The 2024 Olympic Opening Ceremony: From a Biblical Worldview

Creation

Let me take you back to the beginning—as in the literal beginning. God Almighty created everything out of nothing by the word of His power, and He declared that it was all good. And when it came to mankind, God said this work of His hands was very good. At first, Adam and Eve enjoyed a relationship with God that was unbroken, intimate, and characterized by love. After all, God had provided for their every need. He provided a perfect garden with an abundance of food and placed them in a relationship with a human companion. Surely it was perfect.

God made us in His image and put us in charge of His creation, giving us five things to do (Genesis 1:28):

• Be fruitful (i.e., prosper)
• Multiply (i.e., reproduce)
• Fill the earth (and reflect God’s glory)
• Subdue the earth (i.e., take charge of its resources)
• Have dominion over all living things (i.e., manage wildlife well)

In this perfect provision, God gave Adam and Eve purpose and told them what they were to do in this perfect place. Some theologians have divided these five mandates into two categories. The first three (be fruitful, multiply, and fill) relate to the propagation of humanity and the subsequent filling of the earth with God’s glory as His image bearers. In short, they relate to our intimate relationship and the work/ministry we are to do with fellow humans.

The last two (subdue and have dominion) relate to our relationship and work/ministry we are to do in cooperation with God as rulers over everything He made. God invited us to participate. The one and only Creator God—the ruler over creation—extended an offer to His creation—mankind—to be a ruling agent within creation. The uncreated invited the created to join Him in a great mission.

This role of ruling over creation would continuously inspire awe and wonder in man as he explored and engaged with God’s creation. This is “the life,” the participation in the fellowship of the Trinity, life as it was meant to be. In effect, God was saying, “Participate with Me!”

Together all five of the verbs in Genesis 1:28 convey relationship. The first set implies an intimate relationship with each other, which would result in the multiplication of God’s image bearers and the filling of God’s earth with His glory. The second set, ruling and subduing, would require a relationship between rulers, one over creation and one in creation. Together these relationships would reflect the fellowship of the Trinity.

Hang with me as I continue to set the stage for my main point as it relates to the opening ceremony of the 2024 Olympics.

The Fall

Into the perfect garden of Eden came the serpent, who was more cunning than any other animal that the Lord God had made (Genesis 3:1). Identified in Revelation 12:9 as a deceiver of all mankind, the serpent came into the garden and spoke to Eve face-to-face. This Satan/serpent was himself a creature, more precisely, a fallen angel.  He had rebelled against God and subsequently sought to incite rebellion among God’s image bearers. So he entered the garden with evil intent.

The serpent did not approach Adam; he approached Eve, although they were together. He did not waste any time but immediately planted doubt. The serpent asked, “Did God really say…?” This should have been a reason to pause. A talking serpent? Adam and Eve had no reason to trust this talking creature. In a sense, this serpent aggravated Eve’s imagination. But not only did the serpent’s words trigger their imaginations; the serpent’s words also activated their pride. For the first time, Eve began to question God. This seems impossible; God had provided everything for their enjoyment, even giving them each other and the tree of life. God also gave them the opportunity to love Him in return. They were set up for success. After Eve restated God’s one prohibition, the serpent boldly contradicted God by saying, “You will not surely die” (Genesis 3:4).

Now the serpent had Eve’s attention. Was God holding out on her? Then the serpent floated the lie, the empty promise—the idea of limitlessness, of something beyond her station as an image-bearing creature.

For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” (Genesis 3:5).

There it was, the taunt of her imagination. She didn’t have to remain a creature under God’s authority. No, she could be her own authority; she could be her own God. This was the real temptation: the tantalizing desire for moral autonomy. But that is not a right available to God’s creatures. That authority is His alone. He alone is God. This deception was the serpent’s signature M.O., his sly twisting of the truth. In John 8:44, Jesus pointedly commented on Satan’s propensity for lying, calling him the “father of lies.”

Here’s one more thought related to Satan’s statement that Adam and Eve could become like God. Have you ever thought about how you would have responded to Satan if you were in this situation? What kind of reply could Adam and Eve have given if they were more prepared? I’m thinking they should have said, “We are already like God. We are made in His image!” Would that have been a mic-drop moment? It’s obviously hypothetical, but something to think about as we face our own temptations and lies from Satan and his demons.

Now Eve was faced with a choice. But it was really no choice at all. God had given them the best possible conditions in which to choose well. They had everything they needed because God had anticipated their needs and met every one of them—even their need for an opportunity to love Him in return. God’s actions should have established their trust in Him and should have elicited their worship through obedience. Although it was possible for Eve to imagine a higher position, attaining it was not possible. And although they’d been rooted in perfection in the most ideal of circumstances, which surely supported the choice of ignoring the serpent and trusting God, they didn’t. In a moment, Eve looked at the tree again and wanted what the serpent promised. She dismissed the possibility of death. She “saw,” “took,” “ate,” and “gave” it to Adam, who was right there with her (Genesis 3:6). And their death was instant, although not immediately apparent, because they continued to live physically for the time being. But they were dead spiritually.

The 2024 Olympics Opening Ceremony

So how does this relate to the opening ceremony of this year’s Olympics? Here’s what I want to make sure Christians observe. When we witness mockery of Christianity, desecration of the holy, and profaning of the sacred, we should have no doubt that we are in the presence of a talking serpent, a psychopathic and habitual liar who distorts the truth. Know that you can’t trust a single word of any “apology” or “clarification” that might come later.  Don’t be deceived. It’s the work of the Devil, the evil one, and we must recognize it as such.

Our family loves watching the Olympics every four years. This time around, my schedule didn’t allow me to watch the opening ceremony. I’ll count myself fortunate. However, in today’s world of instant news, I heard all about it the next day. But this leads me to another discussion our family had about the Olympics.

Talents for God’s Glory

The games present such a big opportunity to display God’s glory via man’s God-given talents. Think about the amazing things the athletes are capable of doing in their respective events. We literally witness the fastest runners and swimmers on the planet. We stand in awe as the strongest people on earth lift enormous amounts of weight. We watch the best gymnasts do double and triple flips mid-air. We cheer for teams and individuals as they play badminton, table tennis, volleyball, basketball, archery, and other sports at the highest level possible. It is awe-inspiring to think about what mankind is capable of achieving. And the Olympics provides a setting to see it all in action.

The games also present an opportunity to be reminded that a day is coming when every tongue, every nation, and every knee will bow to worship their creator: God Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.

So after these Olympic Games are over, let’s not forget the job God gave us to do. Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, take charge of creation, and steward it well. And if you see or hear anything strange (like a talking serpent, outright lies, or promises extended that God has already made), then be on guard and don’t fall for the trap. God has work for us to do, and we need to join Him and choose the tree of life, not the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Podcast Episode

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