Sunday, January 31, 2016

JESUS: THE ULTIMATE ROCKY





Scripture informs us that we are guilty of rejecting God, even if we have never heard the Gospel:

·       “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.” (Romans 1:18-20)

Even if you are convinced that evolution is a fact, it is still true that we are "without excuse." Why? There are still too many other things that cry out, "God!" There are the elegant and immutable laws of science, the fine tuning of the universe, DNA, life, consciousness, and many other things.

Watching the latest Rocky movie, Creed, reminded me that God has even wired us up so that we will resonate to the themes of Gospel - the rejected hero and the "resurrection" underdog who seemed that he'd never be able to return.

Rocky remains such a hero in Philly that a statue has been erected of him outside of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. In fact, it is the leading attraction. Visitors wait in lines to be photographed in front of Rocky. Forget Rembrandt and Van Gogh!

Why do we resonate so with Rocky? He triggers something very deep within us - something that God planted there.

Jesus was the ultimate underdog, born in a stable and rejected, even by His own people. Nevertheless, He has become our ultimate hero, and, on some level, we all know it!

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