This morning, we will observe the Lord’s Supper that commemorates Jesus’ last meal with His disciples on the night before His crucifixion. It is a holy sacrament of the Church that Jesus initiated to remind us of His sacrifice on the Cross for the payment of our sins. Matthew’s Gospel gives us Jesus’ own explanation for this sacrament: “While they were eating, Jesus took the bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to His disciples, saying, ‘Take and eat; this is My body. Then He took a cup, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink from it, all of you. This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.” Matthew 26:26-29, NIV In 1st Corinthians 11, Paul warns us that the Lord’s Supper is not to be taken lightly: 27 “Anyone who eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord unworthily is guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. . . 29 For if you eat the bread or drink the cup without honoring the body of Christ, you are eating and drinking God’s judgment upon yourself.” 1st Corinthians 11:27, 29 (NLT2)
Wow, “eating and drinking God’s judgment”—that sounds like an unimaginably, terrible thing! Indeed, it is. But, during the opening ceremonies of the Olympic Games in Paris, there were those who brought upon themselves something even worse. They didn’t participate in the Lord’s Supper, but instead mocked it in a most debaucherous and disgusting way. As part of their mockery, a lesbian wearing a crown or halo portrayed herself as Jesus at the Last Supper. She was surrounded by men in drag representing the disciples, who paraded around in a perverted and provocative manner. After a wave of angry criticism poured in, the Olympic director who choreographed this event tried to defend the presentation by claiming it was intended to represent a mythical scene of Greek gods. Christians around the world were not convinced by this attempt to dodge responsibility. In fact, upon hearing this rather lame defense, an art historian and professor commented in The New York Times that: “The idea of the central figure with a halo and a group of followers on either side—it’s so typical of ‘The Last Supper’ . . . that to read it in any other way might be a little foolhardy.”[1] Needless to say, Christians around the world were shocked and responded with outrage at this nauseating display.
In the United States, Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, posted on “X”: “Last night’s mockery of the Last Supper was shocking and insulting to Christian people around the world who watched the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games. The war on our faith and traditional values knows no bounds today. But we know that truth and virtue will always prevail.” He then quoted from John 1:5, “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” Rev. Franklin Graham offered a sober warning when he said: “Even more than being disrespectful to Christians, I would be concerned about being disrespectful to God. His Word tells us, ‘Be not deceived, God is not mocked.’ (Galatians 6:7) Whether you’re Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, or Protestant, it is offensive.” Elon Musk, who owns Tesla and the social media platform “X”, called the Olympic ceremony “extremely disrespectful to Christians.” In Europe, the reaction offered equal criticism. The Catholic bishops of France, speaking through the French Bishop’s Conference, called it a “mockery and derision of Christianity.” [2] Bishop Emmanuel Gobilliard, who is serving as the Vatican’s representative to the Olympics, stated that he was “deeply hurt” by what he saw. The Bishop added: “What shocked me most is that the freedom of spirit and tone claimed by those who set this up shouldn’t be directed against others. You can make fun of your own ideas, laugh at yourself, why not? But to mock the faith and religion of others in this way …is very shocking.”[3] The Italian deputy prime minister, Matteo Salvini, found the entire presentation to be “insulting and sleazy.” The Italian Archbishop, Vincenzo Paglia, agreed and added that the display amounted to nothing less than a “blasphemous mockery.”[4]
I couldn’t agree more with these expressions of dismay and shock. The Olympics are supposed to be wonderful displays of completion among world-class athletes. But, now it seems to be just another vehicle to display worldly hostility to the Christian faith. So yes, we are shocked that anyone would do something like this. But, should we really be surprised? The filth of the opening ceremonies is a realistic reflection of our world today. The leaders who organized the Olympics have simply revealed, for all to see, that they are no longer interested solely in athletic competition. Rather, they have adopted worldly immorality and indecency and have decided to actively and aggressively force their perverted worldview upon their audience.
Ask yourselves what Scriptures come to mind when you think about such evil worldly attacks on the Christian faith as this. Consider two passages from God’s Word. First, in the Book of Acts, the Jewish leaders, Caiaphas and Annas, had Peter and John arrested for preaching the Good News of Christ. Upon their release from prison, they warned Peter and John never to preach again. When these two disciples told the other believers about what Caiaphas and Annas had ordered, they all raised their hands and prayed to God by paraphrasing portion of Psalm 2 written by David. This is what they prayed: 24 “Master of all, you who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and everything that is in them, 25 who said by the Holy Spirit through your servant David our forefather, ‘WHY DO THE NATIONS RAGE, AND THE PEOPLES PLOT FOOLISH THINGS? 26 The kings of the earth stood together, and the rulers assembled together, against the Lord and against His Christ.’” Acts 4:24-26 (NET1) The Greek word used here to describe the “rage” of the world includes, not only anger, but also opposition to Christ in the form of both verbal and nonverbal acts.[5] Without question, the depraved portion of the Olympic opening ceremonies would fall squarely within that category of “rage.”
If you had been there at the Olympics when that lesbian so vilely mocked Christ and those drag queens paraded about, what would your reaction have been? If you had been within arm’s length, wouldn’t you have just loved to slap them really hard? I know that would have been an urge I would have had. But, here’s the thing: . . . we can’t act like that as Christians. We must learn to overcome such urges. And, that is not the way Christians in the early Church responded to the ridicule and attacks that they faced. Rather, they refused to act like the world around them. Accordingly, they refused to respond to rage with rage. They apparently were good students of Peter’s teaching—for it was Peter who taught: “Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and he will bless you for it.” 1st Peter 3:9 (NLT2) (Apparently Peter had learned a few things himself since that time in the Garden of Gethsemane when he drew his sword and cut off Malchus’ ear.)
What, then, does this passage from the Book of Acts say was the immediate response of the believers who heard the news Peter and John delivered? We are told that the very first thing that they did was TO PRAY. And, did the prayer of these believers have any affect? Yes, it certainly did! The biblical text goes on to say: 31 “When they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was SHAKEN, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the Word of God courageously.” Acts 4:24-31 (NET1) What does it mean when it states that the place was “shaken”? Does this mean that there was a powerful earthquake? No, something transpired there far more powerful than an earthquake. Within the context of Scripture, this language indicates that the very presence of the Holy Spirit came into their midst. (See Acts 16:26; Exodus 19:18; Psalm 114:7; Isaiah 6:4.) [6] When we feel that we are under attack as Christians, that is the time to pause and take a deep breath so that you can recall something Paul taught us about the Holy Spirit. In instructing the Galatian churches, Paul gave them these encouraging words: 16 “I advise you to obey only the Holy Spirit’s instructions. He will tell you where to go and what to do, and then you won’t always be doing the wrong things your evil nature wants you to. 17 For we naturally love to do evil things that are just the opposite from the things that the Holy Spirit tells us to do; and the good things we want to do when the Spirit has His way with us are just the opposite of our natural desires. These two forces within us are constantly fighting each other to win control over us, and our wishes are never free from their pressures.” Galatians 5:16-17 (TLB) Paul is telling us that, unless we allow the Holy Spirit into our hearts and keep Him there, our natural human inclinations will be for us to “do evil things” in response to our opposition. That, very clearly, is NOT AN OPTION FOR TRUE FOLLOWERS OF JESUS CHRIST.
The second Scripture that addresses the evil of the Olympics’ opening ceremonies is right on point. It is the Scripture Franklin Graham used earlier that was another part of Paul’s letter to the churches in Galatia. Paul sternly warned all those who ridicule God when he said: 7 “Do not be deceived: GOD CANNOT BE MOCKED. A man reaps what he sows. 8 The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.” Galatians 6:7-8 (NIV) You see, there are terrible consequences for people who openly display disdain for God. As this Scripture says, they will one day “reap destruction.” What does this mean? Will they fall down and break a leg? Will they be plagued by some awful disease? Will misfortune follow them for the rest of their lives? Not necessarily. In fact, some of them may continue on in what will appear like prosperous lives. People who share their depraved lifestyles most certainly will applaud them. But, one day they will pay a horrible cost. Unless they end their ridicule of God, repent and surrender their lives to Jesus Christ, they will reap their destruction in the eternal sense. But, that is something God will attend to—not us. When God’s Word asks, “why do the nations rage,” it isn’t a green light for us to rage as well. Rather, we are called to response, even to these mockers, in a very different way.
Of all those who commented upon the Olympic debacle, I found the words of the actress, Candace Cameron-Bure, to provide the most Christian-like response of all. Yes, she was disgusted by the blaspheme and mockery of the Christian faith. But, her emotional response wasn’t so much rage as it was sadness. And it isn’t a sadness that mires one into inactivity. Rather, it is the kind of sadness that spurs us on to action. After expressing her sadness, she then turned to the drag queens and their lesbian leader and said: “God loves each and every one of you and His desire is for you to know Him.” And having said that, she expressed her desire to do something positive as a response. And, what would she do? Listen to the rest of her statement describing her plan of action: “I won't stop PRAYING and calling on Jesus' name. SHARE THE GOSPEL MESSAGE. Let this be an encouragement to be bold in your faith. Let us rend our hearts back to God, father of Abraham. Let us pray. And pray for the Christian athletes to shine their light for the glory of God.”[7] THIS IS A CHRIST-LIKE RESPONSE because it mirrors what Jesus told us to do.
So, what did Jesus tell us our response must be to those who both oppose and hate us? Well, I am going to get to that. But, first, Jesus told us something else so we wouldn’t be surprised when the world acts hatefully toward us. He explained it this way: 18 “If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first. 19 The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you.” John 15:18-19 (NLT2) We need to remind ourselves of this time and time again. And, the reason for this is that the world is going to take slaps at Christians time and time again. We need to be mentally and spiritually prepared for those times when that is inevitably going to happen.
Now, having said that, let me get back to that question as to how Jesus would have us respond when we, as Christians, encounter worldly opposition and hatred. Jesus said that we are to be the SALT of the earth; and we are to be a LIGHT in the darkness. In the Sermon on the Mount, He turned to His followers and put it this way: 13 “You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless. 14 You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. 15 No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.” Matthew 5:13-16 (NLT2)
Salt is something that preserves foods and slows down decay. Jesus wants us to serve as His “preservative” to the world by slowing down the moral decay and spiritual decline of our society. Salt is also a seasoning that improves the flavor of foods we eat. Too often, we come across to the world as sour vinegar rather than as a flavor enhancer. That’s counterproductive. Instead, we need to be flavorful salt. In ancient times, salt was also used as a medicine to disinfect and heal wounds.[8] We live in a severely wounded world. It is a world that is bleeding from the darts of Satan and doesn’t even realize it. Jesus is warning us that if we only act in ways that worsens the wounds, then what good are we?
The metaphor regarding our need to be light in this world of darkness is self-explanatory. We need to live our lives in a manner that serves as an example to others. The example can’t be one of rage, but one of love. The light of Jesus’ love is the best weapon against the world’s darkness. His light compels us to do good to others—even to our enemies. Jesus said: 27 “But I tell you who hear Me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” Luke 6:27-28 (NIV) That’s not a suggestion. It is an order. It serves as a starting point that may convince them to turn from their current ways of the world and come to Christ. If you feel like your demeanor calls for a more aggressive approach, perhaps Paul’s way of putting it may sound more pleasing to you. Paul put it this way: “If your enemies are hungry, feed them. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals of shame on their heads.” Romans 12:20 (NLT2) Just be careful in the way that you “heap” those coals. Don’t dump those coals in rage on their heads. Rather, as Peter tells us: 15b “Be ready at all times to answer anyone who asks you to explain the hope you have in you, 16 BUT DO IT WITH GENTLENESS AND RESPECT. Keep your conscience clear, so that when you are insulted, those who speak evil of your good conduct as followers of Christ will become ashamed of what they say.” 1st Peter 3:15-16 (TEV)
What would this look like in a hostile world—especially in a scenario like the Olympics? Oddly enough, we were given an example 100 years ago in the 1924 Paris Olympics. A Scottish runner by the name of Eric Liddell was not only a world-class runner, he was a world-class Christian as well. He was a sprinter who was favored to win the 100-meter race. But, as it turned out, his race in the 100-meters was scheduled to be on Sunday. Liddell had been raised by missionary parents who emphasized the need to “remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.”[9] So, Liddell held to his Christian beliefs and simply informed the Olympic authorities that he could not run on a Sunday. Then, what did he do? Did he display a fit of rage against the “heathen racers” who were more than willing to run on Sunday? Like a spoiled child, did he pick up all his marbles and go home? Of course, not. Rather, he made a bold move. Liddell switched over to running a much longer race than he was accustomed to run. It was the 400-meter race. And, on Friday, July 11, 1924, he didn’t merely participate in that race—he ran and won a gold medal. Not only that, he set a world record in the process! Amazingly, over the past 100 years, Liddell was the last male athlete to win an Olympic gold medal for Britain. When we look back to Liddell’s example, we can see an important lesson about what it means to live in the world while not being a part of the world.[10] He wasn’t a spoiler. He knew about Jesus’ command to be salt and was determined to be a preserver and a healer. He didn’t pout in the darkness when faced with worldly resistance. On the contrary, Liddell showed the world what a Christian is made of by carrying the Light of Christ, despite the worldly obstacles he faced. He stayed engaged with the world in order to be an effective example of the love that Jesus wants us to show others.
That is another reason that Candace Cameron-Bure’s call for us to pray is so vital. She said for us to “pray for the Christian athletes [now participating in the Olympics] to shine their light for the glory of God.” Eric Liddell provides the model for sharing that light. And now, those Christian athletes, from all over the world, are taking up God’s torch at the Olympic Games. Christianity Today’s online news outlet highlighted the stories of Christian athletes at the Paris games. These athletes are from 13 sports and 20 different nations who came to both compete for medals, and who are quick to share their faith by word and deed. Many of them may not win medals, but as that news article reported: “For many, simply arriving at the Games will be a testament to overcoming injuries, mental health challenges, or grief due to the loss of loved ones.”[11] And yet, some will win medals.
For example, last Monday, Tatjana Smith won a gold medal in her 100-meter swimming event to give her country of South Africa its first top medal ever. And, like Eric Liddell, it wasn’t even in an event that is her best. Following her victory in the 100-meter race, she wore a T-shirt thanking her “community” for their support. And who was listed as her “community”? The three names that appeared on the T-shirt were “God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.”[12] On her Instagram and “X” sites, beside her photo holding the medal is the phrase, “All Glory to God.” Then, on Thursday night, she won the silver medal in the 200-meter breaststroke. During an interview in the week before the Olympic competition began, she talked about her mental and spiritual preparation for the pressures of racing on such a high level. She stated: “I think just really for me, just trusting in God and knowing that His plan will ultimately work out. I will keep on focusing on Him and His trust, and that I can just prepare as well as I can. … I’m going to LET GO AND LET GOD.”[13]
That’s what we need to do as well—“LET GO” of our way of doing things, and “LET GOD” empower us to be the SALT and LIGHT in our community. While Satan continues to promote his evil through drag queens and other showy perversions that the world craves, we have nothing to fear. Why?—“because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.”[14] You might not be a gold medal winner here on this earth, but there is a crown of gold in Heaven awaiting those who live for Christ. Paul reminds us: 24 “In a race everyone runs, but only one person gets first prize. So run your race to win. 25 To win the contest you must deny yourselves many things that would keep you from doing your best. An athlete goes to all this trouble just to win a blue ribbon or a silver cup, but we do it for a heavenly reward that never disappears. 26 So I run straight to the goal with purpose in every step. I fight to win.” 1st Corinthians 9:24-26a (TLB) That’s right, we fight to win. But, we don’t fight with rage; we fight with love. One of the greatest victories you can ever have is when you bring someone to Jesus Christ. And so, we “fight” through sharing the love of Christ and His Good News with others—again, “gently and with respect.” So, do not be intimidated, even when the “nations rage” and plot against us: “LET GO AND LET GOD.” Do that—and you’ll be a winner every time.
Darvin Satterwhite, Pastor
Forest Hill Baptist Church
August 4, 2024
©2024 All Rights Reserved as follows:
Anyone is at liberty to use this sermon or any portions thereof for educational or religious purposes, with or without credit. The pastor believes the material presented herein to be true to the teaching of Scripture, and desires to further, not restrict, its potential use as an aid in the study of God’s Word. The publication of this material is a grace ministry of Forest Hill Baptist Church in Louisa, Virginia.
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[1] Jared Boggess, “The Lessons of the Paris Olympics Tableau,” Christianity Today, https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2024/august-web-only/lessons-of-paris-olympics-last-supper.html?utm_source=CT%20Daily%20Briefing%20Newsletter&utm_medium=Newsletter&utm_term=15443&utm_content=17438&utm_campaign=email (August 1, 2024).
[2] Benjamin Gill, “Global Outrage After Olympics Trots out Drag Queens to Blaspheme Jesus and the Last Supper,” Christian Broadcasting Network, https://www2.cbn.com/news/world/global-outrage-after-olympics-trots-out-drag-queens-blaspheme-jesus-and-last-supper (July 28, 2024).
[3] Milton Quintanilla, “French Bishops Issue Statement on Olympic Ceremony Backlash,” Crosswalk.com, https://www.crosswalk.com/headlines/contributors/milton-quintanilla/french-bishops-issue-statement-on-olympic-ceremony-backlash.html (July 29, 2024).
[4] Anugrah Kumar, “‘Woke duplicity’: Christian leader says Paris Olympics apology is ‘condescending,’” Christian Post, https://www.christianpost.com/news/christian-leader-says-paris-olympics-apology-is-condescending.html (July 29, 2024).
[5] NET Bible, First ed. (Richardson, TX: Biblical Studies Press, 1996), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, Under: "Chapter 4", fn 61.
[6] NET Bible, First ed. (Richardson, TX: Biblical Studies Press, 1996), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, Under: "Chapter 4", fn 78.
[7] Benjamin Gill, “Global Outrage After Olympics Trots out Drag Queens to Blaspheme Jesus and the Last Supper,” Christian Broadcasting Network, https://www2.cbn.com/news/world/global-outrage-after-olympics-trots-out-drag-queens-blaspheme-jesus-and-last-supper (July 28, 2024).
[8] Clarence L. Haynes Jr., “What Does Matthew 5:13 Mean by ‘Salt of the Earth’”? Crosswalk.com, https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/bible-study/what-does-matthew-5-mean-by-salt-of-the-earth.html (June 2, 2022).
[9] Exodus 20:8-10 8 “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates.” (NIV)
[10] John 17:14-16 14 “The world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 15 I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.” (NASB)
[11] Editors of Christianity Today, “28 Christian Athletes to Cheer On at the Paris 2024 Olympics,” https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2024/july-web-only/christian-athletes-paris-2024-olympics-believers.html (July 24, 2024).
[12] Bruce Barron, “The Top Christian Highlights of the Paris Olympics,” https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2024/august-web-only/jesus-christian-athletes-paris-oympics-summer-2024.html?utm_source=Building%20Church%20Leaders%20Newsletter&utm_medium=Newsletter&utm_term=15443&utm_content=17461&utm_campaign=email (August 2, 2024).
[13] Kevin Mercer, “South African swimmer Tatjana Smith wins Olympic gold as she aims to ‘glorify God’s name,’” Sports Spectrum, https://sportsspectrum.com/sport/olympics/2024/07/30/south-africa-tatjana-smith-olympic-gold-glorify-gods-name/ (July 30, 2024).
[14] 1st John 4:4 “You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.” (NASB)
