Leaving home and travelling North, the young Superman hears a message from his heavenly father instructing him about his mission. He spends the equivalent of 12 earth years receiving instruction in the isolation of the crystal temple. As he is sent out on his mission his Father gives him a special blessing. "They can be a great people. They only need the light to show them the way. For this reason, and this reason only, I have sent you, my only son." Superman is free to begin his ministry, aged 30.
Superman, also known as Clark Kent, settles in Metropolis where he works at a mild mannered reporter at 'The Daily Planet.' From this base he works as public saviour, defending America against its enemies, in particual his arch rival, Lex Luthor who claims to own the town. Having great power, he claims to be free to either nurture or destroy what he owns.
Superman hit headlines throughout the world in 1993 when the publishers of Superman released a comic series entitled 'The Death of Superman.' In this storyline, Superman dies, saving the world from the ghastly super-villain 'Doomsday.' However, some time after Superman's death people start to report seeing him. Eventually, some of his friends break into his tomb, finding it empty. The resurrected Superman continues his career as public saviour as though nothing has happened.
You may have known some of the Superman story. It may be a new story to you. As I read the story and maybe even as you saw the summary of the story you may have been amazed at some of the parallels to another story. But unlike the story of Superman, this story is a true one, not made up by humans. It is the story of the life and work of Christ.
This true story begins in eternity past. Having created the heavens and the earth, God looked forward to living in relationship with humans. Humanity, having chosen to rebel against God, face certain destruction. God the Father sends Jesus on earth to seek and save the lost.
Born into a Jewish family, he grows up as a normal person in a typically small Jewish village until he leaves home on his mission aged 30. At around 30 years of age he hears his Fathers' voice affirming him as his son and confirming his mission. The Spirit of God descends on Jesus like a dove. A voice comes from heaven "You are my Son, who I love; with you I am well pleased" (Luke 3:21-23). Jesus spends the next three years travelling around Palestine doing good and spreading the good news of the kingdom of God. At the very start of his ministry he meets up with his arch rival, the Devil. It seems that while Jesus is able to resist the devil, the devil eventually wins the battle as Jesus is crucified on a cross on that first Easter day. After three days, his friends go to his tomb and find that he has risen from the dead. For a period, the resurrected Jesus goes around Palestine at times almost as nothing had happened.
While I am not trying to draw any parallel between the Superman story and Jesus Christ, it is interesting that there are a number of details with eerie similarity. At a guess it would seem that this may have been the creators of Superman's way of presenting a more modern and contemporary saviour for mankind.
What is more significant is the main difference between the two: Superman has really nothing to do with us today, whereas the death and resurrection of Jesus has everything to do with us. The Jesus-Event relates to us personally and directly. God had created us to enter into a personal relationship with him, but our sin cut us off from him - it creates a huge gulf between us and God. While God created us to enjoy a relationship with us, his perfect character makes him unable to enter into a relationship with someone who is sinful. What a dilemma. God desires fellowship with us, but a relationship is hindered because of the presence of sin. Jesus Christ came to earth to live and die for us. His death was the way in which a relationship with God was made possible.
The writer of Romans tells us;
"You see, at just the right time, while we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:6-8
In order to enter into a relationship with God we must make a response of faith to God. Faith is not a leap in the dark, but a relationship with Jesus Christ, as Ephesians tells us;
"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by our works, so that no one can boast." Ephesians 2:8,9.
It is a relationship with God through Jesus Christ that will bring us true meaning and fulfilment in life. Nothing is able to take the place of this relationship. We may try to find meaning in all types of areas; money, popularity, good looks, approval of friends. Even if we obtain these things we will still be left with an emptiness. Jesus said quite clearly that true meaning can only be found in him. "I have come that you may have life, and have it to the full." John 10:10
What are you going to do with Jesus' gift? He offers us salvation; a way to be reconciled with God, in the same way as two friends who have been fighting with each other being reunited by a mediator. Your choice is to accept or to reject the gift. The response is yours alone. The Easter event demands a personal response from you.