I watched the last of the Batman trilogy last night as a study break (which also serves as my excuse for this post). I must admit I am a superhero junkie. I used to read/watch the comics as a kid. And now they have become a fairly consistent source of entertainment through film, particularly Christopher Nolan's Batman.
One of the reasons I enjoy the superhero genre is because of the sacrificial aspect of the hero revealed in dialogues such as the following:
Catwoman: You don't owe these people anymore. You've given them everything.
Batman: Not everything. Not yet.
(For those who have not yet seen the film, I have not spoiled anything. The story of Batman up to this point is his willingness to sacrifice for the people of Gotham. Sometimes it is justified while other times it is sheer foolishness.)
I think this is why nearly everyone loves stories about sacrificial heroes. We love stories of rescue, especially when the heroes give of themselves in order to do so. It speaks to something we value and inwardly desire. In fact, it speaks (unintentionally and in limited fashion) to the story of God in history, the rescue of His people.
Jesus is the hero who owed His people nothing. And yet, Jesus is the hero who gave them everything.
Paul lays it out beautifully in Romans 5:6-11,
For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.
One of the reasons I enjoy the superhero genre is because of the sacrificial aspect of the hero revealed in dialogues such as the following:
Catwoman: You don't owe these people anymore. You've given them everything.
Batman: Not everything. Not yet.
(For those who have not yet seen the film, I have not spoiled anything. The story of Batman up to this point is his willingness to sacrifice for the people of Gotham. Sometimes it is justified while other times it is sheer foolishness.)
I think this is why nearly everyone loves stories about sacrificial heroes. We love stories of rescue, especially when the heroes give of themselves in order to do so. It speaks to something we value and inwardly desire. In fact, it speaks (unintentionally and in limited fashion) to the story of God in history, the rescue of His people.
Jesus is the hero who owed His people nothing. And yet, Jesus is the hero who gave them everything.
Paul lays it out beautifully in Romans 5:6-11,
For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.
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