Are There Superhumans In This World?

A YouTube video titled “Stan Lee’s Superhuman Super Samurai” caught my attention recently. Having been trained in Japanese martial arts myself, I was curious to find out what this super samurai, Isao Machii, could do. True to the video’s claim that he possessed superhuman ability to slice through the smallest objects with incredible speed and precision, Isao was shown wielding a Samurai sword to slice in half a tiny air gun pellet (about 4,000 times smaller than a baseball) which was fired towards him, in slow motion. I was hooked.

So I ended up watching the entire three seasons of Stan Lee’s Superhumans, hosted by Daniel Browning Smith, a contortionist who is ranked as the most flexible man in the world. He travels the globe in search of everyday people with extraordinary physical and mental abilities. Some of the incredible people featured are: a blind man who sees the world through bat-like echolocation; a man who lives and communicates with wolves; a diver who can free dive a depth of nearly 700 feet in a single breath; and a shaolin monk who is able to withstand the deadly power of a drill forced into his stomach, throat, and even his head.

Both science and religion have attempted to give reasons for these extraordinary superhuman abilities some of us possess. Whichever the explanation we believe, we can all come to a consensus that those individuals clearly defy what we understand as the human limit. We marvel precisely because they are able to do what we will never be able to achieve in our lifetime. In fact, people with amazing abilities have always lived among us. The Bible does mention a few, most notably, Samson, a man with immense strength.

While I am amazed at what such individuals can do, I am reminded from the creation account that God made man in His own likeness. With an extraordinary powerful God, it shouldn’t surprise us then that some humans would possess extraordinary abilities.

But there is one ability I am confident the program will never be able to find among mankind—the ability to raise people from the dead. I guess that is why the producers of the show were careful to retain the word “human” in the title. After all, what makes us human is the inevitable fact that we can die.

The only superhuman who possessed the power of resurrection is Jesus Christ himself. Jesus displayed that power when He resurrected Lazarus from the grave (John 11:43). Jesus then displayed His power over death when He came back to life three days after dying on the cross. His resurrection marked the culmination of a lifetime demonstration of other superhuman abilities, from the casting out of demons to the healing of incurable diseases and physical ailments (Matthew 8:16).

But beyond just an appreciation of His limitless abilities, it is the implication of His resurrection that we ought to take note of. His resurrection spells His dominion over life and death. That makes Him way more than a superhuman; He is God himself. For that, He deserves our highest accolade—worship.

EDITOR’S NOTE: What is your favorite Bible stories or verses that reveal the power of God?

About Ian Tan

Ian is a proponent of Steve Jobs’ fashion style — black t-shirt and jeans are all you need in your closet. While you would usually find him talking to people, he’s actually an introvert and his favorite colour is green. Staying behind his camera capturing the beauty of God’s creation is where he’s most comfortable. If push comes to shove, he would rather jump out of a plane than sit on a roller coaster. But when it comes to potato chips, you can always find a supporter in him. Anytime, anyplace.