Some kids love Superman because he can fly… Many kids like batman and the tools of a spy. Hulk smashes through walls without even a try. But Jesus Christ is my favorite hero – I’ll tell you why, and how you too can become a superhero for the Kingdom of God. Jesus Christ The Real Superhero All your children shall be taught by the LORD, and great shall be the peace of your children. Isaiah 54:13 Do YOU like Superheroes? How many of you have seen a movie or a cartoon about a superhero? Who here likes Superman? Who likes Spiderman? Is there anyone here who likes Batman? Those are just a few of the most popular superheroes. But these super heroes are all just characters on TV and in books. There is one REAL Superhero who actually lived on Earth just like you and me, and His name is JESUS! TEACHERS: Remember to make it fun and interactive. Go as slow as you need to. The early objective is to distinguish between fictional superheroes (like Superman) and a real life superhero (Jesus Christ). Please feel free to refer to the scriptures (in the boxes at the bottom of each page) to add meaning and depth to your lessons, especially for the older children. THE JESUS SUPERHERO STORY You might know that God is the creator of all things -- the earth, the moon, the stars, the sun, the sky, the trees, the animals, and the entire universe… But did you know God has a son? Did you know that his son lived right here, on earth, as just a mortal man? That’s Jesus! And He is my favorite superhero of all-time. Two thousand years ago, God sent Jesus down to Earth to communicate with His people. Here is what happened. IN THE BEGINNING GOD CREATED THE HEAVEN AND THE EARTH. (GENESIS 1) TEACHERS: “Has anyone here learned about or heard about Jesus Christ?” “What do you know about Him?” “THE LORD GOD TOOK A HANDFUL OF SOIL AND MADE A MAN. GOD BREATHED LIFE INTO THE MAN, AND THE MAN STARTED BREATHING.” (GENESIS 2:7) The first man God created was named Adam. He lived in a beautiful garden of paradise with the prettiest fl owers and all different kinds of animals. He also lived with the first woman God created. Her name was Eve. God gave the first man and woman the power to rule the world like a king and queen. They could have anything they wanted in life and would enjoy pure happiness forever. God only asked for one thing. “Do not eat the apple on the tree in the Garden of Eden,” He said. One day, the evil angel Satan tempted Eve to disobey God by eating the forbidden apple. Eve shared the forbidden fruit with Adam. By not listening to God, Adam and Eve brought sin to Earth. Because of that first sin, we have things like earthquakes, sickness, death, suffering, lying, and war. It seemed like people would be doomed to unhappiness forever! But no, God is merciful and forgiving. He is kind and loving. He so wanted His people to be happy and to live closer to Him at his house in Heaven that He sent his own son, Jesus, on a mission to Earth to save us from evil. As the Son of God, Jesus is perfect and pure. He chose to come down as a regular person – just like you or me – because He wanted to show us that He loves us. He loves us so much that He died for all of us, so we could live and learn about the Kingdom of Heaven. In this book, you’ll learn all about Jesus: The Real Superhero. I’ll also teach you how to be a superhero too! “THE LORD IS GRACIOUS, AND FULL OF COMPASSION; SLOW TO ANGER, AND OF GREAT MERCY.” (PSALMS 145:8) “FOR THIS IS HOW GOD LOVED THE WORLD: HE GAVE HIS UNIQUE SON SO THAT EVERYONE WHO BELIEVES IN HIM MIGHT NOT BE LOST BUT HAVE ETERNAL LIFE.” (JOHN 3:16) WHAT IS A SUPERHERO? A superhero is someone we all want to be like. Superheroes are kind, strong and brave. Superheroes can help others and amaze people. Superheroes are not afraid of anything. They are famous and loved by all people for the good that they do in the world. We can all be superheroes. I’ll show you how! Jesus wants YOU to join Him! TEACHERS: “Raise your hand if you’d like to be a Superhero.” “Ok, let’s first look at the rules of what makes a good superhero.” SUPERHERO RULE 1: YOU MUST BE STRONG Superman was more powerful than a locomotive. He could crush diamonds with his bare hands and bend a steel bar. Did you know Superman could lift mountains and move planets? Wow, that sure is strong! Jesus is very strong too. He once carried a wooden cross that weighed more than 300 pounds for half a mile. Jesus does not just move physical objects. He can move any sadness, anger, or fear away from you too. Remember this saying: “As you travel life’s weary road, let Jesus lift your heavy load.” Jesus is a friend who wants you to feel light, care-free and happy. It is often said that the love of Jesus can move mountains and overcome death. “HAVE I NOT COMMANDED YOU? BE STRONG AND COURAGEOUS. DO NOT BE FRIGHTENED, AND DO NOT BE DISMAYED, FOR THE LORD YOUR GOD IS WITH YOU WHEREVER YOU GO.” (JOSHUA 1:9) SUPERHERO RULE 2: YOU MUST BE KIND, GENEROUS AND JUST Spiderman was very kind. He saved Mary Jane from danger. He even helped her with math homework. He also helped his aunt pay for her apartment. Whenever he sees someone in need, he stops what he is doing to help. As Spiderman’s Uncle Ben once said, “If you can do good things for other people, you have a moral obligation to do those things.” Jesus has too many acts of kindness to list! One time, there was a man who had a disease where his fl esh rotted off the bone. He looked really gross, so no one in the village wanted to talk to him. But Jesus did. He loves all people equal. Jesus performed a miracle by putting his hands onto the man and curing him of his sickness. “BUT THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT IS LOVE, JOY, PEACE, PATIENCE, KINDNESS, GOODNESS, FAITHFULNESS,...” (GALATIANS 5:22) “Look, I Am Sending You Out As Sheep Among Wolves. So Be As Shrewd As Snakes And Harmless As Doves.” (Matthew 10:16) SUPERHERO RULE 3: YOU NEED TO BE SMART Mr. Fantastic was a child genius in math, physics and mechanics. He was taking college classes by the time he was 14 years old. He went to some of the best colleges in America – like Columbia and Harvard. Mr. Fantastic was so smart he built his own spaceship! Jesus was so wise that he was a teacher. Thousands of people would travel to listen to the words of wisdom Jesus spoke. Because Jesus is the Son of God, he knows everything that God knows. He knows about everything that happened in the past history of the world, but he also knows about everything that will happen in the future. Even though you are just getting to know Jesus, he knows everything about you. Jesus wants all of us to be smart just like Him. TEACHERS: “Do you think Jesus knows what you’re thinking right now?” SUPERHERO RULE 4: YOU MUST BE BRAVE Captain America is considered the bravest of all superheroes. He was willing to take an experimental serum that would make him into the perfect soldier. Most of his enemies were torturers and mutants made by accident in laboratories. Captain America even fought when he knew his superpower serum had worn off. Captain America was so brave that other superheroes like Wolverine, Thor and the Human Torch would follow him into battle. Jesus was so brave that He sacrificed everything for us. Jesus died on the cross to save us from all our sins. Jesus had to fight the scariest and most evil of all enemies – Satan. While Jesus was in the wild by himself for 40 days and nights, the devil tried to test him. The devil promised to give Jesus all the power and glory of the “SO HUMBLE YOURSELVES BEFORE GOD. RESIST THE DEVIL, AND HE WILL FLEE FROM YOU.” (JAMES 4:7) TEACHERS: “Who thinks Jesus Christ is really brave?” Does anyone know why Jesus died? “Raise your hand if you want to be strong, kind, smart and brave just like Him!” world if He turned to the dark side. Jesus resisted and said, “The Scriptures say, ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve only Him!’” Finally, the devil dared Jesus to jump off a cliff, saying that God and the angels would catch Him if He were truly the Son of God. Jesus resisted and said, “Do not try to test the Lord your God!” Jesus inspires us to resist temptation and evil to do what is courageous and right. SUPERHERO RULE 5: YOU MUST HAVE SPECIAL SUPER POWERS Superhero powers may include fl ying, super strength, super speed, shape-shifting, mind reading, controlling the weather, and regeneration – to name a few. One of the coolest super powers is the ability to teleport like Thor. One time Thor teleported to the wasteland of Nastrond to help Iron Man dispose of a bomb that would destroy our entire solar system.