"JESUS, MY HERO!"
1 JOHN 2:1-2
INTRO:
What makes a hero? According to Webster's dictionary, a "hero" is “a
man of distinguished valor.” There is a popular song today which
says, "Did you ever know that you're my Hero, you're everything I wish
I could be. I can fly higher than an eagle, for you are the wind beneath
my wings." The world has many heroes today, sport figures, actors,
military men, and rich and powerful men; but I want to introduce to
you today, "Jesus, My Hero!"
According to 1 John 2:1-2, believers in Christ have an advocate with
the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. The English word "advocate"
found in v1 comes from our translation of a Greek word,
“parakletos," which means "one called alongside to help." The term
appears five times in the N.T., but only in the writings of John. Four
times in the Gospel of John speaking of the Holy Spirit, which is
"Christ in you the Hope of Glory." The last appearance is found here in
1 John 2:1, where Christ is the advocate or hero of the righteous.
In the Gospel of John, the promised "paraclete," the Holy Spirit would
be to Christ's own, all that Christ was to them when he was here on
earth. The apostle Paul understood this great Promise fully when he
wrote In Galatians 2:20, "For I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I
live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in
the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave
himself for me." In John 2:1-2, our advocate, the "paraclete," Jesus
Christ the righteous acts as the intercessor for His people before the
Father.
We see the double ministry of our "paraclete" for us in Romans 8.
The "paraclete," Christ in us, v26, "helpeth our infirmities, maketh
intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.” In v34 of
that same chapter, the risen Christ, Who is at the right hand of God,
maketh intercession for us. We owe all to our blessed hero, our
advocate, Who lives in us and intercedes for us before the Father.
Let us examine the Five Characteristics found in the N.T. of "My
Hero."
MY HERO IS:
(1) MY COMPANION
JOHN 14:16-18—“And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you
another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even
the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it
seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he
dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you
comfortless: I will come to you.”
A. THE PROMISE. In v18 Jesus said, “I will not leave you comfortless: I
will come to you.” Jesus promised his disciples, “Though he was to die,
yet he would live again; though absent in body, yet he would be present
with them by his Spirit; though he was to go away to heaven, yet he
would return again to them.” (B. W. Johnson. The People’s New
Testament. e-Sword. Version 7.6.1. Copyright 2000-2005. Rick Meyers.
All Rights Reserved Worldwide). Friends, the Lord has promised to
always be with us. The Lord promised in Isaiah 43:2—“When thou
passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers,
they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou
shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.” We read
in Hebrews 13:5a-6—“for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor
forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I
will not fear what man shall do unto me.”
B. THE PRESENCE. To be a companion is to be a friend! Jesus is the
greatest friend possible! Jesus said in John 15:13—“Greater love hath
no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” Proverbs
18:24b tells us, “…there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.”
William Barclay said, "To know Christ is to become so one with Him we
share His every experience. It means that we share the way He walked;
that we share the Cross He bore; that we share the death He died; and
that finally we share the life He lives for evermore." (Albert M. Wells, Jr.
Inspiring Quotations-Contemporary & Classical. p. 31). Ask yourself,
"am I a friend to Him?"
(2) MY COUNSELOR
JOHN 14:25-26; 16:12-13—“These things have I spoken unto you,
being yet present with you. But the Comforter, which is the Holy
Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all
things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have
said unto you. I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye
cannot bear them now. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is
come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of
himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he
will show you things to come.”
A. WE MUST SEEK HIS WISDOM. Christ is the fulfillment of Isaiah’s
prophecy. In Isaiah 9:6 we read, “For unto us a child is born, unto us a
son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his
name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The
everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” The word "Counselor” is
translated from a Hebrew word which means "advisor or guide" (Psalm
23; 25:12; 32:8).
B. WE MUST SUBMIT TO HIS WISDOM. If He is my Counselor, I must
follow His advice! Jesus said in John 10:27—“My sheep hear my voice,
and I know them, and they follow me.” Christians not only obey Christ,
but they imitate him; they go where his Spirit and providence lead
them; they yield themselves to his guidance, and seek to be led by him.
When Jesus was upon earth many of his disciples followed or attended
him from place to place. Hence, Christians are called his followers, and
in Rev_14:4 they are described as “they that follow the Lamb.” (Albert
Barnes’ Notes On The Bible. e-Sword. Version 7.6.1. Copyright 20002005. Rick Meyers. All Rights Reserved Worldwide).
(3) MY CONSOLER
JOHN 15:18-27—“If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me
before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would
love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have
chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.
Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not
greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will
also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will
keep yours also. But all these things will they do unto you for
my name's sake, because they know not him that sent me. If I
had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin:
but now they have no cloak for their sin. He that hateth me
hateth my Father also. If I had not done among them the
works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but
now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father.
But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is
written in their law, They hated me without a cause.”
A. THE ENCOURAGEMENT. In those verses in John 15 Jesus gives us
some encouragement to face what this world may throw at us. He truly
can identify with what we face for our faith in Him. Whatever we must
face in this life, He has already faced before! He is our GREAT HIGH
PRIEST who invites us to come BOLDY UNTO THE THRONE (Hebrews
4:14-16). Each time we come unto the throne of grace we find mercy
and grace to help us! His presence encourages us. And His promises
move us forward!
B. THE ENABLEMENT. Whatever I face, He is there to come to my aid
and assistance (Hebrews 2:9-18—“succour"-"aid"; 2 Thessalonians
2:16-17). He is my defender because I have placed my trust in HIM
(Psalm 5:11-12).
(4) MY CONVICTOR
JOHN 16:7-11—“Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for
you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come
unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. And when he is
come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of
judgment: Of sin, because they believe not on me; Of righteousness,
because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; Of judgment,
because the prince of this world is judged.”
A. THE NECESSITY OF CONVICTION. Whenever I sin, the Spirit of
Christ convicts me of my sin and urges me to repent! Daily we should
pray that God’s Spirit will reveal to us the areas of our lives which are
not pleasing to the Lord! (Psalms 139:23-24)!
B. THE NECESSITY IN CONVICTION. We must continually lean on the
promptings of the Spirit in our lives! (1 John 1:9). Galatians 5:16 says
"... Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh". I
must realize daily that the Spirit by His reprove and conviction is
leading me to follow Him in all things!
(5) MY CHAMPION
1 JOHN 2:1-2—“My little children, these things write I unto you, that
ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the
Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our
sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole
world.”
A. HE PLEADS MY CASE. Note the words “…We have an advocate with
the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” Our English word “advocate”
used here is translated from a Greek word which means “one called
alongside to help.” It implies the idea of a defense attorney pleading the
cause of his client. (1 Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 2:17).
B. HE PROMOTES MY CONFIDENCE. “And he is the propitiation for our
sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.”
Hebrews 7:25—“ Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost
that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for
them.” Because we serve a LIVING SAVIOR we have GREAT
CONFIDENCE!
CLOSING: Who is your Hero today? The words of that song, "Wind Beneath
My Wings," really means something when Jesus is your Hero! For
He is ALL we desire to be, and He is the wind beneath our wings"
allowing us to fly to great spiritual heights!
Is He your Hero today? If not, He can be by Faith, for the
SCRIPTURES say, “All the Father giveth me shall come to me; an
to him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.” (John 6:37).