"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.”

  1. THE PROMISE. In v18 Jesus said, “I willnotleaveyoucomfortless:Iwillcometoyou.” 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.”
  1. THE PRESENCE. To be a companion is to be a friend! Jesus is the greatest friend possible! Jesus said in John 15:13—“Greaterlovehathno manthanthis,thata manlay downhislifeforhisfriends.” 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 thingshaveIspokenuntoyou,being yetpresentwithyou. ButtheComforter,which istheHolyGhost,whomtheFatherwillsendinmyname,heshallteachyouall things,andbring all things to your remembrance,whatsoeverIhavesaiduntoyou. Ihaveyetmany thingstosayuntoyou,butyecannotbearthemnow. Howbeitwhenhe,theSpiritoftruth,iscome,hewillguideyouintoalltruth:forheshallnotspeakofhimself;butwhatsoeverheshallhear,thatshallhespeak:andhewillshowyouthings to come.”

  1. 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).
  1. WE MUST SUBMIT TO HIS WISDOM. If He is my Counselor, I must follow His advice! Jesus said in John 10:27—“Mysheephearmyvoice,and Iknowthem,andtheyfollowme.” 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 2000-2005. Rick Meyers. All Rights Reserved Worldwide).

(3) MY CONSOLER

JOHN 15:18-27—“Iftheworldhateyou,yeknowthatithatedme

beforeit hatedyou. Ifyewereoftheworld,theworldwould

lovehis own:butbecauseyearenotoftheworld,butIhave

chosenyouout oftheworld,thereforetheworldhatethyou.

RememberthewordthatIsaiduntoyou,Theservantisnot

greaterthanhislord.Iftheyhavepersecutedme,theywill

alsopersecuteyou;iftheyhavekeptmysaying,theywill

keepyoursalso. Butallthese thingswilltheydountoyoufor

my name's sake,becausetheyknownothim that sentme. IfI

hadnotcomeandspokenuntothem,theyhadnothadsin:

butnowtheyhavenocloakfortheirsin. He that hatethme

hatethmyFatheralso. IfIhadnotdoneamongthemthe

workswhichnoneother mandid,theyhadnothadsin:but

nowhavetheybothseenandhatedbothmeandmyFather.

Butthis cometh to pass,thatthewordmightbefulfilledthat is

writtenintheirlaw,Theyhatedmewithout a cause.”

  1. 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!
  1. 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—“NeverthelessItellyouthetruth;Itis expedientfor

youthatIgo away:forif Igo not away,theComforterwillnotcome

untoyou;butifIdepart,Iwillsendhimuntoyou. Andwhenheis

come,hewillreprovetheworldofsin,andofrighteousness,andof

judgment: Ofsin,becausetheybelievenotonme; Ofrighteousness,

becauseIgotomyFather,andyeseemenomore; Ofjudgment,

becausetheprinceofthisworldisjudged.”

  1. 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)!
  1. 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.”

  1. 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).
  1. 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).