Tired of conversations about who’s the greatest of all time (G.O.A.T.) in a particular profession or sport. So am I. The subjects of the conversations aren’t really G.O.A.T.’s at all. They are outstanding, extremely talented, and skillful participants in their era. But of all time? No! They have been favorably gifted by God as builders, musicians, Olympians, singers, and other craftsmen. That gift should be continually honed and used for God’s glory, as shown while building the tabernacle in Exodus 36 and throughout the bible. Let’s consider for a moment, where would David rank as a poet and songwriter? Where would the ancient Egyptian architects or builders rank, or the sailors of yesterday? Where would Noah even rank as a boat builder, or his tools among the tools of today? There is a lot more resources and technology available to individuals today. So, it’s difficult, maybe impossible, to compare people and things of different eras. But there is One to which there is no comparison, Jesus.
Jesus the Christ has 37 miracles recorded in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John including turning water into wine, curing diseases, controlling nature, performing exorcisms, and raising people from the dead. The bible tells us in John 21:25 that, “If they were all written down, I suppose the whole world could not contain the books that would be written.” He even gave His own life on a cross and rose from the tomb three days later. And He did it all in three years, not 20. Believing in and accepting Him as Lord and Savior is the only way we can be reconciled to God. Colossians 1:15-20 reads, “Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see—such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him. He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together. Christ is also the head of the church, which is his body. He is the beginning, supreme over all who rise from the dead. So, he is first in everything. For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, and through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.”
Jesus came to Earth for more than to die on the cross for our sins. He came to experience life as a human so that He can empathize with us. He experienced heartache, rejection, deception, loss, sickness, and death, just like us. God wanted His Son to experience all the heartache of this world. So, when we pray, it’s not just to our Creator, but to God who understands firsthand. We pray to a God who really hears our prayers, sees our hearts, and feels our pain. Our God, if this is your God too, is the only true God there is. Isaiah 45: 5-7,12, reads, “I am the Lord; there is no other God. I have equipped you for battle, though you don’t even know me, so all the world from east to west will know there is no other God. I am the Lord, and there is no other. I create the light and make the darkness. I send good times and bad times. I, the Lord, am the one who does these things… I am the one who made the earth and created people to live on it. With my hands I stretched out the heavens. All the stars are at my command.”
One of my favorite rap songs, “Magic Wand” by Whodini, came out in early 1990’s. A partial lyric said, “…In no time at all a star was born, and I think he owes it all to his Magic Wand…” No, he owes it to God. That’s where our gratitude, and our hope should lie. Stars in the G.O.A.T. conversations got their gifts and their being from Him. No magic, just miracles. He can use anything for His purpose, even you and me. Jesus used His hands to perform miracles. He performed miracles with His voice, even from afar. Miracles are recorded from people just touching his clothing. He sent His disciples into the world to spread the gospel so others can know, believe in, and receive His great gift. That evangelism also derived miracles. Through Jesus, I’ve made it through hard times and danger to be able to tell someone, anyone, about God’s saving grace; to tell someone, anyone, about His mercy; to tell someone, anyone, about His love. And to me, that’s a miracle. Jesus wants all that will to come to the table; to be fed and continually to grow in Him; to be His disciples, to serve the Lord. Jesus the Christ is the G.O.A.T. And not only is He the G.O.A.T., He’s our G.E.O.A.T., Greatest Everything of All Time. Let’s have more conversations about Him.
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