During the Passover meal that Jesus shared with His disciples—just before heading to the Garden of Gethsemane and ultimately to the cross—He made a striking revelation:
“I am not speaking of all of you; I know whom I have chosen. But it is to fulfill the scripture, ‘The one who ate my bread has lifted his heel against me.’ I tell you this now, before it occurs, so that when it does occur you may believe that I am he.” (John 13:18-19)
Jesus prophesied that one of His closest followers would betray Him. He did this so that when it happened, the disciples would believe that “I am He.”
The ability to accurately prophesy future events lies solely in God’s hands. Furthermore, God is the only One who can claim the title “I AM.” When Jesus said, “I am He,” He intentionally placed Himself in a position that only God can occupy. While the cross appeared to negate Jesus’ claim, His resurrection and ascension into heaven completely affirmed it.
Seven hundred years before Jesus made this statement, Isaiah spoke on God’s behalf regarding prophecy and its fulfillment:
Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel, and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: I am the first, and I am the last; besides me there is no god.
Who is like me? Let them proclaim it; let them declare and set it forth before me. Who has announced from of old the things to come? Let them tell us what is yet to be.
Do not fear or be afraid; have I not told you from of old and declared it? You are my witnesses! Is there any god besides me? There is no other rock; I know not one. (Isaiah 44:6-8)
In addition to using the “I AM” designation to affirm His identity as the one and only God, the Lord declares Himself to be the First and the Last, the King of Israel, the Redeemer, the Lord of hosts, and the Rock.
God’s ability to reveal the future is just one of the many ways we can verify the truth of His claims. However, mere prediction of the future isn’t the only reason we surrender our lives to Him. We also look to His nature. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit display a character entirely worthy of our worship. The Apostle Paul summarizes this character beautifully:
The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23)
When you combine a flawless, God-like character with divine actions and the sovereign ability to declare the future, we have every reason to place our complete trust in the God revealed by the prophets and His Son.
Empty Gods
When the one true God is compared side-by-side with idols, the contrast couldn’t be starker.
All who make idols are nothing, and the things they delight in do not profit; their witnesses neither see nor know, and so they will be put to shame. (Isaiah 44:9)
Recently, I’ve been trying to visualize massive amounts of money. Consider these staggering comparisons:
- Stack one million one-dollar bills on top of each other, and they reach the height of a 13-story building.
- Repeat the experiment with a billion dollars, and the pile reaches the edge of outer space.
- What about a trillion dollars? That stack would reach almost 23% of the way to the moon.
Back when people regularly used checkbooks, someone wisely noted: “Show me your checkbook, and I will show you your gods.”
Let’s apply that principle to check out America’s modern gods:
- Between $1.8 and $1.9 trillion was spent in the fashion industry during 2024-2025.
- America’s current defense budget sits at roughly $1 trillion.
- Approximately $1.3 trillion is tied to various aspects of social media on the internet.
- Taking all components of professional sports into consideration, the industry generates between $45 and $50 billion each year.
- By comparison, religious organizations of all kinds in America receive about $74 to $80 billion annually through charitable giving.
If we use our financial investments as a gauge for our ultimate priorities, it becomes evident that a massive portion of humanity places its trust in the idols of this age. We would do well to take Isaiah’s biting critique of idolatry seriously.
In Isaiah 44:12-16, the prophet points out the sheer absurdity of how idols are created. A person cuts down a tree, uses half of the wood to cook their food, and burns a little more to keep warm.
The rest of it he makes into a god, his idol, bows down to it and worships it; he prays to it and says, “Save me, for you are my god!” (Isaiah 44:17)
People who put their trust in substitutes for God are blind to the deceptive and destructive nature of their actions.
He feeds on ashes; a deluded mind has led him astray, and he cannot save himself or say, “Is not this thing in my right hand a fraud?” (Isaiah 44:20)
Don’t Be Deceived
The people in Isaiah’s day wanted both God and the gods. They didn’t completely abandon the worship of Yahweh, but they casually added the idols of their neighbors into the mix.
Christians today face the exact same temptation. We may claim to follow the Lord, yet subtly add the idols of money, sex, power, and privilege to our lives.
One way to cut through the fog of competing substitutes is to ask yourself: “What is the ultimate concern of my life?” Let’s make absolutely certain that the one and only God—who has revealed Himself through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit—is the One to whom we give our primary loyalty.
YouTube Discussion
Rudy Ross, Bruce Kirby, and I dive deeper into this topic on YouTube today. Be sure to check it out!
Real Voices 