...let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well. This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. (Acts 4:10-12).

Today, I want to pit Jesus and Coca-Cola head to head in a winner takes all brand challenge. In this corner, we have an international juggernaut. An icon that's widely recognized around the globe, sold in more than 200 countries and boasting thousands of subsidiaries that you may not even know about though they may be used in many parts of your life. A maker of so many different beverages, if you were to drink one per day, it would take more than nine years (YES 9 YEARS) to try them all. With annual revenue topping $35.1 billion, it's the 84th largest economy in the world. If you were to stack all the vending machines in it's fleet, you'd have a structure that is four times larger than the Empire State Building.  (source of facts: BusinessInsider.com) Friends, I give you the one... the only... "The Real Thing". Coca-Cola! AND... In this corner, we have a man, who more than 2,000 years after ascending into Heaven is now Savior and shepherd of  more than 2.18 BILLION followers worldwide, literally quadrupling over the last 100 years. He's a teacher, a comforter, the righteous and Holy Prince of Peace who came to heal the sick and save the lost. He is Alpha and Omega. The Anointed One. Author and Finisher of our faith, the Ancient of Days and anchor of our souls. Ladies, gentlemen, boys and girls of all ages... I present to you... the one TRUE Real Thing. Jesus Christ! Beloved, I have had a little fun with today's devotion. But when you look at it in this context, Coca-Cola is a brand developed by thousands of the smartest minds who have ever walked the Earth. What they have accomplished through the development and marketing of flavored water that may or may not be detrimental to our physical, mental and emotional health is amazing. And when you think about the fact that the modern-day image we commonly associate with the Christmastime Santa Claus, is in fact a creation of the Coca-Cola organization; certainly their reach is far and wide. It's deep and powerful. But there is one man who walked the Earth that can and has done much more than these thousands of people cannot. He did it without mass media and fanfare. He came to save us all. And for that, we should be thankful and mindful that we have free and immediate access to Jesus, the only REAL THING we'll ever need.

 This is a personal reflection of today's Advent devotion from Great News for Great Joy (download for free now from Desiring God). Please also share your reflections in the comments area.