Monday, 26 March 2012
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Jesus in the Movies: "The Passion of the Christ" and Why It Still Bothers Me
The other day in the Adult Sunday School/Bible Study I am a part of at church, we were going through the passages discussing Jesus' suffering prior to his crucifixion. As we got more into the verses, the instructor played for us the scourging scene from Mel Gibson's The Passion of The Christ.
As we watched the clip, I watched as well but I also watched the reactions of the people around me; some looked stunned, some look horrified and some even wept. I watched, but the gut wrenching feeling that I get when I watch this movie was still there.When The Passion of The Christ was still in theaters, I watched it three times. Since it's been out I have watched it an additional three times and yet every single time the movie still leaves me with pain on the inside to see the words of the Prophet Isaiah being acted out in front of me: "by his stripes/wounds we are healed," Isaiah 53:5.
As I watched it, I took to identifying with the Roman soldiers who took to beating and ripping out and apart Jesus' flesh, for as I watched it I recognize that I too am guilty. I too am responsible for Jesus' death. I too am part of the reason why he went to the cross to die.
But the story doesn't end there, because it would be your typical execution in that day and age if Jesus simply died. What made it atypical is that Jesus didn't die -- period. He died, but three days later he rose again -- he rose again!
Jesus' death and resurrection was for the sins of humanity, for everyone, "that whomever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life," John 3:16.
I am glad the movie still affects me in a deep and troubling way, because I feel that it helps me to provide me with a visual of just how much suffering Jesus went through in his death and resurrection. Because it is in this selfless act of Agape -- God's unconditional love, love so I can go through my own physical death and spiritual resurrection -- that I am able to die to myself and live unto him on a day-to-day basis. For this is the reason to live, for this is how I am able to follow Christ and make him known to those around me. It is how I can extend the grace that I have received to others, it is how I can follow out The Great Commission, it is how I can live a life of love, it is how I am able to serve God by serving others.
Does watching The Passion of the Christ today still leave you with the same feeling it did the first time you watched it? How does the movie affect you? How does the knowledge of Jesus' sacrifice affect your life?
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Comments (6)
@sometimestheycomebackanyway@xanga - Every one sins. Mel Gibson
If you put a screen thatmay have a relationship with Jesus, as probably do some other 'famous' people.
I too doubt that some people have a relationship with Jesus. But it has nothing
to do with their sins, but by how they act around others. Another thing is that
you can be completely right about every fact about Jesus and the bible and not
have any real relationship with him. It would probably be difficult. But it’s
possible. As an example: the devil knows the bible inside and out. But does he
like god very much. My answer is; probably not. I see his view on the death and
resurrection of Jesus, and I know that as a human he has errors. But it is not
all errors. The movie shows truth beyond comprehension. Jesus died for
our sins, and then came back to life. Pretty amazing to think about actually...
Mel Gibson, even though from what you see with your eyes, does not have a 'Christian'
lifestyle, does not mean that he is not a Christian.
played a movie that showed all of your actions, all of your words, all of your
thoughts, and all of your intensions of only today; would you watch it and
notice a good, pure Christian?
If not then I think it is rather hypocritical to
say that someone who you do not know or see on a regular basis, is not living
his life the way he should. Because no one is perfect. We all have flaws. His
are just known because the devil brings them out more through the media around
us.
Why do people insist on watching things they know they find offensive? You saw it once and it offended you - fine, but why go back and watch it another five times if it's so bad?
@jordon - The Passion of the Christ is Mel Gibson's theology, not orthodox Christian theology.
A movie like King of Kings with Jeffrey Hunter as Jesus is an authentically Christian movie. A great many of the things Jesus says are recited during the Catholic Mass.And almost everything he says comes straight out of the Bible.The Passion of the Christ is a fictional account of a Gospel event. It must be viewed as such and not as authentic Gospel teaching.
When I watched the film, I suspended my disbelief, relaxed and watched a fictional drama, a period piece of ancient Palestine under Roman occupation.
I saw it once and found it inflammatory towards the Jews. It was the Romans who put Christ to death. True, there may have been many who stood on the sidelines as we all do when crowds whip up a fury of anger, but nonetheless, it seems unlikely that the Jews would have chosen to crucify one of their own. Also, the true message of the crucifixion is his resurrection, giving us eternal life and forgiveness.
The Gibson film was silly. My favourite pice of nonsense was the not-good their who in his agony cried out to Jesus to get them down if he is so great. For that indiscretion in the midst of his pain,he got his eyes gorged out. As if being crucified wasn't enough. Gibson is a Hollywood producer but for passing on the message? All he did was embellish it with falsehoods. It makes one wonder what embellishments have been added since the day the execution took place. The message from Gibson is "I add to the story, why not, everyone else has done it."
The movie even showed the Romans as a strict but human bunch, the upper clases at least. Like English Officers in the Raj. The common soldiery were shown as brutes but natural brutes, like savages who did not know any better. The Jewish crowd was portrayed as whipped up by Satan and therefore helped to continue the blame that da Jews dun it.
I find the film to be the most accurate film to date on the scourging of the Christ, by the Romans and the Jews, His passion for sinful mankind, His death on the cross, and most importantly, the ressurection by eyewitness account of thousands upon thousands of people.
I own a personal copy and would reccomend it to all Christians that wish to explore in their spiritual walk of what actually happened so [they] could have the pure dogma of Grace, as defined by the Apostle Paul.
My family gets together and watches it yearly and the movie profoundly effects me each time as if it were the first time I watched it. I also bought many copies giving them to friends and neighbors as I did with bibles over the years since God saved my sinful self.
Mel Gibson is a brother in Christ and genius as a directors that many people unsuccessfully tried to block, preventing the truth of this film from getting out. Gibson's special skills have enriched many Christians lives and all Christians should pray he conntinues directing and writing films for the Christian community. If I had not found Christ as my Saviour 40 years ago I most assuredly would be dead and in hell paying for my denial in the existance and gift of God's only begotten Son Jesus Christ, John 3:16.
God Bless,
Brother Robert