The opening ceremony to the Paris Olympics certainly set off fireworks, but probably not the kind the organizers imagined. Christians the world over were rightfully repulsed by overt expressions of paganism on the world stage.
Arguments quickly devolved into whether the opening ceremony intended to mock Leonardo da Vinci’s famous portrayal of the Last Supper, and thereby mocking Jesus and His church. However, going down that rabbit trail really misses the bigger issue. What was ultimately on display for all the world to see was another step toward the one-world end-times religion as God foretold in His Word.
Worship Takes Center Stage
This ceremony featured expressions of worship to the gods of this age. While the worship looks vastly different than what a Christian would see in church on a given Sunday, it was still worship, nonetheless.
The postmodern worldview celebrated at the Paris Olympic opening ceremonies espouses similar values and attitudes that the Bible says will be present during the end times. Passages like 2 Timothy 3:1-5 reveal the spiritual attitude of the last days. “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come” (2 Tim. 3:1). Why will perilous times come? Verse 2 holds the answer: “For men shall be lovers of their own selves” (2 Tim. 3:2a). I consider this attitude to be the theme from which all the others listed in 2 Timothy 3:2-5 flow.
All those who are “lovers of their own selves” have become a god unto themselves. Thus, the object of worship becomes the self. The Olympic opening ceremonies celebrated the false god of self. The creeds of this age are self-centered slogans like, “live your truth; you define you; look within yourself to discover who you are.”
Romans 1:25 describes this generation well: “Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.”
When one pushes away from God’s truth and seeks to create their own version of truth, they have chosen to worship themselves instead of Almighty God. The consequences for changing the source of truth are dire, as Romans 1:26-32 unpacks. There are many similarities between this list in Romans 1 and the list in 2 Timothy 3:2-5. This illustrates that Almighty God revealed thousands of years ago what the world would be like as the end times approach.
Romans 1:32 sums up those dire consequences by saying, “Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.” This verse is very convicting for our generation. Those who turn from God’s truth and create their own should realize that God’s justice demands death for sin. However, instead of turning away from their sin, they continue in their debauchery and celebrate sin.
While the Olympics is supposed to be all fun and games, the revelation of the spirit of this age during the opening ceremony is nothing to celebrate. It reveals how truly lost in the darkness of sin this world is. Sadly, this postmodern world has preached its self-focused lies for so long that it has numbed many to God’s truth and the reality of eternity.
Who Is the Judge?
Today, telling someone that their “truth” is wrong in the eyes of Almighty God is viewed as judgmental. This cuts deep into the heart of postmodernists because saying someone is wrong is akin to saying they are not the highest authority over their lives. Bringing their “truth” into question blasphemes their god of self. Thus, the statement, “Don’t judge me” carries much more spiritual weight than when a small child tells his mom, “You can’t tell me what to do.” It is bringing into question who the highest authority over our lives really is. That is why “Don’t judge me” is used so frequently and with such fierceness today.
At its core, this statement is filled with pride since it assumes the self is the final authority. It refuses to submit to any other external authority, such as Almighty God and His Word. Those stuck in this mindset do not think they need God’s salvation since they have deemed themselves worthy and holy in their own eyes.
This is the tragic spiritual blindness of this present age. If we never realize that we have sinned against a holy God and stand in need of His salvation, we will not see the Gospel as it truly is – God’s Good News.
To open the eyes of the spiritually blind, Romans 1:20 says, “For the invisible things of him [God] from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse.”
Consider the vastness and fine-tuned complexity of all that exists. How could it have come into existence without a divine designer who decided to bring it all into existence? How could Olympic athletes have such precise mental and physical skills to be the best in the world in their events without all the components of the physical body working in harmony with each other? How could the brain have come about by purely unintelligent natural means?
Further, we all recognize deep down that there are some things that are just plain wrong. Russia was not allowed to compete in the 2024 Olympics because of its invasion of Ukraine and past anti-doping violations. Why is cheating wrong? Is it because the Olympic competition committee says it is? No. It is because we inherently know that it is not fair. But where did that conviction come from if it did not originate within the individual?
How can the Olympic competition committee be so judgmental against cheaters if each person gets to decide what is right and wrong in their own minds? This hypocrisy betrays the theme of their opening ceremony. How dare they judge athletes against an objective standard during their competitions! (I hope you catch my sarcastic tone.)
This is precisely why we have no excuse before Almighty God, according to Romans 1. He established the standard for morality and has written it upon our hearts. When we constantly turn away from His truth and then turn to our own standard for what we call good, we dull our conscience to His Truth. The farther we go down this pathway, the more deadened our conscience becomes.
While our sinful, self-centered hearts crave to be our own judge and jury, Almighty God alone is the just Judge of all people. But the beautiful truth of the Good News is that the just Judge willingly paid the penalty for the sins of the world (Rom. 5:6-8; 6:23). He offers that payment to you today (Rom. 10:9, 13).
A proper understanding of Bible prophecy reveals the urgency of this Good News. The Olympic opening ceremony revealed just how desperately the world needs Jesus and just how quickly it is moving toward the biblical end-times scenario. This is the day to turn to Jesus by faith.
