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Matthew 20:28
Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.
John 20
30 And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book:
31 But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.
When I hear about all the strife and arguments surrounding the movie "The Passion of The Christ" I am amazed at the lack of the knowledge of the truth about our Blessed Savior in this world. Also, I am quickly reminded that this world hates our Jesus.
I am eternally grateful for a Pastor who taught us to love Gods precious Word. If there was one thing we learned it was a genuine love and respect for the Bible. That blessed Book as quoted above tells us who killed our Lord. In fact, it was all of us from Adam til now that crucified the Lord. But you know what? The remarkable, the wonderful and the glorious truth is that he willingly came and died for us with pure love in his heart and he came and gave his life as our ransom. We could not cross that great gulf to a Holy God because sin from Adam on had separated us from Him. But when Jesus came, he made a way through His precious Blood that we could be born again and made alive as sons and daughters of the Living God and Creator of this beautiful universe. That should make every blood bought saint in this world shout!
Are you going to see the movie? I know I am. For some reason I feel that God is about to do some great things in this old world. Yes he still loves the world even though it has become so wicked. I believe that this film may just be a tool to lead many lost souls into His glorious kingdom. Our job will be to to tell them more about him and how to know Him as personal Saviour and Lord.
As I was writing this, an email came from a dear sister in the Lord, Chris Davis. It is the comments of one who has seen the new Movie. I pray that many will be saved as a result of the great film and I pray that it will begin a great ingathering of souls for the Lord Jesus. May God Bless you this week. Thanks Chris for the email.
Elaine
Copied from an email!
(Jody was working on KVIL Radio with Ron Chapman and is now a TV
anchor person on Channel 11-CBS in Dallas.)
From Jody Dean:
There've been a ton of emails and forwards floating around recently from those who've had the privilege of seeing Mel Gibson's "The Passion Of The Christ" prior to its actual release. I thought I'd give you my reaction after seeing it last night.
The screening was on the first night of "Elevate!", a weekend-long
seminar for young people at Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano. There were about 2,000 people there, and the movie was shown after several speakers had taken the podium. It started around 9 and finished around 11...so I reckon the film is about two hours in length. Frankly, I lost complete track of time - so I can't be sure.
I want you to know that I started in broadcasting when I was
13-years-old. I've been in the business of writing, performing,
production, and broadcasting for a long time. I've been a part of movies, radio, television, stage and other productions - so I know how things are done. I know about soundtracks and special effects and make-up and screenplays.
I think I've seen just about every kind of movie or TV show ever
made - from extremely inspirational to extremely gory. I read a lot, too - and have covered stories and scenes that still make me wince. I also have a vivid imagination, and have the ability to picture things as they must have happened - or to anticipate things as they will be portrayed. I've also seen an enormous amount of footage from Gibson's film, so I thought I knew what was coming.
But there is nothing in my existence - nothing I could have read,
seen, heard, thought, or known - that could have prepared me for what I saw on screen last night. This is not a movie that anyone will "like". I don't think it's a movie anyone will "love". It certainly doesn't "entertain". There isn't even the sense that one has just watched a movie.
What it is, is an experience - on a level of primary emotion that
is scarcely comprehensible. Every shred of human preconception or
predisposition is utterly stripped away. No one will eat popcorn
during this film. Some may not eat for days after they've seen it. Quite honestly, I wanted to vomit. It hits that hard.
I can see why some people are worried about how the film portrays the Jews. They should be worried. No, it's not anti-Semitic. What
it is, is entirely shattering. There are no "winners". No one comes
off looking "good" - except Jesus. Even His own mother hesitates. As depicted, the Jewish leaders of Jesus' day merely do what any of us would have done - and still do.
They protected their perceived "place" - their sense of safety and
security, and the satisfaction of their own "rightness". But everyone falters. Caiphus judges. Peter denies. Judas betrays. Simon the Cyrene balks. Mark runs away. Pilate equivocates. The crowd mocks. The soldiers laugh. Longinus still stabs with his pilus. The cent urion still carries out his orders. And as Jesus fixes them all with a glance, they still turn away. The Jews, the Romans, Jesus' friends - they all fall. Everyone, except the Principal Figure. Heaven sheds a single, mighty tear - and as blood and water spew from His side, the complacency of all creation is eternally shattered.
The film grabs you in the first five seconds, and never lets go. The brutality, humiliation, and gore is almost inconceivable - and still probably doesn't go far enough. The scourging alone seems to never end, and you cringe at the sound and splatter of every blow - no matter how steely your nerves. Even those who have known combat or prison will have trouble, no matter their experience - because this Man was not conscripted. He went willingly, laying down His entirety for all. It is one thing for a soldier to die for his countrymen. It's something else entirely to think of even a common man dying for those who hate and wish to kill him. But this is no common man. This is t he King of the Universe. The idea that anyone could or would have gone through such punishment is unthinkable - but this Man was completely innocent, completely holy - and paying the price for others. He screams as He is laid upon the cross, "Father, they don't know. They don't know..."
What Gibson has done is to use all of his considerable skill to portray the most dramatic moment of the most dramatic events since the dawn of time. There is no escape. It's a punch to the gut that puts you on the canvas, and you don't get up. You are simply confronted by the horror of what was done - what had to be done - and why. Throughout the entire film, I found myself apologizing.
What you've heard about how audiences have reacted is true. There was no sound after the film's conclusion. No noise at all. No one got up. No one moved. The only sound one could hear was sobbing. In all my years of public life, I have never heard anything like that.
I told many of you that Gibson had reportedly re-shot the ending to include more "hope" through the Resurrection? That's not true. The Resurrection scene is perhaps the shortest in the entire movie - and yet it packs a punch that can't be quantified. It is perfect. There is no way to negotiate the meaning out of it. It simply asks, "Now, what will you do?"
I'll leave the details to you, in the hope that you will see the film - but one thing above all stands out, and I have to tell you
about it. It comes from the end of Jesus' temptations in the wilderness - where the Bible says Satan left him "until a more opportune time".
I imagine Satan never quit tempting Christ, but this film captures
beyond words the most opportune time.
At every step of the way, Satan is there at Jesus' side - imploring Him to quit, reasoning with Him to give up, and seducing Him to surrender.
For the first time, one gets a heart-stopping idea of the sense
of madness that must have enveloped Jesus - a sense of the evil
that was at His very elbow. The physical punishment is relentless - but it's the sense of psychological torture that is most overwhelming. He should have quit. He should have opened His mouth. He should have called 10,000 angels. No one would have blamed Him.
What we deserve is obvious. But He couldn't do that. He wouldn't do that. He didn't do that. He doesn't do that. It was not and is not His character. He was obedient, all the way to the cross - and you feel the real meaning of that phrase in a place the human heart usually doesn't dare to go. You understand that we are called to that same level of obedience. With Jesus' humanity so irresistibly on display, you understand that we have no excuse. There is no place to hide.
The truth is this: Is it just a "movie"? In a way, yes. But it goes far beyond that, in a fashion I've never felt - in any forum.
We may think we "know". We know nothing. We've gone 2,000 years - used to the idea of a pleasant story, and a sanitized Christ. We expect the ending, because we've heard it so many times. God forgive us. This film tears that all away. It's is as close as any of us will ever get to knowing, until we fully know.
Paul understood. "Be urgent, in and out of season."
Luke wrote that Jesus reveals Himself in the breaking of the bread.
Exactly. "The Passion Of The Christ" shows that Bread being
broken.
JOHN3:16
