Bible Text: Luke 1:37 | Speaker: Darlene Sala | Series: Encouraging Words |

Superman began life as a comic-book character in June 1938–the brainchild of a young writer and artist team, Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. Pictured as a caped figure of wonder, Superman grew in popularity from comic-books to radio programs, newspaper strips, novels, TV programs, movies—and even a Broadway musical. Wearing his familiar costume of red, blue and yellow with the stylized “S,” he has been a hero figure to millions.

The Man of Steel starts out as the last person from the extinct planet Krypton, but he has had his life story changed countless times through the years, often to fit the cultural values of the day, which are not always moral values.

In some versions his arrival on earth gives hints of paralleling the birth of Jesus. In the movie version, his father, played by Marlon Brando, tells his son to lead ordinary men to righteousness, saying, “For this reason above all–their capacity for good—I have sent them to you, my only son.”

I personally think make-believe characters like Superman appeal to us because there is a hunger in the human heart for somebody bigger than we are. We want someone to look up to, someone who can accomplish feats that we cannot do, someone to battle with the evil forces we see at work in the world.

Fortunately for us, we have Someone who can do exactly that. His name is God. Listen to this Bible verse: “There is no one like the God of Jeshurun, who rides on the heavens to help you and on the clouds in his majesty” (Deut. 33:26). And who was Jeshurun? Scholars tell us it was a poetical name for the people of Israel, used to express affection, for it means “the dear upright people” (see Deut. 32:15, 33:5, 26; Isaiah 44:2).

Superman can’t be everywhere at once, and there are feats that Superman can’t do, but Scripture tells us “Nothing is impossible with God” (Luke 1:37). Aren’t you glad you know Him!