Heroes

I have a quick Easter message. If you think about what it means to be a “hero”, there are a few definitions that come to mind:

1. Someone who displays exemplary qualities.
2. Someone who singlehandedly defeats a universal enemy. This is extremely common in fiction and almost non-existent in real life.
3. The original, Greek definition: Someone with one mortal parent and one immortal one.

The first definition is the most commonly used one, but it’s only meaningful because of the image we have in our minds about the other two. If you try to think of someone who fits all three definitions, you will quickly see that there has only ever been one Hero: Jesus Christ. He possesses all virtues and no faults; He overcame death and hell, alone; and He is the Son of God. What’s even more impressive is that His sacrifice was motivated not just by a sense of what is right, but by a personal concern for each person, individually. It’s really pretty amazing.