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In the animated movie, “Spiderman- The Venom Saga”, Spiderman (aka. Peter Parker) faces his most formidable foe in Venom. The plot starts out with Spiderman going to the rescue of a shuttle that crash lands in New York. During the rescue, he has blue glob stuck to his suit. Little does he know that the blue glob is living and evil! It gives Spiderman his toughest battle he has faced!

Content Review:

This is an excellent animated movie that addresses issues such as good v.s evil, power, responsibility, love, and sacrifice. It is rated PG-13 for extensive animated violence.

Spiritual Implications:

In the movie, we see venom taking over Spiderman as it comes from beyond the earth. What happens is that Spiderman enjoys his new found power and pleasure that he was not willing to let it go at first so it slowly feeds of him.

This reminds me of what sin is. Sin is like venom that can poison anyone it touches. It comes from beyond the earth in the form of principalities and darkness.

“If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it." (Genesis 4:7, NIV)

Once a person allows sin to reign in their life then the good they used to do slowly will stop! To evade it they must fight it and resist it. This is not easy as Spiderman came to realize it but it is possible.

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” (Ephesians 6:10-12, NIV)

^"Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded." (James 4:7-8, NIV)

In the movie, Spiderman dressed in RED figured out the weakness of Venom and used it against Venom. In the same way we need RED to come to our rescue because of the Venom we all face. RED becomes our antidote to help us overcome the venom that eats us alive and makes us do things we would not do!

Just as Spiderman came to the rescue of Eddie Brock covered in Venom and being destroyed, Jesus Christ has come to our rescue. Jesus shed His cleansing blood on the cross to give us an antidote that is so RED to come to our rescue. Now because of the Blood of Jesus, it becomes out antidote against this venom known as sin. We need to accept the Blood of Jesus to wash away the venom from our lives. We cannot do it on our own but need the help of Jesus. When Jesus covers us we have a transfusion of change that wipes away the venom making us free!

“For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God. Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.” (Acts 20:27-28, NIV)

“This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood.” (Romans 3:22-25, NIV)

“Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him!” (Romans 5:9, NIV)

“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace.” (Ephesians 1:7, NIV)

“But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.” (Ephesians 2:13, NIV)

In the movie, the evil character is so evil that he asks bad people hungry for power to give their souls to him to help them defeat Spiderman. The result is more venom and carnage.

“What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matthew 16:26, NIV)

Evil takes the form of Carnage destroying everything in its path. Carnage even takes the life force out of many human beings. Sin is also like carnage that destroys those sucked into it without outside help. Just as Spiderman received help to defeat Carnage, we need to receive help from our brothers and sisters in Christ to help defeat Satan through fellowship, reading of God’s Word, and prayer!

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in [ Or through] Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23, NIV)

“But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all [ Or every] sin.” (1 John 1:7, NIV)

A touching moment in the movie is when Venom is overpowered by love. This love helps Eddie Brock fight Venom that has overtaken him. This reminds me of how the love of Jesus Christ can turn the hardest hearts and make them into loving and sacrificial beings.

“My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13, NIV)

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.” (1 Corinthians 13:4-8, NIV)

Questions to Ponder:

What are you willing to give up, to receive power you never had?

Have you ever had an experience where someone told you that you had changed and what was your reaction?

Why does sin look enticing but becomes deadly?