The Wolverine

The Wolverine is a 2013 movie. In the words of the description, “Based on the celebrated comic book arc, this epic action-adventure takes Wolverine (Hugh Jackman), the most iconic character of the X-Men universe, to modern day Japan. Out of his depth in an unknown world, he will face a host of unexpected and deadly opponents in a life-or-death battle that will leave him forever changed. Vulnerable for the first time and pushed to his physical and emotional limits, he confronts not only lethal samurai steel but also his inner struggle against his own immortality.”

Link – https://youtu.be/u1VCP3O8wG0

Video Points – Immortality

Wolverine has been struggling with his own immortality (meaning he cannot die). So he accepts an offer to become like a mortal (a normal person who can die and live). This is an issue for us because (like Wolverine) as believers in Jesus, we have a promise that we will live forever with Jesus. So when we die, we will be with Jesus forever in a place so incredible that the Bible doesn’t even bother to explain it all – words wouldn’t do justice to how incredible it will be.

So how do we live life knowing this? What is life compared to eternity? How should this make us live our lives?

Video Point – The ‘spider’ inside us

At one point Logan uses an X-ray machine to scan his body. He finds that he has a toxic robotic ‘spider’ attached to his heart. This is a parasite – an evil infection – put there deliberately to stop him healing. He removes this by cutting into his body and destroying it.

Here’s the points for us: first of all we know from the Bible that the ‘heart is deceitful’ but we also know that when Jesus lives in us, he changes our heart by putting his Holy Spirit in us. But we also know that we have to fight against evil and sin inside of us all our life. We can sort things out with God by saying sorry and asking Him to forgive us when we do wrong.

So are there any ‘spiders’ that you need to deal with and remove from your heart? Logan had to cut his flesh – but we don’t need to do this as Jesus has already done this. His blood was spilled and his flesh was destroyed when he was killed on the Cross. This means that Jesus has suffered the punishment we deserve. All we need to do is put our trust in Him and then work with God as he helps us change to become more like Jesus so we become all we were meant to be! It’s a good deal!

Video Point – letting go of the past

At times in the movie, Logan is haunted by hallucinations of Jean Grey (from the first X-Men movies), who he loved and whose death he was powerless to stop. In this movie, he eventually lets go of her in his mind.

In the same way the Bible tells us to ‘forget the former things’ and look forward and run the race that God has put in front of us. Sometimes we have to deal with our past and say sorry to God (and others) but sometimes the enemy drags up our past to stop us moving forward. Do you need to let go of the past so you can move forward? Ask God for his help!