Step Aside, Bond, Bauer & Bourne
Rescuing the helpless, preventing disasters, and putting one’s life on the line—it’s all in a day’s work for a secret agent.
In the realm of highly trained and exceptionally skilled government agents, there are a few who stand out. Of course, there’s James Bond of England’s MI6. Always ready to save the day is Jack Bauer of the Los Angeles Counter Terrorist Unit. In his own league is Jason Bourne, the rogue secret agent of the CIA. James Bond, Jack Bauer, Jason Bourne.
Many of the word’s best secret agents all have the initials “J.B.” As impressive as these world class undercover agents are, there was one who was much better. But you wouldn’t call him J.B., though some call him J.C., that is, Jesus Christ.
You might be protesting, “But Jesus was not an undercover agent!” But the Scriptures reveal a different story. Jesus was sent on a mission of the utmost importance, and the nature of His mission was for the most part concealed from others. Furthermore, His full identity was largely unknown. Demons knew who He was, but He wouldn’t let them blow His cover. This can be seen in His ministry in Capernaum:
And He healed many who were ill with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and He was not permitting the demons to speak, because they knew who He was. (Mark 1:34)
The entertainment media’s superheroes have eluded death time after time. Similarly, Jesus escaped the hands of murderous men a number of times. For instance, early in His ministry, Jesus entered a synagogue and read from the scroll of Isaiah. The Bible records what happened when He then announced that He was the fulfillment of the prophecy about the Messiah:
And all the people in the synagogue were filled with rage as they heard these things; and they got up and drove Him out of the city, and led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city had been built, in order to throw Him down the cliff. But passing through their midst, He went His way. (Luke 4:28-30)
On the other hand, there are ways in which Jesus was very different from the famous government agents. For example, the agents were trained in the use of High-tech devices like GPS tracking and guidance systems. James Bond always seemed to have a natural ability to handle whatever gadgets “Q” developed. Before Jesus began His public ministry, He also became adept at using devises. But His implements were the simple tools of a carpenter. Yet His most effective tools were the spoken word and the power of the Spirit:
The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life. (John 6:63, NRSV)
Bond, Bauer, and Bourne are all very skilled at killing people when necessary. In Bond’s case, he is said to be “licensed to kill.” While I am certainly not a pacifist, it must be pointed out that Jesus was able to defeat His greatest foe without killing a single person or using any deadly weapon. While others were trained to kill, Jesus was empowered to heal:
When He went ashore, He saw a large crowd, and felt compassion for them and healed their sick. (Matthew 14:14)
While James, Jack, and Jason at various times needed a “miracle,” none of them ever worked a miracle in the biblical sense of the word. But Jesus actually worked mighty and awesome miracles. He healed blind eyes, gave speech to the mute, opened deaf ears, raised people from the dead, and even walked on water:
And large crowds came to Him, bringing with them those who were lame, crippled, blind, mute, and many others, and they laid them down at His feet; and He healed them. (Matthew 15:30)
Of course, it goes with saying that Bond, Bauer, and Bourne are fictional. But Jesus is very real. His ministry on earth profoundly touched the lives of thousands. And His death, resurrection, and ascension were witnessed by many:
The one who existed from the beginning is the one we have heard and seen. We saw him with our own eyes and touched him with our own hands. He is Jesus Christ, the Word of life. This one who is life from God was shown to us, and we have seen him. And now we testify and announce to you that he is the one who is eternal life. He was with the Father, and then he was shown to us. We are telling you about what we ourselves have actually seen and heard, so that you may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. (1 John 1:1-3, NLT)
What’s more, Bond, Bauer, and Bourne saved many lives, but Jesus has saved millions of souls. This was even foretold by an angel before Jesus was born:
She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins. (Matthew 1:21)
Jesus Himself said:
For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost. (Luke 19:10)
He also proclaimed:
If anyone hears My sayings and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. (John 12:47)
We can see that Jesus is clearly superior to any super agent, whether fictional or real. His miracles dramatically delivered people from infirmities. His teachings revealed powerful truths about the kingdom of God. He lived a holy and selfless life of service to others. And His atoning blood has granted millions of people divine forgiveness and eternal life!
Jesus accomplished His mission—the greatest mission of all. So step aside, James! Move over, Jack and Jason! Make way for the real Savior of the world—Jesus Christ!
Do you want to have the power of Jesus Christ in your life? Pray this simple prayer with me:
Heavenly Father, I come to you in Jesus' name. I know that I am a sinner and need your forgiveness. I believe that You died on the cross for my sins and rose from the grave to give me life. I know You are the only way to God so now I want to quit disobeying You and start living for You. Please forgive me, change my life and show me how to know You. In Jesus' name. Amen.
