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Jesus and Galactus share a few things in common, such as power etc. However there is something that they do not share in common. What is it? If they were to get into a battle, who would win?
Welcome back to the 3rd week of the Jesus Versus series. We are Redemption Church in Plano Tx and we are glad to share the Word of God with you today.
In the 1st week we studied mercy as we imagined Jesus Versus Thanos.
Last week, in week 2 we studied God’s activity as we witnessed Jesus versus Uatu the Watcher.
Jesus Vs
The point of this fun comic book series is to remember that God will fight for you.
Exodus 14:13-14 (NIV2011) Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”
Jesus has a BIG battle today. You saw the introductory video… Who is Jesus fighting today?
Jesus Versus Galactus
Who is Galactus you say? Well, he is a cosmic entity, a god-like super-villain, and a main antagonist of the Marvel Universe.
Galactus the devourer of worlds
Just how powerful is Galactus…? Here are his abilities
Immeasurable Cosmic Energy – Nearly omnipotent. Can shatter planets with energy blasts.
Immortality – said to be the oldest living entity. Comic lore says he was created at the big bang that created the universe.
Invulnerability – Immune to diseases, ailments, and toxins.
Size Alteration – Can increase his size & mass.
Force-fields – near-impenetrable energy shields.
Molecular reconstruction, matter transmutation, teleportation, interdimentional portals, telepathy, telekinesis, cosmic awareness, resurrection, scentient life creation, soul control manipulation, power bestowal, healing powers…
Galactus is as big as he wants to be. He can grow to any size… big enough to hold worlds… even entire galaxies in his hands. The smallest Galactus can become is 10 ft 9 inches.
And of course… I am burying the lead on Galactus. Here is the major thing to know about Galactus – He eats worlds. He is big enough & powerful enough to eat entire planets and all the inhabitants therein. For this he is named Galactus: The Devourer of Worlds.
How could Jesus ever face someone like the mighty devourer of worlds Galactus?
Jesus Versus Galctus
I
have been excited about this sermon for a while. Although Galactus
has never appeared in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, I think you can
count on seeing him in the future. He originally appears in
Fantastic Four issue #48 and has been an often re-occurring
character. You can’t really have a marvel universe without Galactus
devourer of worlds.
When we first contemplated this villain for the series, I was sure I was going to approach it as “savior of the world vs devourer of the world.”
Savior of the word versus devourer of the world
Many people think of God like a devourer of worlds. They view God as a mean angry God who wants to teach us all a lesson for not following his rules. “All hail the mighty God of the Bible who has come to eat your soul for breakfast…” This is a concept of God many people have… There are even some Christians with this view of God.
Silver Surfer
Also… Galactus has what he calls heralds.. the most known herald is the Silver Surfer… Whose real name is Norrin Radd before Galactus bestows power of herald upon him. Norrin Radd agrees to serve Galactus as the Silver Surfer in exchange for Galactus not eating his home world – Zenn-la. As herald of Galactus, Silver Surfer flies around the universe to search out worlds for Galactus to consume.
Some people think they are can barter with God in order for him not to destroy the things they love. There are people who come to church so that God won’t become angry… or they will do some works in order to save themselves from a devouring God…
Silver Surfer was used to find worlds worthy of Galactus’ stomach. This reminded me of a twisted picture of Jesus… …that an angry God sent His son in the world to judge the world worthy of destruction. All of this is easy to prove a wrong view of God.
John 3:17 (NIV2011) For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
Savior of the word versus devourer of the world
So I was going to preach savior versus devourer… But then I spoke to our wise “Care Pastor” and resident “Nerd King,” Marshal Blessing and he encouraged me in a new direction. Jesus versus Galactus is really an all-sufficient God vs an insufficient god.
all-sufficient God vs an insufficient god
Here is what Galactus says of himself.
Galactus Quote
“Of all the creatures in the vastness of the Universe, there is none like me. I was present at the birth of the Universe, and I shall be there at its end. Though I ravage worlds to live, I bear no malice toward any living thing. I simply do what I must to survive. …So speaks Galactus!”
Jesus Versus Galctus
There are some similarities between Jesus & Galactus…
We could talk about their power…
We could talk about their intellect and wisdom…
We could talk about them both being present at the birth of the universe…
Instead let’s talk about one thing Galactus has that God does not have.
Hunger
The reason Galactus devourers worlds is because he needs to eat. Galactus grows hungry. He is in need of energy to sustain himself. In fact, Galactus will shrink down in size to use less energy for self-preservation.
Galactus is searching throughout the Universe for His next meal, because the dude has to eat. In his own words… “Though I ravage worlds to live, I bear no malice toward any living thing. I simply do what I must to survive.”
Galactus ravages worlds to live. He eats these planets and everyone on them “to survive.” He doesn’t do this out of malice or anger, but to live another day.
This reveals a major difference between the God of the Bible & Galactus.
all-sufficient God vs an insufficient god
The God of the Bible is a self-sufficient God. Galactus is an insufficient God.
Now Galactus is powerful and has many abilities… but he is not self-sufficient. What does self-sufficient mean?
Self-sufficient – Needing no outside help in satisfying one’s basic needs, especially with regard to the production of food.
We are not self-sufficient.
The human body can’t go very far without water… In the best conditions a houman could go 7 days without water… but most the average human in average conditions can’t make it far past 3 days without “high quality h20” (Adam Sandler Waterboy voice)
The Human body can go longer without food. With water intake but no food, and in good conditions, the human body could go upwards of 60 days without food. But the average human, in average conditions would have trouble around 30 days.
Without food we can’t operate. Symptoms include extreme weight loss, fatigue & weakness, dizziness, seizure, irregular heartbeat, low blood pressure, dehydration, brittle bones… We need an external source to satisfy us. We are insufficient.
We need an external source to satisfy us. We are insufficient.
Men & women need to eat. Animals and plants need to eat. Galactus needs to eat… So naturally we conclude that God needs to eat…
**Warning… The following image is disturbing. **
I was able to see this 19th century painting in person at the Dallas Museum of Art. I knew I would preach on it one day…
Saturn Devours His Son by Francisco Goya
This classical painting features a Greek mythological titan named Cronus/Saturn and he is a disheveled looking man who is horrifyingly devouring a smaller man. The man is his own son. The story goes (via Wkipedia) Saturn, “fearing that he would be overthrown by one of his children, ate each one upon their birth.”
There are actually many religious gods who devour people. Many religions reference a devourer… Well known religions like Egyptian, Greek, Norse, Shinto, and more.. believed in a devouring god.
Saturn devoured his sons out of self-preservation. He wanted to make sure they would not overthrow his rule.
So let’s talk about a God who devourers.
A God who devourers
I found this internet gold. It is a version of Goya’s painting featuring none other than Galactus.
Many people wrongly conclude that the God of the Bible is a God who devourers. They think the following…
- God wants to eat us… perhaps to teach us a lesson…
- God needs your money… You have just got to give in the offering because God is running short this month…
- God needs your ability & talent… He just can’t manage on his own…
- God needs your faith… He will somehow stop existing if you stop believing (like Santa Clause movies).
- God needs our worship & devotion… Somehow God feels bad about himself or weak… (This one reminds me of old wrestlers like Hulk Hogan who needed the crowd to cheer for him to give him the energy he needed to win)
God is not a devourer. God is a sustainer.
God sustains himself
God doesn’t need calories. His tank is not running empty. He sustains himself.
Acts 17:24-25 (NIV2011) “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else.
God does not need anything.
John 5:26 (NIV2011) For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself.
The Father has life within him. He is not looking for anything external to bring Him life… nor is His son Jesus.
- God is not hungry…
- God is not lacking funds…
- God is not short on strength…
God does not need an external source to sustain Himself. God is self-sufficient… self-sustaining… and self-existent!
The comic books tell us Galactus was created at start of the Universe… simultaneous with a big bang… But God is self-existent and uncreated. That is to say that God exists without ever being created. No one created God, He just has always existed by His own power & authority.
Romans 11:36 (NIV2011) For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.
Colossians 1:16-17 (NIV2011) For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
God sustains us
Galactus only seeks to sustain himself, but our God sustains us!
Galactus is only interested in self-preservation, but our God preserves us!
Psalm 54:4 (NIV2011) Surely God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me.
Matthew 5:6 (NIV2011) Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
God is not a devourer. He is a sustainer. God is not a devourer… He rebukes the devourer!
Malachi 3:11 (KJV) And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he will not destroy the fruits of your ground…
Bad news Galactus…
Galactus you can’t sustain yourself… The self-sustaining God sustains me!
Galactus you can’t preserve yourself… The God of all power preserves me!
Galactus you can’t preserve yourself… the ever living God gives me eternal life! Self sufficient
The Lord rebukes your devouring ways Galactus.
all-sufficient God vs an insufficient god
Any god who needs things to survive… is not the true God.
Galactus is insufficient and Jesus is all-sufficient
These 2 phrases elicit different responses…
Galactus is coming – In the comics this was the worst news. You did not want to see Galactus approaching your planet. Nor did you want to see his herald the silver surfer.
Jesus
is coming – this is a joyful phrase. The Bible says we should
encourage each other with the news that Jesus is returning. (1 Thess
4:18)
We are about to talk to God. I want you to get ready to talk to a God who sustains us… but I have one more comparison I have to make.
Galactus is big in the comic books… but God is bigger. Galactus is big enough to eat a galaxy but God fills the entire universe… God is bigger.
But here is something Galactus doesn’t value, but means everything to you and me… This next thing I am about to say doesn’t even make sense to Galactus.
God is smaller than Galactus
Galactus is known for his arrogance. He refers to people as insignificant, puny, mortals. He views mankind the same way he would view a bug.
Galactus only becomes small in size as a way of self-preservation. If he was here now and you tried to dialogue with him, he would maintain his size as to dominate and intimidate you.
Yet even if Galactus were to become small, the smallest he could become would be 10ft 9in.. He would tower over us all. He could never understand what God did for us when He became small.
The God who fills the universe… He became a small baby… a tiny embryo. Galactus could never understand the power of becoming small like this.
Galactus sees nothing of value in humanity..He would never enter into our world except to devour… But the God who created everything sees YOU differently.
Philippians 2:7 (NIV2011) rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.
God stepped into the smallness of you and me. He was born and walked among us as a man so that this great big God could stand and have a face to face relationship with us.
It
is by becoming small that Jesus redeems us. (He made himself
nothing)
(When you think of God do you think of a Galactus… or
an embryo?)
You may have a problem in your life today… and you would never take your problem to a Galactus. He wouldn’t care about your small problem… But Jesus is a big God who cares about small things.
Who wants to come talk to a God who will sustain you?
Who wants to talk to a God who values you so much that He would leave heaven to encounter you face to face?
He is not a devourer… He is life and gives life.