One of the big debates this time of year is who should be named Most Valuable Player for the NBA’s regular season. Multiple players are always deserving and this year’s award will come down to either Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid, or Giannis Antetokounmpo. It’s considered one of the closest MVP races in years!
Giannis Antetokounmpo averaged 29.9 points per game, 11.6 rebounds, and 5.8 assists throughout the year. The two-time MVP’s ability to get to the rim and score in the paint is unmatched.
Nuggets big man, Nikola Jokic, averaged 27.1 points per game, 13.8 rebounds, and 7.9 assists. He's the reigning MVP and once again this season he carried his team while other players were out with injuries. With his size and athleticism, he’s basically unguardable.
Joel Embiid’s performance this year has probably been the most talked-about as he led the league in scoring with 30.6 points per game. He became the first center since Shaq to win a scoring title and the first center to average over 30 points since Moses Malone in 1981-1982. He’s also the first international player (born in Cameroon) to win the NBA scoring title.
The MVP voters were required to cast their ballots and decide what to do with these facts on the table…and they had to choose who to rank first. Voting media members make their personal MVP decision based on how they view the candidates’ stories and stats throughout the season.
They also consider their own experience watching their work on the floor, how they positively affected teammates, and the difference they made in each game. Ultimately, they determine who rose above the rest and who they believe should be on top as the MVP.
As we head into Easter weekend, we are reminded of the story of Jesus and what He accomplished while He was on earth. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 (NLT), “I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. He was buried, and He was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said.”
Paul also tells us in 2 Corinthians 5:21 (AMP), “He made Christ who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf so that in Him we would become the righteousness of God .”
The remarkable story of Jesus has eternal life-changing implications. How we respond to the Good News of Jesus Christ (that He died on our behalf and was resurrected so we could be saved) determines how we live today and where we spend eternity.
Each of us must make a personal “MVP decision” based on how we view Jesus’ story. We must consider our own experience watching Him work “on the floor,” how He’s positively affected other “teammates,” and the difference He’s made in the world.
We individually decide what to do with the facts on the table and whether or not we believe He's the most valuable and the One who rose from the grave and continues to rise above the rest.
Philippians 2:8-11 (ESV) tells us, “And being found in human form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Today, is Jesus more valuable than anything else in our life? Do we rank Him first? Do we believe in what He did for us and what He accomplished on the cross? It’s not even close. Nobody compares to the real MVP who was willing to lay down His life for us. As Jude 1:25 (ESV) says, “...to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.”
Happy Easter! I’m Bryce Johnson and you can UNPACK that!
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I believe You sent Jesus to die on the cross to pay the punishment for my sin. I believe the Bible is true and You are a Holy God. I admit that I’m a sinner in need of grace. I believe Your amazing redemptive story is the truth, and I’m thankful to receive the free gift of salvation through faith. It’s in Jesus’ powerful name I pray, Amen.
Discussion Questions for PACKS:
What does Easter mean to you and what do you choose to do with the facts on the table?
What or who have you been placing as most valuable in your life lately?
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