Good morning. Today we are continuing our series looking at different heroes. When you first heard the term “hero” what came to your mind? Perhaps you thought of a sports hero like Lance Armstrong or Tiger Woods. Or maybe an action hero like Mel Gibson. Some of us possibly thought of a military hero like Jessica Lynch or a fantasy hero like Superman.
For me, I always connected with John Wayne. John Wayne was a man’s man and a tough guy. He rode into town, cleaned things up and did it in a way that made me want to buy a horse, a six shooter and see what I could do with our town.
As I look at all those heroes I see a common denominator: they are all safe. Some of them are safe simply because they are not real. Some are safe because they are just playing a role. Others are safe because I could never physically do what they do. Our hero’s are safe and that, I believe, is part of their attraction.
This morning if I were to ask you to name your favorite hero I would expect you to say, “Mark, I like John Wayne but I’m at church so I’m going to say Jesus.” And today, that is the right answer. Today we are going to consider Jesus as our hero.
This is sort of like the old story of a 2nd grade boy attending a Sunday school class. The teacher was telling a story that involved animals. Looking at her class she asked, “What is brown, furry, has a bushy tail and collects nuts to eat?”
The class responded with an eerie silence. Finally a little boy responded, “Teacher, it sure sounds like a squirrel but I’m going to say Jesus.”
Now right up front I want us to acknowledge that our task is beyond our reach.
Jesus blows the standards when it comes to heroes. He is unique. He is supreme. He is different. Different in the same way that a candle is different that the sun. They both may give off light but that is where the comparison ends.
But I encourage you with this; this task has been out of reach for others as well.
David said, “Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; His greatness no one can fathom.” Psalm 145:3
Christ supercedes our grandest thoughts and surpasses our best efforts at description. He is a hero beyond of our ability to explain. So what are we to do? I would propose that today we dance on the very edge of mystery. That we strive to describe the indescribable. Let’s remember however, that the closer we get to mystery the further we get from our ability to explain and describe that mystery.
To help us do that I want us to look at Colossians 1:15-22 together. These two paragraphs are going to tell us that the hero Christ is supreme to all others because His nature is unique and because His work is unmatched. This truth is then going to demand that we answer two personal questions:
1. Have you and I made Jesus into a hero who is safe?
2. Do I really want Jesus as my hero?
Read Colossians 1:15-18
The Unique Nature of the Hero Christ: verses 15-18
1. The hero Christ is divine: “the image of the invisible God”: vs. 15a
The word “image” does not speak to physical image but to the very person of God and Christ. It communicates the idea of an image on a coin that is an exact representation of a real person. Or the idea of looking into a mirror where you see an exact representation of yourself.
When a Hebrew or Gentile looked on the person of Christ they were seeing the very nature and being of God revealed. They were seeing the divine revealed. Jesus said in John 14:9, “anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father.”
Our hero, men and women, is divine.
2. The hero Christ is the Creator and Sustainer: verses 15b-17
These verses tell us that Christ is the eternal Creator who after creating all things continues to sustain or uphold them by His power. Christ made all things and He has not given up His control of them or His power to govern them.
This reference to Christ as the “first-born over all creation” speaks to both the eternal nature of Christ, He is before any created thing, and His rank or supremacy to all things. He is both before and supreme over His creation.
What a wonderful encouragement to us. Someone is indeed in charge of this crazy world we live in and it’s the hero Jesus Christ. Moment by moment He makes the universe we live in a cosmos instead of a chaos. Things may appear to be falling apart in our life but take encouragement; nothing has slipped through the fingers of the hero Christ. In His universe, nothing…and I mean nothing, diverts His focus, avoids His direction or limits His influence. Our Hero is the Creator and the One who remains supreme and sovereign.
3. The hero Christ is the head of the Church – verse 18a
Take note of Paul’s use of language here. He has just explained that Christ is the supreme and sovereign Creator of all things visible and invisible. Genesis is not the final testament of Christ’s creative work. The church too is His creation.
And as its Creator, He is its Head. The church refers here to both the local assembly of believers as well as to the universal church of all Christ-followers. He is the head, the leader of the church.
Ephesians 1:22: “And God placed all things under His feet and appointed Him to be head over everything FOR THE CHURCH”.
Do you see how powerful this is? Christ’s supremacy over all creation is a gift to the church. Christ is supreme for the benefit of the church. His supreme authority over all things and His power over all things are for the benefit of Burke Community Church. One writer said this, “The Church has authority and power to overcome all opposition because her leader and head is Lord of all.” Expositor’s Commentary, volume 11, page 31.
4. The hero Christ is the victor over death: verse 18b
Christ is the first to rise in an immortal body. The first to look death square in the eye and defeat it. And because He rose from the dead He can offer life to those who are dead.
Do you see the picture Paul is attempting to draw of Christ? He is the divine God who created all things and continues to sustain all things. He created the church as an expression of His creative work through which He exercises His power. And a primary expression of His power and benefit to the church is creating new lives out of dead people.
I think Paul is writing all this stuff and stops to add a word of WOW found in verse 18. “In everything Christ might have the supremacy.” Folks, our hero Christ is supreme. Let me ask you one of the questions I mentioned earlier.
Have you and I made Jesus into a hero who is safe? Think back to some of the categories of heroes.
Fantasy Heroes: Several of the heroes were fantasy heroes. They do not really exist and they make no real difference on reality. Is Christ a fantasy hero who is making no difference in the reality called your life?
Sports Heroes: These are the people we admire from a distance but have no relationship with at all. We admire them, talk about their athletic exploits but they would never accept an invitation to our home because we have no relationship with them. If I were to holler at Lavar Arrington one Sunday after a football game and invite him to my house for dinner, I seriously doubt if he would come. Why? Because we have no relationship. Is Christ like that for you? Someone that is fun to watch on Sunday mornings but does not get invited home with you?
Action Heroes: A couple of our heroes represent well the rugged individualist who needs no one and who can conquer life on his own. I believe that this is the most lethal of deceptions. This is the Christ-follower who makes walking with Christ so private that he can no longer see how he is manipulating Christ to fit his own agenda and life. Let me give you something to chew on later today. Christ did not die to be your private hero. He died to be your personal hero so that you could express him publicly.
The writer Sidney J. Harris once said this in relation to a list of heroes identified by society. “the heroes and heroines created by our society are people who have made it big, but not necessarily people who have done big things.”
Christ has not only the character or nature to be our hero; He has also done the big things to warrant hero stature. What is the big thing that Jesus did?
Read Colossians 1:19-22
The Big Thing That Jesus Did To Warrant Hero Status? He Died to Reconcile You and Me to Himself.
We all admire people who are willing to lay it all on the line for what they believe or for people they care about.
Remember Cassie Bernall? She was the teenager at Columbine High School who looked up at a boy with a gun pointing at her and said, “Yes, I do believe in God.”
Or Todd Beamer who on 9/11 turned to those around him on a plan hijacked by terrorist and said, “lets roll” and plunged to his death.
Or Pat Tillman who gave up the wealth and status of the NFL only to be killed in Iraq.
We admire that type of heroism and rightly so. I wonder if our admiration is not partially due to the fact that they remind us of Christ. He looked Pilate straight in the face and said, “It is as you say. I am the King of the Jews.” Then he paid for that truth with His life. Christ prayed in the garden and wrestled with the Father over what to do. Then, if you would allow me to say it this way, Jesus said to the Father, “let’s roll” and then went to His death. Christ called his disciples His friends and then took a cross for them.
Let me say with all honesty, this work of Christ amazes me. It forces me to wrestle with the greatness of Christ. It challenges me to search for appropriate words of wonder.
But there is something even more astounding to me regarding the work of this hero Christ. Something that forces me to my knees in complete awe. And it is this.
Christ died for the young boy who pulled the trigger that day at Columbine High School. Christ died for those men who believed so strongly in their cause that they would hijack a plane and kill innocent people. And Christ died for those soldiers who shot the bullet that killed our soldier.
Now let me ask you the second of our two questions. Do you want this Jesus as your hero? In just a moment we are going to participate in what is known as communion. It is a time when we solemnly celebrate the death of Christ for us. If you do not know Christ as your savior, then this is a time for you to wrestle with this question, “Do you want this Jesus as your Savior?” If so, then I invite you to approach one of the Elders or myself after this service and say, “would you please tell me how I can have a relationship with Jesus?”
If you are already a follower of Christ, then use this time to examine your heart. Let me ask the same question with a different twist for you. Do you want this Jesus as your Lord? Is the Jesus described this morning the Jesus you have given every aspect of your life to? Or have you substituted another Jesus. Use this time as a time to repent or affirm your followership of the hero Jesus.
