THE Hero of THE Story

“Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my Gospel” (2Tim 2:8).

I don’t watch the original “Rocky” and pull for Apollo Creed. Lex Luthor may be Superman’s archenemy, but the Man of Steel always gets top billing. If you’re cheering for Mr. Potter to stick it to George Bailey in “It’s a Wonderful Life,” you’ve got serious issues. In the great stories of our culture, you always pull for the hero.

In a letter to his sidekick Timothy, the Apostle Paul reminds him that when it comes to the grand story of God as told in His Word, there’s only one Hero. “Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my Gospel” (v8).

Paul wants Tim to never forget that the whole thing points to Jesus, the Radical Rabbi/Carpenter from Nazareth. He’s God’s Anointed One. The One who walked out of the graveyard after being dead for three days. The Descendant that God personally promised King David would one day be King forever. He’s the Point of Paul’s viral message about God. 

Never forget that Jesus is THE Hero of THE Story.

That’s a pretty big deal if you know what’s going on Paul’s story as he writes. He’s behind bars (2Tim 1:8, 16; 2:9). That’s certainly not the first time the apostle been locked up for telling people about Jesus. But this incarceration is different. He’s on Death Row in Rome’s Mamertine Prison (2Tim 4:6-7). This joint is so tough it makes Shawshank look like Club Med.

Despite his desperate situation, it hasn’t changed anything about the apostle’s trust in who Jesus and what He has done. If anything, Paul’s grip on Christ is even tighter. He knows that no matter what happens to him on this side of eternity, Jesus ultimately wins. And when Jesus wins, those who follow Him do too. If you have any doubts about the Lord’s final victory, you might want to flip to the back of the Book. While Revelation might be a little hard to understand in some places and downright weird in others, one thing is sure. Jesus wins. Remember, He’s THE Hero of THE Story.

That’s important for every person who trusts in Jesus to realize. Sure, a few of us may live some pretty sweet lives here on Earth. But most face of us face all sorts of pain, suffering, disease, disappointment, abandonment, and shame. Take it from our man Paul. He’s not exactly living large unless you’re talking about shipwrecks, jail, beatings, and a contract on his life (2Cor 11:23-28). But despite walking the Green Mile, he continues walking with Jesus. He trusts in the THE Hero of THE Story. It’s a great reminder that we can too.

The apostle hopes Tim will keep the main thing the main thing. Rather, the Main One the Main One. “Remember Jesus Christ” (v8).  He uses a Greek verb here (Gr. μνεμονευο) that means to recall or keep something specific in mind. In other words, think about it and keep thinking about. It’s actually from a couple of words that mean to stay right there and chew on this. 

But it’s more than just keeping something on the front burner of your brain. It’s doing something about it. When you first see μνεμονευο, you may want to ask Pat Sajak if you can buy a vowel (Well, at least a Greek vowel). Instead Paul wants folks to not just remember but respond. Keep recalling Christ. Keep reacting to what He’s done for you.

We see that when we check out a couple of other times we see this word in the NT. Jesus tells His posse to recall and respond to what He’s told them. “Remember (Gr. μνεμονευο) the word I have said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you” (Jn 15:20). Recall His instructions. React accordingly.

When Paul tells the Galatians about his big meet-up at the home office in Jerusalem, the leaders of the early church just put a couple of things on his to-do list. One of them, “they asked us to remember (Gr. μνεμονευο) the poor, the very thing I was eager to do” (Gal 2:10). Recall their instructions about those living in poverty. React accordingly and do something about it.

As we go through life, recall Jesus and react accordingly. The writer of Hebrews puts it this way. When we run the grueling marathon race of life, we must keep our eyes on Christ the entire time, “looking to Jesus, the Founder and Perfecter of our faith” (Heb 12:2). When I don’t know what else to do, I just take a long look at the Lord. When I remember how incredibly good He is to me, how merciful He is to me, how much He’s forgiven me, how gracious He is to me, I can’t sit still. I’ve gotta do something! I recall the Gospel and react accordingly. Always remember Jesus is THE Hero of THE Story. Always remember Jesus is the Hero of YOUR Story and MY Story.

Paul refers to our Savior here as “Jesus Christ” (v8). You do realize that Christ is NOT His last name, don’t you? He’s not the Son of Joe and Mary Christ of Nazareth. Christ is His title. It means the Anointed One and is equivalent to the OT term Messiah. In other words, Father God has anointed His Son Jesus to be the Hero He’s promised to rescue His chosen people for the past a few thousand years. 

It’s all part of being THE Hero of the ENTIRE Story. For instance, did you know Jesus gets a mention VERY early in the opening pages of Genesis? After Adam sat passively while his wife fell for the lies of a satanic snake and sin entered God’s perfect creation (Gen 3:1-7), our Heavenly Father warns the serpent that a Hero is coming to crush his head (Gen 3:15). That Someone is Jesus.

That releases a tsunami of predictions, prophecies, and promises about the Messiah that washes the pages of the OT. Smart folks who study this sort of thing say there a literally hundreds of them. Here’s just a few. He’ll be a member of Abraham’s family (Gen 12:3; 22:18). His mom would be a virgin. (Is 7:14). Born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2). Heir to King David’s throne (2Sam 7:12-13). Suffer and die for our rebellion (Is 53). That’s just the tip of the messianic iceberg.

What’s the big deal? It means the Messiah is THE Hero of the Old Testament. So if Jesus is the Messiah, He’s THE Hero of the OT! Sure, there are cool stories about some crazy characters. Folks like Noah, Joseph, Moses, Rahab, David, and Jeremiah. And guess what. They all were jacked up sinners in desperate need of a Savior just like you and me.

The Jewish people had seriously high hopes for the Messiah’s arrival. He would not only fulfill all the prophets predicted but they expected a whole lot more. Specifically, He would punch their Roman oppressors in the throat and lead Israel back to glory. Or so they thought. There was only one problem. God had other ideas.

The Heavenly Father would send His Son to rule and reign, but first He would come this first time to serve and suffer. Specifically, die on a cross in our place. However Jesus wouldn’t stay dead. Or as Paul wants Tim to never forget, Christ was “risen from the dead” (v8). As cool as sending the Roman army running away like little school girls might be, walking out of your own tomb three days after your funeral has that beat by a long shot. You do that kind of thing when you’re THE Hero of THE Story.

Flash back before His crucifixion. Several different times, the Lord tells His crew that it was going to go down this way. For instance, after their crazy mountaintop encounter with Moses and Elijah, Jesus instructs His inner circle not to say a word about what happened “until the Son of Man is raised from the dead” (Mt 17:9).

As you might imagine, Christ’s miraculous resurrection is a game changer for His followers. Seeing the risen Jesus transformed the disciples from freaked out cowards into fearless messengers of the Gospel. It’s the consistent center of the message believers spread around the Mediterranean Rim in the Book of Acts (Acts 1:3; 2:24, 31-32; 3:14; 4:10, 33; 5:30; 9:3-8; 10:40-41; 13:30, 34, 37; 17:3, 18, 31; 22:6-10; 25:19; 26:12-18, 23).

Paul reminds Tim to rewind to the Old Testament again when he refers to Jesus as “the offspring of David” (v8). He’s the ultimate fulfillment of God’s promise to David. “I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish His kingdom…and I will establish the throne of His kingdom forever” (2Sam 7:12, 13). The Gospel writers refer to Jesus as the “son of David” a grand total 13 times. That’s Bible talk for THE Hero of THE Story.

Jesus as the ultimate Hero of God’s story “as preached in my Gospel,” according to the apostle. Throughout all of Paul’s letters, he makes it clear He’s put his trust in the promised Messiah. THE Hero of the OT. Risen from the dead. THE Hero of the NT. Descendant of David. THE Hero of the ENTIRE BIBLE!

Did you know that Jesus goes out of His way to say that very same thing? He makes it clear that He’s the point of Scripture (Jn 5:39). He goes so far as to say that when Moses wrote the first five books of the Bible, the Big Mo was writing about the coming Christ (Jn 5:46). Jesus is THE Hero of THE STORY.

After His resurrection, Jesus caught up with a couple of dudes headed home to Emmaus. He led this pair on what may be the greatest Bible study EVER. “Beginning with Moses and the Prophets, He explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning Himself” (Lk 24:27). Jesus is THE HERO of THE STORY.

So what’s all this mean? First and foremost, it’s NOT about me. And I’ve got bad news. It’s not about you either. It’s also not about Moses. Not about David. Not about Isaiah. Not about Peter. Not about Paul. It’s about the Messiah. It’s about Jesus. 

Jesus is THE Hero of THE Story.

It means that because Jesus is risen, we will rise (2Cor 4:14). We have absolutely no reason to fear our inevitable date with death. Our Heavenly Dad gives us eternal life when we believe in His Son’s perfect life, substitutionary death, and victorious resurrection (Jn 3:16). If you can’t trust Placing the One who marched right out of the cemetery, who can you trust? 

The Risen One is THE Hero of THE Story.

It means that because Jesus is a direct descendant of King David, we can be sure God is the ultimate Promise Keeper (Dt 7:9). He never lies. Ever (Num 23:19). If He says it, He will do it (Rom 4:21). Even when my faith wobbles like a Weeble (and I know it will!), I can be sure that Jesus is rock sold (2Tim 2:13). And as the Son of David, Christ is the true source of mercy and healing (Mt 15:22; 20:30).

The Son of David is THE Hero of THE Story.

It means that Jesus is the point of the Good News. Our Savior said He’s the one and only way to eternal life (Jn 14:6). The apostle Christ called Rocky told the religious police that they not only murdered the Messiah but that He’s also the exclusive source of salvation (Acts 4:12). Any other alleged good news offers no good news at all.

The Jesus of the Gospel is THE Hero of THE Story.

While you and I aren’t the point of God’s great story, Jesus invites us to be a part of it. He may have wrapped up the writing of the Bible, but He’s far from done. When we trust in Christ, we become part of His story. Think about that for a moment. We’re now included in the same grand narrative with names like Noah, Nehemiah, and our man Paul. Rocky may have an endless movie franchise. Superman may be the Man of Steel. George Bailey may be the favorite son of Bedford Falls. But Jesus is THE Hero of MY Story.

Remember, Jesus is THE Hero of THE Story.