Holy Heroes: Superman
Scott Bayles, pastor
Blooming Grove Christian Church: 9/29/2013
Most of you have probably figured out by now that I’m a really big geek.
I wear that name like a badge of honor because I’ve earned it. I started collecting comic-books almost as soon as I could read. Wednesdays were my favorite day of the week because that was new comic-book day. Each week I would ride my bike to the comic-book store in the Piggly-Wiggle strip plaza to see what new comics had come out. And even before that I spent countless Saturday mornings laying belly-down on the carpet of our living watching the Super Friends and other Hanna-Barbera cartoons like Space Ghost and Birdman.
Today my comic-book collection numbers somewhere in the thousands and about six years ago I took my geekiness to whole new level. At the time, we were living just a few minutes away from Metropolis, IL—the official home of Superman—and each year, Metropolis holds their Annual Superman Celebration the second week of June. Well that year they announced that they were going to have a Guinness World Record attempt for the largest gathering of people dressed as Superman.
Now, I had never in my adult life worn spandex and the last time I wore a superhero costume it came with one of those cheap plastic masks.
• Next Slide: Old Halloween Photo
Remember the rubber band on the back of those masks? That was a quality item! That was good for about ten seconds before it snapped out of that little staple they put in there with. I actually remember a warning label on the side of the package it that said: “Caution: Do not attempt to fly.” I’d like to meet the kid who’s innocent enough to think he can fly, but smart enough to check the warning label before he jumps off the roof.
Anyway, I thought, it would be really cool for my son and I to have our names in the Guinness World Record Book! I had a little sewing experience growing up, so I bought some fabric, tore apart a pair of long-johns to get a pattern and I sewed myself a supersuit. It was pretty sad looking.
• Next Slide: First Superman Costume
The iron-on symbol started to bleed and run in the 90 degree heat and I was in no condition to be wearing spandex, but I did it anyway and our names were immortalized in the 2008 Guinness World Record Book. The kids had a great time and I was determined to prove I could make a better looking costume, so six years and dozens of costumes later, Ashley and I have actually turned our geekiness into a ministry.
Next Slide: Costumers for Christ Pics
We’ve visited sick and injured kids at Saint John’s Children’s Hospital, attended charity events, fundraisers and given away hundreds of copies of a comic-book adaptation of the Gospel all while dressed as caped crusaders. So you can imagine my excitement when I heard the theme for this year’s Halloween Parade in Carlinville is Superhero Celebration and Blooming Grove is going to have float!
So, I thought that now would be the perfect time for me to share a little of my geekiness with you. You see, I’m convinced that comic-book heroes can teach some valuable spiritual lessons. In fact, I like to think of superheroes as modern-day parables.
Jesus used parables—that is, fictional stories—to illustrate spiritual truths. In fact, the Bible says, “Jesus used many similar stories and illustrations to teach the people as much as they could understand. In fact, in his public ministry he never taught without using parables” (Mark 4:33-34 NLT). I believe that the stories of comic-book heroes like Batman, Spider-man, Iron-Man and others can help us better understand some very Biblical concepts. So, over the next several weeks I’d like to share some of those stories starting with the first and greatest comic-book hero: Superman.
Superman has been saving the day since he was created by two Jewish kids from Cleveland in 1939. It’s hard to believe, but before Superman came on the scene there was no such thing as a superhero. Superman is the one who started it all. And over the years fans, commentators, movie reviewers, and more have noticed a striking similarity between Superman and Jesus. Superman, perhaps more than any other character ever created, is a literary Christ-figure—that is, a fictional character made in the image of Jesus. The story of Superman is really a reflection of the gospel story. It’s the story of a father in the heavens who sends his only son to earth with powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal men, to be raised in a small town by adoptive parents, and eventually save the world. But it’s not enough to simply identify these similarities without also asking what we can learn from them? How can Superman help us to better understand Jesus and draw closer to him? To help answer that question, I'd like to zero in on just three of the plentiful parallels between Superman and our Savior.
The first is Superman’s secret identity.
• SPLIT PERSONA
When Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster created the world’s first superhero, they knew he couldn’t be running around in tights and a cape twenty four hours a day. He needed to have an ordinary life too, something that readers could relate to—and so, the secret identity of Clark Kent, mild mannered reporter for a great metropolitan newspaper, was born. But beneath the glasses and fedora hides his alter ego—Superman, who fights a never ending battle for truth, justice and the American way.
For those unfamiliar with the tale, just moments before the distant planet Krypton explodes a scientist and visionary named Jor-El places his infant son in a rocketship bound for earth. It crash lands on the property of modest farmers, Jonathan and Martha Kent, who raise the boy as their own in the rural Kansas town of Smallville. In the recent Superman movie, Man of Steel, Clark’s Kryptionian father tells him, “Born on Krypton and raised on Earth, you had the best of both and were meant to be the bridge between two worlds.” As Clark Kent he can experience humanity first hand, but as Superman he can stand for truth and save the day. Of course, Superman’s duel identity, reminds us that our Savior—the one true Superhero—also has a duel nature.
The Bible tells us that Jesus is both fully human and fully God. It says, for instance, “Before anything else existed, there was Christ, with God. He has always been alive and is himself God. He created everything there is—nothing exists that he didn’t make… And Christ became a human being and lived on earth among us” (John 1:1, 14 TLB). Jesus is the answer to Solomon’s age-old question: “Will God really live on earth among people?” (2 Chronicles 6:18 NLT). The answer is—Yes!
The God who spoke and the universe leapt into existence stepped down from heaven and entered our world. He was cradled in the arms of a teenage virgin. The angels watched with wonder as the creator of the cosmos took his first steps. He may have been pushed around by the neighborhood bully. He probably scrapped his knees a dozen times on the cobbled streets of Nazareth. One thing’s for sure: Jesus was completely divine, yet completely human at the same time—fully God and fully man.
Isn’t the kind of hero we need? A just-man Jesus could love us and sympathize with our plight, but he could never save us. A just-God Jesus would be so far above and beyond us that we could never relate to him approach him. God knew that we would need a Savior that we could relate to and understand, but also one that had the power to save us from our own sins. As the God-Man Jesus is everything we need in a hero. He’s strong enough to trust and near enough to touch. In addition to his split persona, Superman also mimics Jesus with his super powers!
• SUPER POWERS
Superman has a vast array of superpowers: flight, super vision, super-speed, super-hearing, even super-breath. But one of the most remarkable of Superman’s powers and abilities is his super-strength. The old radio serial of the 1940’s boasted that Superman “could change the course of mighty rivers,” and “bend steel in his bare hands.”
One of my favorite scenes from Superman: The Movie, which shows off Superman’s flight, speed, and strength, begins with trouble atop the Daily Planet building and ends with Superman making his first heroic save.
VIDEO CLIP: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCLi3_-iXHk
With just one hand, Superman is able to catch the careening helicopter and save the day. Of course, Superman’s incredible super-powers point us to an even greater power. Did you know that God does all of his amazing feats with just one hand, too? A little girl and her mother were driving home from church one Sunday when they saw a rainbow stretched across the sky. The mother said, “Look at that beautiful rainbow God painted for us!” The little girl replied, “And just think, Mommy, God did it all with His left hand.” Puzzled, the mom asked, “What makes you say that, sweetheart?” The little girl smiled and said, “Well, the preacher just said that Jesus is sitting on His right hand!”
Jesus may not be literally sitting on the right hand of God, but we know that even with one hand tied behind his back Jesus isn’t just more powerful than a locomotive; he’s more powerful than anything we could ever imagine. Jesus not only possesses the power to turn water into wine, heal diseases, cast out demons, and command the wind and the waves; but the Bible even says, “Jesus knew that the Father had given him power over everything and that he had come from God and was going back to God” (John 13:3 NCV). Jesus has power over everything. Everything! As in, all-powerful. Almighty!
Maybe you’ve never thought about it this way, but the fact that Jesus is supremely strong means a world of difference to you and me. Think back to the helicopter scene when Superman caught Lois in mid-air. He calmly reassured her, “Don’t worry miss, I’ve got you.” When someone as powerful as Superman has you in his arms, what could you possibly have to worry about? Lois was safe and secure in the arms of her hero, and so are you. Jesus once said, “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me” (John 14:1 NLT). In other words, “Don’t worry… I’ve got you.” The One who saved you is strong enough to keep you safe.
There is a children’s song I recall singing in Sunday School as kid. The only line I remember though is: “My God is so big, so strong and so mighty, there’s nothing my God cannot do!” Folks, those words as absolute truth! The question is—do we really believe that. When you’re facing unemployment and wondering where your next check will come from, when your marriage is failing and you think you’ve tried everything, when you’ve made a mess out of your life, when it feels like you’re falling and there’s no one to catch you—do you really believe it? Do you believe that your God is so big, so strong and so mighty there’s nothing your God cannot do? There is nothing he can’t handle. No situation is too difficult or dangerous. Regardless of the circumstances, God is in control. Trust in him. Trust in Jesus. You are safe and secure in his strong arms. There’s just one more way that Superman reflects our Savior, and that’s through his selfless personality.
• SELFLESS PERSONALITY
One of the things that make Superman so super is his willingness to sacrifice himself for others. No story demonstrates that more clearly than The Death of Superman. I will never forget the chilly Wednesday afternoon in November of 1992 when I rode my bike to the comic-book store to buy the newest issue of Superman. Only this time, I wasn’t alone. When news of Superman’s impending death hit mainstream media it was publicized as the end of the era. People lined up for blocks outside of comic book stores and waited for hours just to get a copy of the illusive Death of Superman issue, which sold millions of copies and remains the bestselling graphic novel ever.
In the story that resulted in the death of Superman, a mysterious monster who had been imprisoned in an abyss far below the surface of the Earth, breaks free and begins wreaking havoc all over the Midwest—he collapses an interstate overpass, demolishes an 18-wheeler in a head on collision with his fist, and wanders from place to place destroying whatever catches his eye. One of the other heroes who try and fail to stop him calls him Doomsday. A bystander describes him as, “the devil incarnate ushering in the end of the world!”
Superman is the only hero strong enough to face the ferocious monster in a battle that stretches across six issues and several states. As their mêlée reaches Metropolis, in order to emphasis the drama, the artist who drew the final comic made each panel a full-page picture. Metropolis becomes the epicenter for the fight of the ages. Streets are demolished and cars are hurled as the indestructible fighters crash through buildings. Their final punches send shockwaves, shattering the glass from nearby windows. Bruised and bloody, Superman refused to give up. Finally, puts every ounce of strength into one last blow. He and Doomsday collide and then collapse onto the broken pavement.
• Next Slide: Death of Superman
On the last page, in a picture modeled after a famous sculpture of Mary holding the body of Jesus, Lois whispers to Superman, “You stopped him! You saved us all!”
• Next Slide: Death of Superman Fold Out
Then the page folded out as Superman breathed his last and gave up his spirit.
I’ll be honest with you. I cried when I read that story. Superman was my hero. And there he was broken and lifeless. It broke my eleven-year-old heart. This story and that image define for me what it meant to be a hero.
Of course, at that same time I was reading my Bible and listening closely to the stories I would hear in Sunday School about a hero sent from above to save the world. And I made a connection. What Superman did in that comic-book, Jesus did in reality. The monster may have been different, but the outcome was the same.
A young boy was explaining basic Christian Theology to his little sister: “You see, it was Jesus’ job to die for our sins; so it’s our job to sin.” And that’s just what we do, isn’t it? The Bible says, “When we were unable to help ourselves, at the moment of our need, Christ died for us, although we were living against God. Very few people will die to save the life of someone else. Although perhaps for a good person someone might possibly die. But God shows his great love for us in this way: Christ died for us while we were still sinners” (Romans 5:6-8 NCV).
Jesus died on the cross to save us from our own sin and to rescue us not just for a time, but for eternity. A couple of weeks after Superman #75 hit the shelves, I was baptized and entrusted my life to the hero who gave his life for me.
That’s why today Jesus is my superhero!
Conclusion:
We all need a hero. The amazing hero that Superman is in comic-books and cartoons, Jesus is in reality—and so much more. Just like the stories Jesus told, the story of Superman serves as modern-day parable that points us to a God who loves us so much that he gave his only Son to save the world. Next week, I’d like to tell you about another comic-book superhero and the spiritual lesson we can learn from that story.
Invitation:
In the meantime, maybe you could use a hero right now. Maybe you’re in need of Savoir, someone to rescue you and keep you safe. Believe me when I tell you that Jesus is mighty to save! If you’re ready to embrace Jesus as your own personal Hero and Savoir, come talk with me while we stand and sing!
