Yesterday’s game was surprising, but the outcome was all too familiar as we saw Tom Brady holding up his 7th Super Bowl Trophy and 5th Super Bowl MVP Award.
Most people expected the Chiefs to repeat as champions, but they were unable to score a touchdown on the Bucs' dominating defense. Tampa Bay outplayed and outcoached the Chiefs to convincingly win 31-9.
The quarterback dual was getting the most attention going into the game and the veteran, Tom Brady, ended up outshining the unbelievably talented Patrick Mahomes in this epic matchup.
I was highly impressed with the throws Mahomes made, but Brady is the one to write about today.
How do we begin to describe or explain everything that Tom Brady has accomplished throughout his career following another outstanding Super Bowl performance last night - his highest QB rating in the ten games he’s played?
How do we comprehend his ability to win at the age of 43 during his first season in Tampa with new coaches and teammates and a limited offseason?
The conversation and fallout from Brady winning yet again centers around his place in sports and football history as we attempt to determine how much he’s separated himself as the greatest.
His resume is hard to beat and he's clearly a superior competitor and accomplished athlete, but my question for us today is how do we respond to his supremacy in the sport of football?
Do we admire and respect Tom Brady, but don’t consider ourselves fans of his?
Do we like certain qualities about him, but have too many reservations?
Have we followed him closely his entire career and actually praise him...or maybe even worship him?
Or do we discredit him and not really believe he’s as great as everyone claims?
Are we tired of him winning and sick of people talking about him, so we just avoid him?
Are we more likely to shift our attention away from Brady and ascribe adulation to the Bucs' defense or the offensive weapons as the reason for the win?
Do we buy into the belief that Brady is great, but don’t think he stands alone as the greatest because we view other legendary QBs right there with him?
Our answers to these questions reveal something about our sports fandom and make for entertaining sports debates, but in the end, it doesn’t really matter how we respond to who Brady is.
How we respond to the supremacy of Jesus Christ is a completely different story and much more important to unpack. After all, He is the Son of God and the Son of Man.
The Bible explains that Jesus is superior to the angels, He is greater than Moses, He is superior to Abraham, He lived a perfect life, and He conquered death.
Hebrews 1:2-3 says, “...God promised everything to the Son as an inheritance, and through the Son He created the universe. The Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God, and He sustains everything by the mighty power of His command. When He had cleansed us from our sins, He sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God in heaven.”
If we think wrapping our mind around Tom Brady’s little accomplishments on the football field is hard, think about describing the Creator of the universe and responding to His greatness!
So we have to ask ourselves, do we admire and respect Jesus as a good teacher, and that’s it?
Do we like certain qualities about Him, but have too many reservations?
Or would we rather discredit Him and not really believe He’s as great as so many people claim?
Are we tired of Him winning and changing lives...and sick of people talking about Him, so we just avoid Him?
Are we more likely to shift our attention away from Jesus and ascribe adulation to other idols?
Do we buy into the belief that Jesus is great, but don’t think He stands alone as the greatest because we view other religious leaders up there with Him?
We must all personally decide if Jesus is superior and is who He says He is because where we spend eternity is based on how we respond.
In Matthew 16:15-16 (NIV) Jesus asks, “But what about you? Who do you say I am? Simon Peter answered, 'You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.'”
Hopefully, today our answer would be the same because we follow Him closely and have experienced His supremacy, His presence, His grace, and His power.
When we truly see Jesus for who He really is and continue to keep our eyes fixed on His supremacy, our lives are marked by humble praise, worship, devotion, and adoration for the One who saves and redeems us. He is worthy of all the glory and honor!
I’m Bryce Johnson and you can UNPACK that!
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank You for sending Your Son, Jesus, to live the perfect life and conquer sin and death. Please help me respond with praise and worship in the way I live my life and the words that I speak. It’s in the powerful name of Jesus I pray, Amen.
Discussion Questions for PACKS:
How did you answer the above questions today...and how have you answered them differently throughout your faith journey?
In what ways do you worship and praise God? Are there any reasons you hold back at times?
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