Is Football the Antichrist?

For centuries humanity has struggled with the idea that The Antichrist would come and lead a revolution against God. This revolution will initiate the end of the world and the return of Jesus Christ. I suspect many of you had this in mind when you read the above title. This is not the idea of antichrist that I had in mind when I chose this title. In Christianity there are two understandings of antichrist. Antichrist is anything that is either against OR instead of Christ. The Antichrist who will come and lead a revolution against God is THE Antichrist. Another antichrist is anything we place as being more important than our relationship with God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – and communion with Him. We are in fact following an antichrist in our lives as the Lord says, “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.” (Matthew 10.37)

So what about football is antichrist? Anytime we place being at a football game as more important than being in Church, or support a football team financially with season tickets that cost more than we give each year to God’s Church, then football is an antichrist. There are many antichrists in our lives: fishing, hunting, football, soccer, sleep, work, working extra hours, food, sexuality… the list goes on, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3.23)

But there is good news!!!!! John 3.16 is most likely the most famous of any biblical quote and can be seen at every football game. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” The good news is that God has come to rescue us from our sinful state. We can choose God instead of work. We can choose God instead of football. We can choose Christ instead of any antichrist that looks tempting to us because the Gospel of Christ, “is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes.” (Romans 1.16) and that is good news we should all be happy to hear.