Watching the Browns’ exhibition game last week, I was very critical of the announcer’s overuse, even misuse of the adjective ‘great’. Ask Cathy. Their effusive descriptions focused on one rookie, who wasn’t even chosen until late in the draft because of concerns about his ability to play professional football, but the media has elevated him to superstar status. Despite limited experience in training camp, he was named starting quarterback to see how he’d perform under game conditions. He played surprisingly well with some mistakes, and made some effective plays from a much simplified game plan against many of the other team’s rookies. The veteran players from both teams weren’t even playing to allow unproven players to compete for roster spots, and yet I lost count of the times the word great was used to describe his performance.
To be used and understood effectively, the word ‘great’ should be limited to describe someone deserving of high praise. There are many who have are recognized for exceptional achievements, using their talents and opportunities God has given them. But, true greatness is not just about a person’s particular achievements, or their particular talents, but about who they are, their character, the application of their abilities to benefit others, not just themselves. We may put medals on our heroes, calling them great, but true greatness may not even be recognized by tangible awards.
Knowing we’re all sinners, there is only One truly deserving to be described as Great. So great, that the word Awesome may even be a better description of our God. The God deserving of our deepest reverence from our complete awe because of His greatness by who He is, what He has done, and what we can expect in our future.
So awesome that even using His name wrongly, in vain as stated in the Third Commandment, is forbidden, and violators will be held accountable. So holy, to be held in awe, that Israelites were forbidden to even write God’s Name. It’s no wonder the Lord’s name is so abused because our standards for awesomeness and greatness have diminished so much, allowing unworthy recognition. Even the word holy has been cheapened in our coupling it with t common, unholy, even vulgar objects.
Statues of Jesus with outstretched, inviting arms tower impressively over particular cities, attempting to capture the greatness of Jesus. The world’s tallest statue of Jesus is the "Christ the King of the Universe" statue in Sieboldin, Poland, measuring 172 ft tall including its mound stand and the Crown. But this statue is totally inadequate to capture His true greatness. It would be like a grain of sand on the world’s largest beach by comparison, if there could even be such a comparison.
Indeed, His greatness is incomprehensible by our finite minds. Even when we think we've scientifically begun to unlock the mysteries of God, we only continue to see the infinite greatness of God. For example, in 2004, scientists pointed the Hubble telescope at a blank-looking patch of sky near the Orion Constellation. The Hubble focused on that spot for 400 orbits over 11 days. The patch of sky they were studying was no bigger than a grain of sand held out at arm’s length. But, in that tiny patch of sky, they discovered over 10,000 galaxies! Not too long ago, astronomers thought that there were 100 billion galaxies in the universe. Today scientists think that our universe may have as many as 500 billion galaxies. And each of those galaxies has hundreds of millions of stars. And our great God created them all.
Our OT lesson from Isaiah 40 gives us ways to compare the greatness of God. In context, it was God’s message of comfort and hope to the exiled Israelites, assuring them of His imminent intervention to return them home. The imagery of God coming with power reflects His ability to deliver and restore His people, ruling with a mighty arm, yet He is tender, caring for His flock like a loving shepherd, gathering His lambs close to his heart. Who can even measure the waters of earth He holds in the hollow of His hand, or with the width of His hand that marked off the heavens. Isaiah ends this passage almost as a criticism for not understanding the greatness of God, asking the rhetorical questions: “Do you not know? Have you not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood since the earth was founded? He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth, and its people are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like a canopy, and spreads them out like a tent to live in.“ This imagery of God enthroned suggests His supreme authority and governance over creation. The "circle of the earth" can be understood as a reference to the earth's horizon or the dome of the sky, indicating God's complete presence.
In a later passage of Isaiah 40, the prophet relates God asking, “To whom will you compare me? Or who is my equal?”... Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls forth each of them by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.” It’s why even the word greatness is inadequate to the word awesomeness to describe our God
Just looking at our human creation, doctors study years on just one part of the body, like the hand, or the heart, eyes, even our teeth. Even how the different systems of the body interact with each other for good health, trying to determine healing, that Jesus did with just a word. Just as He created us with just a word. Like each new baby He forms in its mother’s womb.
A little girl asked her mother, “Where did people come from?” The mother answered, “A long time ago, God made Adam and Eve, and they had children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren—until the whole world was filled with people.” A few days later, the girl asked her father the same question. The father answered, “Well, we’re actually descended from apes, who evolved over millions of years into human beings.”
The confused girl returned to her mother and said, “Mom, why did you tell me God created people, but Dad said that people come from monkeys?”
The mother answered, “Well, dear, I just told you about my side of the family and your father told you about his.” Some people explain the greatness of God with different understandings.
In fact, Paul uses those different understandings to explain the greatness of God to the pagan Gentiles in Athens in our Epistle reading from Acts. Athens, a prominent city in ancient Greece, was known for its rich history in philosophy, art, and politics. It was a center of learning and culture, home to famous philosophers like Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. The city was also a center for various religious practices and beliefs, setting the stage for Paul's evangelistic actions. Paul's profound spiritual concern reflects his zeal for God and his distress over the idolatry that pervaded the city. The presence of "God-fearing Gentiles" highlights the inclusion of non-Jews who were attracted to Judaism and its belief in one God, but hadn’t yet converted. They were often open to the message of Jesus, already seeking spiritual truth beyond paganism.
The marketplace, or agora, was the hub of public life in ancient Greek cities, serving as a place for commerce, social interaction, and public discourse. By engaging with people in the marketplace, Paul was reaching a diverse audience, including philosophers, merchants, and everyday citizens. This setting allowed for spontaneous and informal discussions, contrasting with the more structured environment of the synagogue. Calling Paul a “babbler” was a derogatory term used to describe someone who picks up scraps of knowledge and presents them without understanding. This reflects the philosophers' initially dismissive attitude towards Paul, perceiving him as an amateur.
Accusing Paul of advocating foreign gods was serious in Athens with its collective group of established deities, often met with suspicion, even possible legal repercussions, perceived as subversive to traditional religious practices. The reference to "foreign gods" also underscores the Christian message, proclaiming Jesus as the one true God, in contrast to their polytheistic beliefs. His teaching the good news of Resurrection was particularly challenging for Greek philosophers, as the idea of bodily resurrection was foreign to their understanding of the afterlife.
They then take him to the Areopagus, a meeting place for the council of elders, which was responsible for overseeing matters of religion and education, His being taken there indicates both a level of respect and a desire to understand his message, despite any potential underlying hostility. This location is significant as a center for philosophical debate and legal matters, highlighting the importance of Paul's message by being heard in such a setting.
Paul demonstrates his willingness to meet people where they are, using their cultural context as a starting point for his message. “I see that in every way you are very religious”, Paul says, observing the Athenians' religiosity, with their numerous altars and temples dedicated to various gods. This statement is both an acknowledgment of their spiritual awareness and a subtle critique of their idolatry. The Athenians' religious practices reflect a deep-seated desire to understand the divine, yet they lack the knowledge of the one true God. Paul's approach is strategic, using their existing beliefs as a bridge to introduce the gospel. This method aligns with his broader missionary strategy of becoming "all things to all people".
He starts by saying he had even found an altar with the inscription: To An Unknown God, reflecting the Athenians' desire to ensure no deity was overlooked, highlighting their acknowledgment of the limitations of human understanding the divine. This concept of an "unknown god" provides Paul with a unique opportunity to introduce the God of Israel, who is both knowable and personal. Telling them they worshipped something unknown uses their own religious practices as a bridge to introduce the gospel. connecting their spiritual curiosity with a revelation of the true God.
Paul proclaims the message of Christ, not just an introduction to a new deity, but an invitation to a relationship with the living God. This moment is pivotal, as it marks the introduction of Christian theology to a predominantly pagan audience, emphasizing the universal nature of the Gospel message. The God who made the world and everything in it emphasizes God's role as the Creator, echoing Genesis 1, where God is described as the originator of the universe, underscoring His sovereignty and power, distinguishing Him from the idols which were crafted by human hands.
Saying He is Lord of heaven and earth affirms God's dominion over all creation, both the physical earth and the spiritual realm. Declaring God as "Lord," emphasizes His authority and governance over all things, challenging the Greek collection of gods who ruled over different aspects of the world. In the Greco-Roman world, gods were often thought to require human offerings to sustain their power or favor. However, Paul portrays God as wholly independent, not requiring anything from His creation, consistent with Isaiah 40:28, describing God as the everlasting Creator who does not grow tired or weary.
The idea that God needs nothing from us highlights His greatness, by His power and the grace He extends to humanity, not out of necessity, but out of His amazing love. Telling them God gives everyone life, breath, and what’s needed, shifting the focus from what God does not need, to what He provides as the source of all life.
Paul’s message to the Athenians is also a confirmation for us about the greatness of our God. Earlier I said that the word great should be limited to someone who really deserves such high praise. Paul is one who we can describe as a great evangelist by his testimonials like this to the Athenians, although Paul himself said he would consider his merits as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus as his Lord, for whose sake he had lost all things. Considering them garbage, that he may gain Christ. Paul was a great evangelist because He testified so strongly about the greatness of the God He served, putting his own worth in proper perspective.
We too can only become great in God’s eyes through our servanthood to Christ Jesus, declaring His Greatness to the world around us. Declaring His Greatness by the lives we lead, our strongest testimony to our God. Charles Wesley, in the song we sang as our Hymn of Preparation, wrote he wanted a thousand tongues to declare his great Redeemer’s praise; the glories of our God and King, the triumphs of His grace. We absolutely have a great, an awesome God. Amen
