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'As one who has seen
virtually every modern biblical epic -from Cecil B. DeMille's
: "The Ten Commandments" to the two-part "Jesus" ministries
on CBS three years ago-I can say "The Passion" is
the most beautiful, profound, accurate, disturbing, realistic
and bloody depiction of this well-known story that has
ever been filmed.
'Jim Caviezel, who plays
Jesus with tender understatement, may be the best "Jesus" ever
(not counting the original). To those in the Jewish community
who worry that the film, which is scheduled for release
next Easter season, might contain anti-Semitic elements,
or encourage people to persecute Jews, fear not. The film
does not indict Jews for the death of Jesus. It is faithful
to the New Testament account. Also, Gibson, a devout Roman
Catholic, does not elevate Mary, Jesus' mother, beyond
what Scripture says of her, which will broaden the film's
appeal to Protestants.'
Undoubtedly this highly
commends the film, and many will want to see it, as they
have seen similar films in the past. My wish is not to
deter any from seeing it, but I would like to share the
following thoughts.
No film can actually depict
what once happened. An actor cannot communicate what was
said, what happened. He/she can only act it. Certainly
acting it gives some of the idea of it, but the reality of
the events is absent from the depiction. Like any picture
that is painted or shown on film the depiction is the idea
of its script-writer, and no one is critical of the writer
for that. In most cases this does not matter because one
human person depicting another human person can be very
close to the mark, both being humans. In the case of Jesus,
he, too, was a man, but at the same time a man such as
there has never been the like. We do not even mean that
being the Son of God he was beyond being what is a man.
No: we mean that he lived a sinless life, he had no guilt,
he was capable of feeling for others in love beyond what
others can feel. He was truly a man, and beyond what any
human person has ever been. In that sense he was more human
than any other who has lived.
When then it comes to his
passion and death he is in action, but not acting a part.
He had told his disciples on three occasions that he was
to go to Jerusalem, be betrayed at the hands of wicked
men, be crucified and rise again the third day. When that
happened his apprehension, judgement, suffering from scourging,
and the crucifixion were undoubtedly most painful. Even
so his most dreadful pain began in Gesthemene when he told
his disciples, 'My soul is very sorrowful, even unto
death'. This meant he was literally dying of sorrow.
Even so he did not die. From that point onwards he was
operating by the help of the Holy Spirit (Hebrews 9:14).
The very way, in essence, in which he did all things was
the way of suffering love. In history there are many occasions
in which men and women have suffered more physically than
what he suffered. Not only have others been scourged and
crucified, but the torture of spies and other prisoners
has been more painful and longer drawn out. In his whole
being Jesus has suffered more than these others, in that 'he
bore our sins in his own body on the tree', and 'he who
knew no sin was made sin for us,' as 'he suffered the just
for the unjust' when God 'laid upon him the iniquity of
us all'. In being 'the propitiation for our sins' he bore
the wrath of God upon all evil. The physical side of his
crucifixion, painful as it was, was very minor in comparison
with his sin-bearing.
What concerns me is that
we may think that an actor can depict this kind of suffering
for sin, for it was unique to him, by nature of the case.
None who has sinned can suffer in that manner. He cannot,
for example have that look of love in his eyes which Jesus
had for those who were crucifying him. That person cannot
really cry to the Father as Christ did, 'Father, forgive
them, for they know not what they do!' He cannot assure
a criminal. 'This day shall you be with me in Paradise.' and
none but he can cry, 'My God! My God! Why have you forsaken
me?' None can never cry the cry of thirst as Jesus cried
it when his spiritual waters were at the point of depletion,
having been used in his spiritual struggle. No man can
communicate the victory of 'It is finished!' nor truly
convey the utter trust of the Son as he says, 'Father!
Into thy hands I commit my spirit'.
Only when this action of
the cross pierces to the heart can a person really comprehend
the real meaning of the death on the cross. If one sees
the passion, the suffering and the agony of the cross to
be terrible-even very terrible-then he is likely to be
moved deeply and believe that Christ had to suffer such
terrible physical anguish for him/her in order to save
human beings. That is not the case . The Gospels give us
accounts of his death not just to move us to emotional
sympathy, but to tell us what he told the disciples, '.
. . this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out
for many for the forgiveness of sins'.
I have not seen the film
and so I do not know what teaching regarding the forgiveness
of sins is given in it. I remember my mother telling me
of one of my brothers who, as a young boy, saw a film on
the Cross and he came home weeping. 'Mum!' he cried, 'I
will never sin again because of what Jesus did on that
cross!'
My mother was deeply moved,
but my brother as a youth and an adult never went near
a church. I draw no conclusions from that but sympathy
for excruciating pain is one thing and seeing the cross
as God's true way of liberating us from sin and its guilt
is another thing altogether. Many have criticised the Father
for sending His Son to the cross, but they have not understood
that 'the Son of God loved me and gave himself for me',
as also the Father 'withheld not His Son but offered him
up for us all.'
I cannot number the times
I have preached the message of the cross from the Scriptures,
as did the apostles, and have countless others, but one
has not acted the cross nor drawn attention to the physical
pain alone. It is 'the word of the cross' which the Holy
Spirit takes up and conveys to the hearts and minds of
hearers so that they comprehend the love of the Father
and the Son in that most powerful of all acts in history.
Geoffrey Bingham,
Kingswood, Australia August 2003.
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