Need a Hero?

by Andrea Renee Cox

On a recent commercial several ladies sing, “I need a hero!” Superhero movies, comic books, and television programs are always popular, it seems. (I’m a fan of most of the Marvel Universe movies, actually.) From these things and others, it could be surmised that the world is searching for, longing for… perhaps even desperately yearning for a hero to swoop into our lives and save us from the mundane moments and difficulties that often plague our days.

What I’ve come to realize and truly cherish is that I already have a Hero. This Hero never went through that awkward “how do I use my superpower” phase. He never struggled with the desire to use His power for selfish gain, forsaking or using those around Him.

Instead, my Hero chose to leave His kingdom to live in an imperfect human body on an evil-darkened planet. He opted to be tested and tried, tempted and humiliated, beaten and bloodied. Ultimately, He took on the weight—the extreme weight—of my sins (along with that of the sins of everyone else on earth). There is no mistaking that this perfect Hero did not deserve any of that burden, but He took it in my place anyway. To cap all that off, He freely relinquished his right to live so that I (and you) might be saved, redeemed to His Father. Thankfully, my Hero rose from the dead in order to conquer death and take His place at His Father’s right hand.

If you haven’t guessed by now, my Hero is Jesus Christ. There’s something pure and beautiful about His sacrifice that my poor attempt to explain utterly fails to fully express. But every now and then (more and more often the older I get) I find myself wondering, from the perspective of being completely in awe and amazed at His magnificent selflessness: Why would Jesus go through so much raw, torturous pain in order to save me? I am so unworthy of such a sacrifice. Why would He take my sins and shame like He did and offer forgiveness in their place?

Every time I contemplated this great mystery during 2015, God whispered the same thing to my soul: “In My eyes, you are precious, a real treasure. I cherish you. You are Mine.”

Talk about mind-blowing moments! Each time I felt those words oozing into the core of my being, a silent sense of peace and fulfillment swept through me. Cherished by God? Claimed by Him? Who am I to receive that sort of attention? But I have chosen to bask in the joy of knowing I’m wanted. That I’m not only chosen, but also seen as a priceless work of art. Any time I’m feeling less than worthy, I have God’s words to hold on to. He will be my confidence.

Guess what?

Jesus’ Hero status isn’t exclusive to me. He opens up the offer to everyone who realizes they need Him.

So tell me…

Do you need a Hero?

Friends, how have you seen Jesus as your Hero? Describe a time you felt His peace swoop in when you had previously experienced despair, disappointment, loneliness, apprehension, fury, etc.

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