If you haven't seen the movie, The Passion, by Mel Gibson I would recommend you don't. Unfortunately, I have seen it. It contains a rather vivid display of Mel Gibson's interpretation of the passion and crucifixion of Jesus Christ.
It starts with the scene in the Garden of Gethsemane as Jesus is praying fervently. Afterwards he is arrested and the torture scenes begin, interrupted by supposed scenes of his life before that point in time.
Stunned into speechlessness and a feeling of horror, it was impossible to analyze the film as it was being viewed. Afterwards, though, a certain uncertainty as to the propriety of the film came to mind. An unbeliever that I had taken to the film had to leave after the scourging, which went way beyond forty lashes. If I had known that the film was so brutal, I would not have taken that person. The fact that I sat through the whole thing has brought me down many points in his estimation, not what one wants as a representative of Jesus Christ. If the film was supposed to be a depiction of a crucifixion of anyone else other than Jesus Christ I would not have sat through it. We must not be a cause of sin or doubt towards God for others but must serve as an example of Christ-like behavior.
Does the message in the film correspond with the Gospel message? What was the Gospel message that Jesus ordered be preached and what did the apostles preach? If we read Acts 2:22-40, this contains the elements of the Gospel.
| 22. | "Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know: |
| 23. | him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: |
| 24. | whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it. |
| 25. | For David speaketh concerning him, 'I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved: |
| 26. | therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope: |
| 27. | because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. |
| 28. | Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance' (Psalm 16:8-11). |
| 29. | Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day. |
| 30. | Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne; |
| 31. | He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption. |
| 32. | This Jesus has God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. |
| 33. | Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear. |
| 34. | For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, 'The Lord said unto my Lord, sit thou on my right hand, |
| 35. | until I make thy foes thy footstool' (Psalm 110:1). |
| 36. | Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. |
| 37. | Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, 'Men and brethren, what shall we do?' |
| 38. | Then Peter said unto them, 'Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. |
| 39. | For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.' |
| 40. | And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying. 'Save yourselves from this untoward generation.'" |
Here we have Peter issuing a verbal message, that Jesus, the one promised by God for the remission of sins had been crucified and resurrected, that he had been made Lord and Christ.
The people within earshot then asked the logical question, "What shall we do?" What is to be done, now that we have heard the Gospel, the good news that remission of sins is being offered?
Peter told them the only proper answer: "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost."
Having seen The Passion, I can tell you what I was witness of there.
| 1. | I saw the portrayal of a man called Jesus suffering mental agony in anticipation of the physical agony that was to come. |
| 2. | I saw children that seemed to be some sort of other creature tormenting a portrayal of a man called Judas after he betrayed the portrayal of Jesus. |
| 3. | I saw the portrayal of Jesus arrested, tried and found guilty. |
| 4. | I saw the portrayal of Jesus receive far more than forty lashes. Usually prisoners received forty lashes minus one as forty was the number considered to be lethal. |
| 5. | I saw the portrayal of Jesus forced to walk through Jerusalem carrying a wooden construction called a cross to a hill. |
| 6. | I saw the portrayal of a man called Peter at the feet of the portrayal of a woman called Mary, the mother of the Jesus portrayed in the film. |
| 7. | I saw a strange-looking evil-seeming person in black at diverse intervals in the film. |
| 8. | I saw the portrayal of Jesus being crucified. |
| 9. | I saw a man, the one that portrayed Jesus, get up, seemingly naked to go out, from where to where? |
| 10. | I saw what must have been more blood shed than can be inside a human body. |
| 11. | I saw the most brutal scenes in a movie that I have ever seen, which, had I known of their brutality, would have caused me to stay away. |
The gospel according to these points would be: a man suffered mental agony in prayer. The one that betrayed him to the authorities was tormented somehow and committed suicide. The man, called Jesus, was arrested, tried and found guilty. Whether he was guilty or not was not mentioned. He was brutally whipped, had to carry a cross to a hill where he was crucified on it. His friends made appeals to his mother. She suffered as well, having to see her son thus treated. There was a strange person in a black robe that kept appearing at intervals and seemed to approve of the brutal treatment of the man called Jesus. The man was nailed to the wooden construction he was carrying and hung there until he died. At the end of the movie, he seemed to be allright, did not look bloody anymore and got up. He went out somewhere.
Hmmm. It seems to me that the above account does not conform to what Peter told the people gathered at Jerusalem. The innocence of the man being crucified was not certain. It was not explained what a Messiah is and it was not certain if he conformed to this description. Was the man that got up the same one that was crucufied? Had he really died? Was it just a dream or hopeful thinking that he would have survived the brutal treatment? Was he resurrected or not? What happened afterward? No one was shown that witnessed his return. No mention of the Holy Spirit was made. I heard no invitation to believe in him, nor why one should.
Peter, as he was recounting what happened to Jesus Christ, did not go into graphic detail. Jesus never ordered anyone to do so. They were to tell the world the good news of God's offer of salvation from sin, not create a work of fiction that instills horror.
I would not refute that the showing of this movie may and has caused conversions to Christianity. But then, so has the Gospel of some televangelists that insist on teaching heresy along with it nonetheless. This is not a valid reason for approval of the movie. For me this movie should be included in the category: Saved despite the message offered, not because of it.
Jesus did not tell Christians to preach a Gospel "For Adults Only." The Gospel must be fit to tell to everyone regardless of how old or young he is.
Here are two reasons why I would not see the film.
1. The film does not contain the Gospel as written in Scripture. Since many insist that it contains a gospel, if it is not the same one that Jesus Christ commanded to be preached then it must be another.
"I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ." Galatians 1:6,7.
2. Since this film, because of it's brutality cannot be shown to children or even young adults, and we know that the Gospel is to be told to all, then this is not the Gospel.
"And they went out, and preached that men would repent." Mark 6:12. This particular verse is of course not referring to men only. The word "men" is referring to all men, the human race.
In Mark 9:42 Jesus refers to little ones that believe in him. If one analyzes the context he is literally referring to children. They can believe in him, therefore the Gospel is for them also. It should not be presented in a way that would exclude them. Teaching believers can be tailored to particular age groups but the Gospel was not meant to be tailored in such a way. It's message is simple enough. Anything over and above the simple message of the Gospel is no Gospel.
"And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick."..."'And whosoever will not receive you, when ye go out of that city, shake off the very dust from your feet for a testimony against them.' And they departed, and went through the towns, preaching the gospel, and healing every where." Luke 9:2,5,6. No mention of an age limit is made here either. The Gospel has no age limit.
The film can be called everything else but the Gospel, so let us not wear blood-colored shades that make us think that it is.
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