Endgame?
This week I went to see the latest Marvel film, ‘Avengers Endgame’. I loved it and won’t give away any spoilers! There have been 22 films over 10 years! The theme in many of them is of a superhero saving humans and the planet from an evil person (the baddie). Alongside this, I read the book of John. This is the fourth book in the New Testament and was written by one of Jesus’ closest friends, John. This ‘gospel’ is very different to Matthew, Mark and Luke as it has unique insights into some intimate conversations with Jesus. It also contains probably the best-known verses in the whole of the Bible...
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”
The context for these verses was a conversation Jesus had with one of Israel’s leaders (a Pharisee) called Nicodemus. It’s a fascinating dialogue as Jesus explains that to ‘get’ what He was about that person needed to be ‘born again’ - not naturally but spiritually: this was mind bending for Nicodemus! These two verses sum up why Jesus came to earth. The Marvel films have been a global success, as I believe they all ‘echo’ the message of John 3:16-17. Jesus is the real superhero of them all! He came and He rescued the world by what he did! Is that mind bending or do you believe it?
Gary Bastin - Hope Community Church leader