
But even God couldn’t just wish that to happen, a debt needed to be paid and Jesus volunteered to pay the price. That price is the story of the cross. Jesus lived the perfect life we couldn’t live, and then died a condemned man’s death on the cross in place of us. He died so I don’t have to. He paid the debt He didn’t owe and the one I couldn’t pay - pure grace! Amazing. But the story doesn’t end there. After Jesus rose from the dead God the Father exalted Jesus even higher (yeah - not sure how that works) and gave him the name above every name. And gave Him authority over all creation. To put it bluntly, everyone who’s ever lived will bow before Jesus. You, me, the President, Elon Musk, Bill Gates, Eddie Merckx, Lance Armstrong, Tadej Pogačar, Confucius, Mohammed, Gandhi, the Pope, MLK Jr., Ronald Reagan, Taylor Swift, angels, demons and even Satan himself. All will bow before Jesus and confess Him as Lord. As the G.O.A.T.
Have you done that? We all will one day. I heartily suggest doing it now will be more pleasant and beneficial to you. Something to consider.
But before I end, I want to take you back up to the very top of the Bible passage. The text says that we are to have the same attitude! We are to not care about our own status, but sacrificially spend ourselves on others behalf. That’s what Jesus did ultimately and what we’re to do penultimately. That’s the plan. The highest goes lowest to help those who can’t help themselves.
So… how are you doing in that category? If you’re like me you have plenty of room to improve. But, here’s a great reminder of how this Kingdom of God works. Those above reach down to those below. That’s the plan but the plan will cost us. Time. Effort. Money. Convenience. Maybe we’ll have to set aside a few of our own dreams in order to make someone else’s come true. That’s the plan. That’s what God expects from those who follow Him. That’s what Jesus did on a cosmic scale. And that’s why He’s the G.O.A.T.
