Jesus is My Hero

by Peggy Brown

I LOVE Easter Sunday! This morning at church was a wonderful celebration of Christ’s resurrection! I love the message of Easter. This year, leading up to Easter, I had been especially thinking about the magnitude of Christ’s sacrifice for my life, so Easter service was especially meaningful to me.

When I got home from church, I learned that there was big news in the world. The ship Captain captured by pirates off the coast of Somalia had been rescued after 4 days of captivity. I, along with everyone, was greatly relieved that this story ended happily. The newsman reporting the story kept referring to this Captain, who voluntarily went with the pirates in order to save the lives of his crew, as a hero.

The similarity of this story to the Easter story caught my attention. The captain was willing to give his life as a sacrifice for the lives of his crew. He didn’t consider his own safety or well being, but offered himself to be held for ransom in place of his ship and it’s crew. The world considers him a brave hero to be lauded and admired by all. I agree.

As I listened to the story, I suddenly said to Wayne, “Then, Jesus is a hero!” I said it half in jest, but then as it sank in for a moment, I decided that, indeed, if a ship Captain willing to sacrifice his mortal life for the mortal lives of his men is a hero, how much more of a hero is Jesus. He sacrificed His glory and His heavenly life for the eternal life of every person who will ever live. That’s heroic! Jesus suffered when His Father turned His back on Him because of the filth of the sin He bore for us. That’s heroic!

The good news of the story, of course, is that Jesus rose again. He went farther than mere mortal man could ever go. His death didn’t simply spare our lives. His death gave us eternal life. What mere man could offer so much? So I have decided that Jesus is my hero. He is worthy to be lauded and admired by all.

Philippians 2:5-11

"Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."