I love the song about Jesus being the "Hero of Heaven"

Oh, Hero of Heaven, You conquer the grave
You free every captive and break every chain
Oh God, You have done great things
We dance in Your freedom, awake and alive
Oh Jesus, our Saviour, Your name lifted high
Oh God, You have done great things

Jesus is also the "Hero of the Bible". Whether we are reading from the Old Testament or the New, we should be looking out for Jesus! He is there throughout. I was once really impacted by a preach about David and Goliath which ended with Jesus being declared the real hero of whom David was but the shadow. David's faith, zeal for God's glory and total confidence that his Lord would give him the victory, are amazingly inspirational. But it is what Jesus has done for us that should really take our breath away.

I am reading through Ezekiel at present and amidst all the graphic and horrendous language of Israel's depravity and God's wrath and judgement there are a number of occasions when God's dazzling rays of hope penetrate the dark clouds and spotlight the New Covenant.

"When the people return to their homeland, they will remove every trace of their vile images and detestable idols. And I will give them singleness of heart and put a new spirit within them. I will take away their stony, stubborn heart and give them a tender, responsive heart, so they will obey my decrees and regulations. Then they will truly be my people, and I will be their God" (Ez. 11:18-20).

"You will look back on all the ways you defiled yourselves and will hate yourselves because of the evil you have done.  You will know that I am the Lord, O people of Israel, when I have honoured my name by treating you mercifully in spite of your wickedness. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!" (Ez. 20:43-44)

There are also many indirect references to Jesus the coming Messiah; at least that is how I see them.

"I looked for someone who might rebuild the wall of righteousness that guards the land. I searched for someone to stand in the gap in the wall so I wouldn’t have to destroy the land, but I found no one. So now I will pour out my fury on them, consuming them with the fire of my anger. I will heap on their heads the full penalty for all their sins. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!" (Ez. 22:30-31).

These verses are rightly seen as a call to prayer, but they also point to Jesus the only one who can truly stand in the gap to prevent the wrath of God being poured out. The following verses underline that Jesus suffered the full penalty for the sins of the whole world; paying the debt that each one of us owes to our awesome and holy Creator.

"Now this is what the Sovereign Lord says … You will be fully repaid for all … your worship of idols. Yes, you will suffer the full penalty. Then you will know that I am the Sovereign Lord" (Ez. 23:46-49).That is Old Covenant justice. In the New we are pronounced not guilty (we are justified) on the basis of the cross and the finished work of the "Hero of our Salvation".

"My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous. He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins – and not only our sins, but the sins of the entire world" (1 John 2:1-2).