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My wife and I went to the Krafft 8
Theatre in Port Huron, Michigan, Monday morning to see The
Passion of the Christ. I'm sure by now, many of you have
either seen Mel Gibson's much talked about film, or plan to
see it soon. The film earned $125 million in its first five
days--putting it right up there with Lord of the Rings:
The Return of the King.
The Paralysis of
Analysis
It's hard to describe the feelings I
had, as Debbi and I got in the car and headed to the theatre.
After reading countless reviews, and listening to endless
debates about this movie, I wasn't sure what to expect. I do
believe I would have viewed the film differently if I hadn't
heard all the media coverage. Instead of experiencing the
emotion and drama of the story, I found myself analyzing every
scene for scriptural accuracy and anti-Semitic messages. I
watched from a distance.
Was there too much violence?
Maybe. The movie was brutal in its depiction of the physical
sufferings of Christ. But, really, none of us know exactly how
the events unfolded. What is certain, according to the prophet
Isaiah, is that, "many were amazed when they saw him--beaten
and bloodied, so disfigured one would scarcely know he was a
person" (Isaiah 52:14, NLT). Obviously, He was tortured and
beaten without mercy.
There's something I think we
often miss, though, when we consider Jesus' suffering. Every
year, on Good Friday, or sometime during the Easter season,
someone pulls out a doctor's description of the suffering one
goes through while being crucified. From all accounts, it's a
terrible way to die. But when you think of the physical
suffering Jesus endured on the cross, you need to remember
that there were two other guys--one on His right and one on
His left--that endured the same things He did. There was a
difference, however. These men were guilty and deserved to
die--Jesus died an innocent man.
Now, I'm not trying in
any way to diminish the work of Christ on the cross. But the
truth is, thousands of people have experienced the horrors of
death by crucifixion. Church tradition tells us that Peter was
crucified--upside down. Now, that's a tough way to
go.
A Look Behind the Scenes
To
really understand the sufferings of Christ, you must look
behind the scenes--you must understand what happened to Jesus
in the realm of the spirit. I believe that the pain Jesus felt
in the flesh--as terrible as it was--pales in comparison to
what He experienced when our sin was laid upon Him. I believe
this was the chief reason for His agony in the Garden of
Gethsemane. It was not the fear of being physically nailed to
the cross that caused Him to sweat drops of blood--it was the
knowledge that when He took our sin, He would experience a
separation from His Heavenly Father. The moment He realized
that separation, He cried out, "My God, my God, why have you
forsaken Me?" There is no way we can understand the agony and
terror of that moment.
These things, my friend, were
the depths of the suffering and pain Jesus endured for you and
me. Paul put it this way, "He who knew no sin, became sin..."
(2 Cor. 5:21). At that moment, the sun was obscured, darkness
fell upon the land, and Jesus knew what it felt like to be
abandoned, cast off, and forsaken by God--He knew the feeling
of being lost.
As I watched The
Passion, the word "torn" came to mind.
I saw Mary,
the mother of Jesus, watching in agony, as her son was torn
from her, and as His body was torn apart by scourging and
crucifixion. I felt Jesus' pain as the nails tore through his
hands and feet, and when He was torn away from the presence of
the Father. I imagined the Father's heart being torn in two,
as that single tear dropped from the heavens, and splashed on
the earth below. Then there was the veil in the temple--torn
from top to bottom--signaling a new day, opening a new way,
and inviting us back into the presence of God.
You see,
if you only focus on the physical aspect of the sufferings of
Christ, you will miss the greatest sacrifice of all--Jesus
didn't just offer His body--He offered His very life,
too.
Because of Love
While we
are on this earth, there's only so much that we will be able
to comprehend concerning Christ's sacrifice. Now, we only
"know in part." But when we see Him face to face, we will
understand more completely the price that was paid for our
redemption from the power of sin and a sentence of death.
Jesus Christ bore our sins, He took our punishment, and He
suffered more than anyone ever has or ever will.
Why
did He subject Himself to such pain and
suffering?
Because of love. Because God loved the world
so much that He was willing to give up His only Son to die for
our sins. Because Jesus loved the Father so much He was
willing to lay down His life in obedience to the will and
purpose of God. Jesus truly is "the Lamb of God who takes away
the sin of the world" (John 1:29).
"Thank You,
Mr. Gibson"
I commend Mel Gibson for putting
his money where his heart is, and making this movie. It
has--and will--touch hundreds of thousands of lives for time
and eternity. God is using this breathtaking portrait of the
suffering of Jesus Christ as a catalyst for conversation about
the meaning of His life and death. This is one story the devil
would just as soon bury (God knows he's tried!). But God has a
way of bringing dead things to life. You just can't keep a
good man down!
By the way, if you haven't seen the
Lord of the Rings trilogy, you must. But I suggest
you watch them in sequence. Going to see The Return of the
King, before you've seen The Fellowship of the
Ring and The Two Towers, is like starting a book
2/3 of the way through--you're just not going to understand
what's going on. There are many good reasons why Return of
the King was voted "Best Picture of 2003" by the Motion
Picture Academy. You simply must see it. But do yourself a
favor--see the other two first.
think on these
things...
Isaiah 53:3-8
(LVB)
We despised him and rejected him--a man of
sorrows, acquainted with bitterest grief. We turned our backs
on him and looked the other way when he went by. He was
despised and we didn't care. Yet it was our grief he bore, our
sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles
were a punishment from God, for his own sins! But he was
wounded and bruised for our sins. He was beaten that we might
have peace; he was lashed--and we were healed! We--every one
of us--have strayed away like sheep! We, who left God's paths
to follow our own. Yet God laid on him the guilt and sins of
every one of us! He was oppressed and he was afflicted, yet he
never said a word. He was brought as a lamb to the slaughter;
and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he stood silent
before the ones condemning him. From prison and trial they led
him away to his death. But who among the people of that day
realized it was their sins that he was dying for--that he was
suffering their punishment?
"My movie has a tremendous
message of faith, hope, love, forgiveness and a message of
tremendous courage and sacrifice. My hope is that it will
effect people on a very profound level and somehow change
them..." -- Mel Gibson
For more articles on "The
Passion of the Christ," and the meaning of Jesus' sacrifice,
visit The Christian Broadcasting Network's "The
Passion of The Christ Special Feature". I also encourage
you to take a look at Gordon Robertson's perspective on "Psalm
22 and The Passion of Jesus".
Copyright 2004 Randall Gearhart
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