Spider-Man is one of the most relatable heroes in fiction—and that’s exactly the problem.

He’s broke. He’s anxious. He’s burdened. He keeps failing the people he loves. He struggles to balance a life of selfless service with just trying to survive.

Peter Parker isn’t the hero we’d want to be.
He’s the hero we are.

And in that mirror, something becomes painfully clear: We are not enough.

Spider-Man: A Saviour Who Can Bleed

Unlike invincible superheroes like Superman or other godlike figures, Spider-Man bleeds. He breaks bones. He loses jobs. He fails relationships. He watches friends die.

Peter suffers not just physically, but emotionally and spiritually.
He’s always trying to make up for what he couldn’t do.

And we get that—because we live it.
We carry regret. We carry shame. We try to fix the brokenness around us, and inside us.

But here’s the truth: We were never meant to be the saviour.

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
— Romans 3:23

Peter Parker’s journey reminds us we fall short. No matter how hard we try, how noble our intentions, how much we sacrifice—it isn’t enough to save anyone.
Not permanently. Not perfectly.

Great Power, Great Failure

“With great power comes great responsibility.”
That mantra has become Peter’s life—and his curse.

But what happens when your power isn’t enough?
What happens when responsibility exceeds your capacity?

Peter constantly pays for his failures. Gwen dies (spoiler alert?). Aunt May dies (come on, the movie’s been out for a while—okay, spoiler alert). Harry turns. Miles suffers. MJ leaves.
And still, he thinks it’s his job to fix it.

“There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.”
— Proverbs 14:12

We live like that, too. We think we can redeem our past with good behaviour. That we can fix our lives with effort. That if we just try harder, love deeper, work longer—it’ll be okay.

But it won’t. Because sin isn’t just a mess we clean up—it’s a debt we can’t pay.

“For the wages of sin is death…”
— Romans 6:23a

 

We Need a Better Hero

Spider-Man gives everything he has, and it’s still not enough.
And it’s supposed to feel like that—because it points us to someone better.

“…but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
— Romans 6:23b

Jesus isn’t just another hero. He’s the Saviour.
Not a man trying to make up for His sins, but the Son of God, sinless and pure, taking our place.

“He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth.
He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree,
that we might die to sin and live to righteousness.
By his wounds you have been healed.”
— 1 Peter 2:22, 24

Spider-Man can save a city for a day.
Jesus saved sinners for eternity.

Peter tries. Jesus finishes.
Peter carries guilt. Jesus cancels it.
Peter sacrifices to make up for failure. Jesus sacrifices to atone for ours.

The Burden We Were Never Meant to Carry

Peter Parker shoulders a burden that breaks him.
And so do we.
We try to carry guilt, grief, sin, shame, fear, control—and it will crush us.

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me,
for I am gentle and lowly in heart,
and you will find rest for your souls.”
— Matthew 11:28–29

Christ doesn’t ask us to be the hero.
He calls us to admit that we can’t—and trust the One who already triumphed.

“For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.”
— Romans 5:6

 

The Saviour We Need

We love Spider-Man because we see ourselves in him.
And in that reflection, we’re reminded of our limits.

But the Gospel tells us about someone greater than Peter Parker:
A sinless Saviour who didn’t just try, but triumphed.

You were never meant to save the world.
You were meant to be saved.

“For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men,
the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all…”
— 1 Timothy 2:5–6

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.