Have you seen Mel Gibson's new film, "The Passion of the Christ"?
It is certainly stirring up a lot of controversy. There are charges that it is anti-semitic and that it is unneccessarily gory in detail.
It is certainly a sobering thought that a film about the Lord Jesus Christ should end up with a certificate 18 (what used to be called "X" certificate in the UK). But do we need that level of bloody detail to truly appreciate what Jesus went through for us? Perhaps it is an indictment of our society today that people have become so numbed to violence through the media, that a considerable level of gore is required to register on the collective consciousness.But can this be justified? Listen to what one film critic said:
"The movie is 126 minutes long, and I would guess that at least 100 of those minutes, maybe more, are concerned specifically and graphically with the details of the torture and death of Jesus. This is the most violent film I have ever seen." (ROGER EBERT )"
From someone who watches films for a living, that is some statement!
Perhaps it is Mel Gibson's Catholic faith that has coloured his view of Christ's death. Certainly, in Catholic churches, the crucifix is always present, often accompanied by images of "saints" in varying degrees of suffering.
Then we must not forget Hollywood's love of going over-the-top on special effects and violence.But what is the Bible viewpoint?
In the Holy Bible, if we take the Gospel of Luke as an example, we can see where the scriptural emphasis lies:
| Event | Number of Verses | reference |
| The Arrest of Jesus | 6 | Luke 22:47-53 |
| Peter Disowns Jesus | 8 | Luke 22:54-62 |
| Guards Mock Jesus | 3 | Luke 22:63-65 |
| The Trials of Jesus | 31 | Luke 22:66 - 22:25 |
| Jesus led through the Streets | 2 | Luke 23:26-27 |
| Jesus prophesies about the fall of Jerusalem | 4 | Luke 23:28-31 |
| The Crucifixion | 6 | Luke 23:32-38 |
| Jesus speaks with the criminal | 4 | Luke 23:39-43 |
| The Death of Jesus | 6 | Luke 23:44-49 |
| The Sermon on the Mount | 111 | Matthew 5-7 |
What point can we draw from this? Simply that God, as the Author of the Bible, does not dwell on the gory details of the crucifixion. To state that it happened is more than enough. What is important is why Jesus died and the hope that his death offers each and every one of us.
What does the Bible say?
Romans 5:8-9
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him!
Romans 14:9
. . . . .Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.
1 Corinthians 15:3
. . . . . . . .Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,
Hebrews 9:15
For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance–now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.
1 Peter 3:18
For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit,
Jesus died for you and for me. He is our Saviour and our Mediator. He was born and died to open up the way for Mankind to be reconciled to God. He was the perfect Sacrifice for our sins. This is what we should be meditating on, not the cruelty, barbarity and depravity of Man - we can see that any day and every day on the News. Rather, we should rejoice that Jesus has opened the way for each and every one of us to crawl out of that darkness and into the Light. This is the Bible message, although it may not be the film's message. Perhaps another quote from ROGER EBERT will tell us the reason for that:
"the screenplay is inspired not so much by the Gospels as by the 14 Stations of the Cross."
Ebert, who was raised a Catholic, recognises that the source of much of the film's detail is based on tradition, not scripture. One person I spoke to about the film commented about how many times Jesus fell over, each time in slow motion. The Bible accounts do not even mention one occasion, only that Jesus was unable to carry the cross.
This is what another critic, David Ansen (Newsweek) writes:
"The relentless gore is self-defeating. Instead of being moved by Christ's suffering or awed by his sacrifice, I felt abused by a filmmaker intent on punishing an audience, for who knows what sins."
For any who go to see the film, their response may well be personal and differ one from the other. Some may be disturbed, some horrified, perhaps some even moved. But let us not forget that this is not a true Bible account, but at best a vivid dramatisation and at worst a Hollywood gore-fest.
For anyone truly wanting to discover Jesus Christ and accept him as their Saviour, don't look for him in Hollywood, or in the "traditions of men", such as the "stations of the cross". Turn to the Bible and read one of the Gospels. If you would like assistance with understanding the Bible message then please contact us with any questions and we will be happy to help.
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Hosea 13:14For the full review of the film by Robert Ebert, please click Here
"I will ransom them from the power of the grave ; I will redeem them from death. Where, O death, are your plagues? Where, O grave, is your destruction?