Man Of Steel: Son Of God (A Look At Superman And Jesus) Series

MAN OF STEEL: SON OF GOD

INTRO TO TOPIC: THE POWER OF A MYTHIC STORY:

QUOTE: “Story is the language of the heart… Hollywood screenwriting teacher Robert McKee believes that we go to the movies because we hope to find in someone else’s story something that will help us understand our own… What is all the great stories that have ever moved you, brought you joy or tears – what if they are telling you something about the true Story into which you were born, into which you have been cast?” (John Eldredge, Epic).

“Mythic stories help us to see clearly, which is to say, they help us see with the eyes of the heart. So cast a wide net, and draw in all those stories that have ever stirred your soul, quickened your spirit, brought you to tears or joy or heroic imagination.” (John Eldredge, Waking the Dead).

“I suspect that men have sometimes derived more spiritual sustenance from myths they did not believe than from the religion they professed.” (C.S. Lewis).

OPENING TEXT:

“All these things Jesus spoke to the multitude in parables; and without a parable He did not speak to them.” (Matt. 13:34).

• Jesus, the world’s greatest teacher, used stories to teach spiritual lessons.

• CS Lewis used fantasy stories to teach us about Jesus (Chronicles of Narnia).

INTRO TO MY LOVE OF SUPERMAN:

• As a child, I remember seeing Superman in the movie theatres at age 6 in 1978. I read the comic books, watched the Super Friends cartoons. He is my favourite superhero.

• It has been 75 years since Superman first appeared in Action Comics #1 in June 1938.

• I saw the Man of Steel movie on Friday night and loved it! Here’s sneak peek…

MAN OF STEEL TRAILER #1

Jonathan Kent says, “You are the answer, Clark. You were sent here for a reason.”

• Jesus is the answer. He was sent to the Earth by God the Father for a reason.

THE BIG IDEA: The comic book hero Superman is a Christ figure, whose heroism inspires us to discover the world’s greatest Superhero: Jesus Christ.

SUPERMAN IS A CHRIST FIGURE: “Superman is not Jesus Christ. But he is a Christ figure, a figure resembling Christ, as we all should be. That said, the story of Superman bears some incredible parallels to the story of the Super Man, Jesus Christ.” (Stephen Skelton).

• Superman was created by two Jewish teenagers – Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster.

• In fact, Siegel was inspired by the OT hero of Samson for Superman’s strength.

• In the 2006 Superman Returns movie, when Jor-El sends Kal-El to Earth, he says: "Even though you've been raised as a human being you're not one of them. They can be a great people, Kal-El. They wish to be. They only lack the light to show the way. For this reason above all—their capacity for good—I have sent them you, my only son."

• In Superman Returns, “Lois and Superman discuss at length whether she and the world need a savior. He tells her that with his god-like listening powers, he hears people crying out for one every day. The climactic battle with Lex Luthor escalates the connection. In the final battle, Superman is attacked in a manner similar to the account of Jesus' death and then experiences a resurrection from a watery grave. At one point, he even assumes the physical position of Christ on the cross as he sacrifices himself to save humanity.” (Christopher Lyon, Focus on the Family’s Plugged In).

• “The Man of Steel movie is one of the most spiritually symbolic and Messianic-image-packed treatments ever made about this character. Here, Clark Kent even comes to understand—at the age of 33, no less—his responsibility to step up, face off with and destroy an ultimate evil that threatens all mankind. All through this film dialogue and images hint at connections between Superman and Jesus. Several people talk to Clark about his ability to save the people on Earth. Superman levitates with his arms spread in a cross-like form on several occasions.” (Bob Hoose, Focus on the Family’s Plugged In).

• In Man of Steel, Jor-El says about Superman, “He will be like a god to them.” In the Bible, we see that Jesus is the Son of God. “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).

TEN SIMILARITIES BETWEEN SUPERMAN AND JESUS:

1. Superman’s birth name is Kal-El. Jesus is called Emmanu-El. El is Hebrew for God.

2. Superman is called the Man of Steel. Jesus is called the Man of Sorrows.

3. Superman is called the Man of Tomorrow. Jesus is called the same Yesterday, Today and Forever (Hebrews 13:8).