World Beaters

Across the globe, there’s a common story. The World Cup is big news, because football is a globally popular sport. Kids grow up dreaming of playing for their country, and adults - they just dream of it. There will be plenty of TV screens operating at unusual hours, and there will be highlights reels running on a loop. If you’re not into soccer, it’s a great time to go camping. Well, in the northern hemisphere, at least.

No doubt reputations will be made and trashed by the fickle ebbs and flows of the different games. But usually, there’s at least one standout, one person of whom it is said that ‘nobody in the world can do that.’ They’ll be the champion of the tournament, regardless of team results.

Of course, there is at least one person in the world - the hero himself. It’s hyperbole, and we understand that. You can never say that nobody in the world...

Except we must. For there was nobody in the world who could win the greatest prize of all, the salvation of God’s people and the redemption of his world. There had been candidates, but they’d all come closer to swimming to the moon than to achieving that goal.

There was nobody in the world, so somebody had to come into the world. God entered his creation, with his Son being born a squalling, naked baby, and growing up to rescue us. We all want our team to be world beaters, but Jesus is the only world beater, and he calls us onto his team. ‘Take heart, I have overcome the world!’ (John 16:33)