Jesus Christ, Superman Part Four
It’s a bird. . It’s a plane. . No! It’s Jesus Christ, Superman, Savior of the world! “Roll the stone away, Lazarus come out!” Commanded Jesus. Immediately Lazarus walked out from his rocky crypt pulling the grave clothes away from His face while taking a deep gulp of fresh air.
John 11: 45-48, “Many of the people who had come to visit Mary saw what Jesus did, and they believed in him. But some of them returned to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. So the Pharisees and the chief priests met with the Council and said, ‘What shall we do? Look at all the miracles this man is performing! If we let him go on in this way, everyone will believe in him, and the Roman authorities will take action and destroy our Temple and our nation!’”
Jesus Christ, Superman, had once again demonstrated His miraculous powers. Even Lazarus, being dead for four days, couldn’t stop Him from accomplishing His mission to show the world what He could do if only they would place their faith in Him.
All the people were astonished at His powers and celebrated Lazarus’ return from the dead. There were still those who loved the world and refused to believe that Jesus was the chosen Messiah. They wanted to control their own lives in this world. They didn’t need or want a Savior! They wanted to be in charge.
The power struggle that ensued, stirred the unseen wicked spiritual forces of Satan. They forced their thoughts into the minds of the Pharisees determined to put Jesus to death.
John 11: 46-52, “One of them, named Caiaphas, who was High Priest that year, said, ‘What fools you are! Don’t you realize that it is better for you to have one man die for the people, instead of having the whole nation destroyed?’ Actually, he did not say this of his own accord; rather, as he was High Priest that year, he was prophesying that Jesus was going to die for the Jewish people, and not only for them, but also to bring together into one body all the scattered people of God.”
The stage was set and the plot against Jesus thickened. Now Jesus Christ, Superman, would give His life so that all people would have the opportunity to believe in Him and be saved from a lost and fallen world of darkness and evil.
Lazarus’ miraculous recovery changed from that of victory to one of secrecy and hiding. Now Jesus could no longer speak in the temple. Satan’s desire was to defeat Him and bring an end to Jesus’ teaching of truth.
Just the same, Jesus had more work to do in order to convince the world why they needed Him. He had to teach His disciples how believing in Him would help them to see through the darkness that Satan placed into every man’s life.
Jesus had to become the beacon of light that would shine brightly throughout the entire world and fill the hearts of God’s children with the wonder working power of the Holy Spirit. To believe in Jesus is to unleash the greatest power man has ever known.
The inner voice of the Holy Spirit would teach them the rules to the game of life. A voice of good that changes people and makes them radiant love and reflect a Spirit of purity that spurs others to desire what they have.
The Passover Festival was about to begin and Jesus had no choice but to go to Jerusalem. He did not go in secret this time, instead He road as a humble servant of God on the foal of a donkey.
The celebration that filled Jerusalem compelled all people to grab palm branches and cast their cloaks onto the ground. Jesus came in victory displaying before all people that God’s way is better than how men perceived the Messiah would come.
God desired for Jesus to be a soldier who would never fight a man made war. Jesus was a Savior that would go beyond this world and fight against the spiritual forces of the unseen heavenly kingdom. He would be the mediator for all people who would ask Him for help so they could fight the ultimate war found in the game of life.
Each person who was born a man would be given a task that went beyond an earthly battle. It was a war that took place in the minds of men. A war of Satan coming up against an equal force of godly men who would fight the human battles with faith and love.
John 15: 12-14, “My commandment is this: love one another, just as I love you. The greatest love a person can have for his friends is to give his life for them. And you are my friends if you do what I command you.”
Now the world and how people live in the world is radically different. We are now God’s soldiers doing battle against every bad thing that happens in the world. We carry our crosses just like Jesus and we fight against the plagues of the world found in illnesses, like cancer.
We are unleashed into the world so we can show people we are not even afraid to die. Death has no fear over us because we believe that this world is temporary. Our faith in Jesus Christ gives us the ability to hold in our arms children who have aids. Even when the child is sweating from the fever that has engulfed his body releasing the toxins that put the disease into his tiny body in the first place and exposing us to the disease.
Believing in Jesus’ supernatural power brings healing and miracles into our life so we can stand strong as a warriors determined to love the homeless and the drug addicts of the world. We are not afraid!
We don’t judge the weaknesses found in every man because we love our neighbors as ourselves. When we give to others we understand that the suffering that person is going through could be us. Having this knowledge allows us to forgive and live our lives just how Christ lived as a humble servant. A servant who was just as susceptible to suffering as anyone else.
John 15: 18-21, “‘If the world hates you, just remember that it has hated me first. If you belonged to the world, then the world would love you as its own. But I chose you from the world, and you do not belong to it; that is why the world hates you. Remember what I told you: “No slave is greater than his master.” If they persecuted me, they will persecute you too; if they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours too. But they will do all this to you because you are mine; for they do not know the one who sent me.’”
Suddenly the greatest game that will ever be played takes form, revealing to man the truth over the condition of the world. Anyone who fights for God will suffer persecution just as Jesus. For our fight is against more than man. Our fight is with the spiritual forces of evil and its desire to force all men to live in the world for Satan!
From the very first sin of Adam, a game formed. When Adam and Eve desired to become like God they forced all men into the valley of the biggest decision they would ever make. A life game that was geared to teach them the difference between right and wrong. In order for truth to be revealed all people had to be presented with a choice that would lead to a test.
Satan represented the wrong choices. Evil found in greed, sexual immorality, sickness, death, the desire for power, thinking evil about others, war, poverty, murder, and injustices of all kinds. God is the opposite from Satan revealing the value of being a servant. Showing us that love is better than hate. Giving is better that receiving and abiding by goodness is the ultimate goal for each person’s life.
Jesus brought a new light of understanding before all people. His truth about how the world works gives power to an individuals life so they can stand up against evil and win the world for good.
Lazarus rose from the grave so Jesus could prove to us that we can have the same power over death. Death was Satan’s control over people, but life is what we receive when we stop thinking like weak human beings and believe in the miracle working power that is available to all those who place their faith in Christ.
Jesus Christ Superman, was the ultimate Savior of the world. His message was that of love. His goal was to give His life so others would have the power to conquer the world game of life for God and good. Our reward is an eternity in heaven!
To be a miracle working Superman is to believe in the unseen and to know that our lives are more than the physical and concrete of our present day world. We must take up whatever cross of suffering we must bear and believe with faith that we can win our individual game for Jesus Christ.
Linda Dipman
http://www.articlesbase.com/religion-articles/jesus-christ-superman-part-four-126191.html