This morning at 10:00 I went to the Sullivan movie theater to see my free screening of The Passion of the Christ. As I walked in I honestly did not know what to expect. I have heard so many good things and bad things about the movie that I was really uncertain as to what I was about to see. If you would rather not hear anything about the movie before you see it then you should stop reading this post right here.
The movie didn’t follow the same timeline as what I had in my mind. In fact Meb Gibson stayed with a very short period of time in the life of Jesus starting right off with Jesus praying in the garden as the disciples fell asleep and ending with the crucifixion and an extremely short glimpse of the resurrection. However, the things that happened within that period of time were simply horrendous. I think I went through several different levels of feelings as I sat and watched the Passion unfold. It began with a swelling of hatred towards the high priests, pity for the disciples, and deep sorrow for Jesus as he was brutally beaten. I then experienced fear as I watched how evil was portrayed in the film. There are several startling scenes with evil itself watching, lurking, and taunting as these things take place.
I can honestly say I have never in my life been to a movie that ended and the majority of the people in the theater simply sat in silence as the credits rolled by. A few people got up and left, but almost everyone else sat in stunned silence (with sniffles). The movie certainly gives a renewed outlook of the crucifixion and just how brutal it was. To say that I enjoyed the movie would be a misconception… because I am not sure how anyone could enjoy watching a man being whipped, beaten, and crucified, especially knowing that it is what happened to our Savior. However, I do believe this movie is a great tool to show others what Jesus did for us. He gave His life, laid it down for us…
We have rented the movie theater for next Friday evening for church. My youth group will be allowed to invite as many teenagers as they want to come see the movie with them. I pray that the people who watch this movie will either have a greater passion and love for Christ or will have so many questions that they will seek the word of truth and I pray that the churches will rise up and share the gospel of Christ to those who are seeking that many will come to know Jesus, not necessarily through the movie, but through the hearing of the word of truth. Mel Gibson’s movie is not the key to salvation, but it is a window into the world of Christ and will be an excellent evangelistic tool. Of course, what can be used for good can also sometimes be used for evil, so I would certainly have to say proceed with caution. See the movie for what it is, a portrayal of the death of Christ.
“To say that I enjoyed the movie would be a misconception… because I am not sure how anyone could enjoy watching a man being whipped, beaten, and crucified, especially knowing that it is what happened to our Savior.”
As a christian do you not believe that Jesus was sent to Earth exactly for that to happen to him? Was this not just the fulfillment of his destiny? If this had not happened to Jesus would he not just be another man who was charismatic?
I would think that christians would celebrate his crucifixion (no matter how gruesome the portrayal is on film). The christian creed which millions recite every Sunday includes: “For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried.” As they say this there is usually an image of Jesus hanging on a cross on the wall in front of them.
I want to see this film but I feel uncomfortable knowing that I’ll probably be surrounded by a bunch of christian zealots. It would be like you going to a film about Malcolm X and being surrounded by members of the Nation of Islam.
“As a christian do you not believe that Jesus was sent to Earth exactly for that to happen to him? Was this not just the fulfillment of his destiny?
Sure it was. Jesus suffered and died on the cross to pay for my sins. I take great joy in the love of Christ and that He was willing to give His life in my place. I celebrate who God is, and what He was willing to do for me. However, I do not look at Jesus being beaten, whipped, and brutalized and jump for joy. I feel a tremendous amount of sorrow and pain knowing that Jesus experienced all of that in order to pay the price for my own sin. There is something wrong with a person if they can sit and watch a man being tormented and beat for two hours and come away saying, “I really enjoyed that.” It’s not entertainment. However, to set and watch the movie and realize that Jesus did all that for me because he loved me so much and take great joy and pleasure in that, well that is a different story all together.
I have never in my life recited the Christian creed, and I don’t worship in a sactuary filled with images of Jesus, mary, or anyone else for that matter.
The Nicene Creed (which I quoted) is recited East Orthodox, Roman Catholics, Anglicans, Lutherans, Calvinists, and others each week. When I was a kid I went to a UCC church and we used the Apostles’ Creed. The SBC in its BF&M part II.B. states “and in His substitutionary death on the cross He made provision for the redemption of men from sin.” In numbers four and five of your own Statement of Faith you expand upon it, so you may not say it as part of your worship service but it obviously one of the foundations of your religious belief. Anyhow that was my point.
“It’s not entertainment.”
It’s not? Is it info-tainment? edu-tainment? Not only is it entertainment, it is big busines. Lapel pins, coffee mugs, CDs.
tHIS IS MY TAKE….iF PEOPLE CAN SO BLATANTLY SHOW MOVIES WITH CRAZY FICTIONAL CHARACTERS KILLING HALF NAKED WOMEN AT A CAMP GROUND(FREDDY AND JASON) OR SHOW FILMS WITH TEENAGERS GOING TO MUCH LENGTHS FOR SEXUAL ACTIVITY(AMERICAN PIE)OR SHOW LESBIAN AND GAY ACTIVITY (ANGER MANAGEMENT)AND CALL THAT ENTERTAINMENT THAT CAN BE SAT THROUGH AND LAUGHED AT AS FUNNY (WHICH BY THE WAY ONCE YOU LAUGH AT IT, YOU HAVE ACCEPTED IT) THEN I BY ALL MEANS WOULD CALL THE SHOWING OF WHAT TRUELY DID HAPPEN AND WHAT IS TRUE AND TO SAVE OUR LIVES - NO NOT ENTERTAINMENT, BUT ONE MORE ATTEMPT TO SHOW EVERYONE WHY THEY MUST TURN AWAY FROM THIS WORLD AND BE IN IT BUT NOT OF IT. TIME IS TRUELY SHORT AND THIS IS WHAT SOCIETY NEEDS TO SEE FOR THEIR OWN SAKES…OTHERWISE THE DEVIL, LUCIFER OR WHATEVER NAME HE CHOOSES WOULD NOT BE PUTTING UP SUCH A STIR WITH THIS FILM…THINK ABOUT IT….IF YOU ARE A CHRISTIAN THE DEVIL WILL BOTHER YOU, IF YOU ARE NOT A CHRISTIAN HE WILL LEAVE YOU ALONE HE HAS ALL READY CLAIMED YOU….THIS WILL BE THE MOVIE EVERYONE NEEDS TO SEE…TO ALL WHO IS APPALED AT IT…TAKE YOUR OWN ADVICE AND REMEMBER YOU DO NOT HAVE TO LOOK AT IT AS CHRISTIANS ARE TOLD TIME AND TIME AGAIN WHEN THE SMUT IS ALL AROUND….TO THE CHRISTIAN…USE THIS FILM TO TOUCH WHO YOU CAN FOR CHRIST….THERE IS A REVIVAL ABOUT TO HAPPEN AND IN MY OPINION IT STARTS HERE…..THANK YOU MEL GIBSON AND THANK YOU GOD FOR GIVING HIM THIS VISION AND TALENT TO PRODUCE IT…IT WILL FAR EXCEED THE 600.8 MILLION DOLLAR MARK, WHICH IS THE TOP SELLING MOVIE OF ALL TIME (TITANIC) AND I HOPE THE PROCEEDS ARE THEN USED TO DO ANOTHER….FOR AS LONG AS GOD STANDS WITH YOU, WHO CAN STAND AGAINST YOU…FOR GREATER IS HE THAT IS IN YOU AND US(CHRISTIANS) THAN HE THAT IS IN THE WORLD….
Tina, wouldn’t christians be doing the work of Jesus if they put that $600.8M to better use like bringing clean water to third world villages. Like doing something about the AIDS epidemic in Africa. Like feeding hungry children all over the world.
I saw a man on the news today that paid $40,000 to buy out a theater to show the film. If that’s what he wants to do with his money, fine.
It seems a bit sinister to me that Gibson and company are selling this film to the public as entertainment while they are marketing the film to christian churches as a “witnessing tool.”
Well thank you so much Rob for the history lesson. I know the Nicene creed. I know the practices of East orthodox, Roman Catholics, Anglicans, Luthernas, and I know exactly what the Baptist Faith & Message says. I was not disagreeing with what you quoted, only with your opinion about the cross.
THe movie itself does have two sides. To non-Christians it could certainly be considered entertainment. To Christians it is certainly not.
We can watch the movie, see the brutality that Christ went through and realize both how much God hates sin, and how much Jesus loved us, and hopefully it will bring lost people to ask questions and seek the truth in the gospel.
pre-Passion[ed] chills
If it had been anyone other than Jesus up on that cross…
“Wouldn’t christians be doing the work of Jesus if they put that $600.8M to better use like bringing clean water to third world villages. Like doing something about the AIDS epidemic in Africa. Like feeding hungry children all over the world.”
Wouldn’t more Christians doing the work of Jesus be better use than money? What if that money for the film leads to many converts who can then turn to help the world? Wouldn’t than ultimately be better help to those people and problems? I would think so.
What good is it to have clean water, a solution to AIDS and food if you still end up going to hell? “What good is it if a man gains the whole world but forfeits his soul?”
Living with AIDS, cholera, hunger, etc is HELL.
Those things do not even come close to comparing to what Hell will be like. Not that I don’t think we need to do what we can to help with those things, but sharing Christ should be a priority.
rob, you can take some solace in the fact that i’m a Christian who thinks Christians should use the $600.8M should be used to help provide clean water, etc to people in developing countries. there aren’t many of us, but we’re out there. it’s just that our voices get drowned out and marginalized. i plan on seeing the movie (because i like movies) but i think that it’s a far more effective witness for Christians to follow Jesus’ commands to help the less fortunate in the world than to take a non-Christian to a movie which is going to recap things they already have heard and a story they already know (albeit in a far more dramatic fashion). don’t give up on the church yet…there are plenty of other Christians who believe this too. check out the book “Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger” by Ron Sider. if you read his book, well, you’ll see why he doesn’t have a big following in the church.
LJ is quite optimistic…the Christian church in it’s present state sure hasnt done a good job “turning over the world”…who’s to say that more converts will make this happen? i doubt it. as long as “works” continue to be scandalized in Protestant churches, it’s not going to happen.
to pressed: giving people clean water, AIDS help, etc, isn’t “giving them the whole world.” it’s helping them satisfy basic human needs. there’s a difference. everyone, Christian or not, deserves to have health care, access to clean water, and food. i honestly think you quoted that verse out of context…
Joseph, You are right, I did take that verse out of context. That verse deals with Jesus giving His disciples two approaches to life: They could deny themselves, follow Christ, lose their life for Him, forsake the world, and keep their soul or they could live for themselves, follow the world, save their own lives, gain the world, and lose their soul.
However, the consept here is dealing with the physical need over the spiritual needs. Regardless of whether you agree with the method or not, the money used on this movie is being used as an evangelistic tool in order to deal the the spiritual lives of others. “Make Disciples.” What you are saying is that it is better to take all of that money that we would use for evangelical purposes and spend it on meeting physical needs and not spiritual needs.
And once again, as a classic liberal, you are making the assumption that if Christians are spending money on evangelism or some other thing then they are not spending money on helping 3rd world countries with food, water, and the like. This may be a new concept to you people but we can actually do both! Yes, that is right, we can do both! Hard to believe huh?
Our youth group has spent the last two months raising money for World Vision in order to feed the hungry, provide clean water, provide medicine, and supplies for people in third world countries and yet we have also rented out the local theater to see the Passion and invite friends who may need to hear the gospel. I think it is important to do both. I understant that people have physical needs that need to be met, but I would think their spiritual needs are far greater. It wouldn’t serve a person at all to have food, water, and a good life if they die without Jesus.
Joe,
I know that there are plenty of Christians doing good in the world (even some in my own family). As you probably remember from some of my previous comments, I have a problem with the emphasis on “witnessing” in some christian off-shoots. I won’t go into here.
Gibson and company have been marketing this film to these people for months. Getting them to believe that it is their christian duty to buy up these blocks of tickets and get butts in the seats. How many points do they get for each convert?
If the groups that are so gung-ho about this film would redirect that energy and enthusiasm into doing REAL good in the world maybe they could make a REAL difference.
That church group could decide to put that money into helping a Haitian village construct infrastructure for clean water. Or, maybe send condoms or AIDS drugs to Africa.
These same people are more concerned about what their neighbors might be doing in their bedrooms than helping others who are less fortunate.
Where did the figure 600.8 million come from??
Michael- it comes from Tina’s comment:
“…IT WILL FAR EXCEED THE 600.8 MILLION DOLLAR MARK, WHICH IS THE TOP SELLING MOVIE OF ALL TIME (TITANIC) AND I HOPE THE PROCEEDS ARE THEN USED TO DO ANOTHER….” — Tina (the coomment in all caps)
Ok Rob. I see now that the only thing you want to do on my site is cause arguments and trouble. You are having a conversation with Joeseph on my blog and using it to bash Christians who you have a hatred for anyway. I know people with the most innocent of intentions doing their best to not only help others but introduce those people they help to Jesus, and if this movie is a way to do that then I say do it.
I also see that you could care less about the spread of the gospel and would rather all Christians just do some ‘good’ in the world… that is, what is ‘good’ in your own eyes. Lets help people with water and send them a bunch of condoms so they can live a better life and then die and go to hell. Yes, you really care about people huh?
There are church groups and Christians that put just as much emphasis on feeding the hungry and helping with clean water as they do evangelizing and pointing people to Jesus. But I have said that in a previous comment of which you chose to ignore and spout off your mouth just to start trouble.
You spend your time on my site bashing Christians, conservatives, and anyone else you think you can start a fight with. I won’t have it anymore. If all you want to do is stirr up stuff and spout off your garbage then this is not the place to do it. Your time is up here, don’t leave another comment on my site.
And for anyone else who wants to use my site to start fights, bash people, and just all around spread their negative attitude about everything be forwarned you will be gone too.
Untitled Entry (on ‘The Passion’)
Reactions from bloggers who’ve seen it:
Craig Tanner, Feb. 21
Rev. Donald Sensing,