my review on ” the passion of the christ”

If you’re reading this, then you will find out I am back at school and I am studying Theology. This is a testament in itself, because never did I think God will place me back to a place He called me out of. It is such a full circle moment, but also marks a place of a pivotal shift in my life since I am studying a completely different thing then when I first started. Anyways, I wanted to share a writing assignment I had to do for my class based on the Mel Gibson film “The Passion of the Christ.” I received full points on this assignment as well as sparked a beautiful conversation with my professor. I hope this little piece of writing blesses you and answers some questions you may have pertaining to Christ.

The Passion of the Christ  

1. Is the movie an accurate portrayal of the Passion as described in the biblical text? Are there aspects of the movie that do not appear in the Gospels? Explain. 

In the movie, I do believe it is an accurate portrayal of the “Passion” which means to suffer or bear in the Latin. From watching the movie, I believe it accurately depicts the suffering Jesus was enduring in His last 12 hours on earth. However, there were aspects of the movies that do not appear in the Gospels. To name a few, in the very beginning scene depicting Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, there is a scene of Satan talking to Jesus as He is praying and in doing so Satan sends a serpent. In the bible there is no recollection of this moment happening. Yes, Jesus was praying and interceding and in a state of distress where He was sweating blood, but that doesn’t mean Satan was there in that moment. 

Another moment is towards the end of the movie when Jesus was carrying the cross with Simon and there were many widows and people weeping for Him. There was a scene of a woman attempting to give Jesus some water but was soon dragged by the Romans to not bother Jesus. In the Gospels, more specifically Luke 23, Jesus spoke to the people who were weeping for Him while He was carrying the cross with Simon, but there is no recounting of a woman stopping to give Him water. 

I note all this not to dismantle the Passion that was displayed in the movie, but to also note there are some details that are not necessarily in the Gospel. 

2. Why did Jesus have to experience so much suffering? (Explain, with scriptural citations).

Jesus had to experience so much suffering to fulfill the Law and to fulfill what was spoken from the Prophets in the Old Testament. In the New Testament, in the Last Supper, we can see how Jesus alludes to Himself. He breaks bread to represent His body, and when broken there can be many pieces that come from it. Now we can understand, Jesus was crucified so the Holy Spirit can come, and in doing so, when we receive Jesus, we receive the Holy Spirit, and we can be a part of the body of Christ. Another detail to note in the last supper is the wine which represents His blood. For Jesus said “This is My blood of the covenant, which is being poured out for many” (Mark 14:24). We can infer in this statement that His blood must be shed and poured out for the salvation of many, or us. 

In reference to the Old Testament, there are many scriptures that support what Jesus had to fulfill in the New Testament. For instance, Isaiah 53 depicts the messianic prophecy as a suffering servant. The prophet Isaiah spoke in chapter 53 verse 7 saying, “He was oppressed and afflicted, Yet He did not open His mouth; Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, So He did not open His mouth.”’ In the movie, we see this playout as Jesus was silent and didn’t talk back unless answering a question from Pilate. In the midst of being crucified and whipped, Jesus never once opened His mouth in retaliation to what they were doing. 

I believe this question is simple but also so complex in layers. Jesus died so He can establish a new covenant, but to put it simply in why He had to suffer so much, in the same chapter of Isaiah 53, Isaiah says “But He was pierced for our offenses, He was crushed for our wrongdoings; The punishment for our well-being was laid upon Him”’ (Isaiah 53:5). He had to endure the pain of the world and with man as atonement for our sins. 

3. There is only a brief scene of the resurrection of Christ in the movie. What if that scene was deleted, would that make any difference to the movie? What does the New Testament say regarding the significance of the resurrection? (Explain, with scriptural citations).

I believe if that scene was deleted we wouldn’t get the full depiction of the Gospel. I believe it is necessary to keep that scene to show that Jesus did fulfill prophecy and rose again after three days, conquering death. The movie depicts the suffering of Christ, and it does so well, but to encapsulate the true Gospel, you can’t neglect the resurrection and how he conquered death.  In the Gospel of John, Jesus is telling His disciples in chapter 16, how He must leave so the Helper could come. We know now that the Helper is the Spirit of God. In doing so, the resurrection is so important because that is how we have access to the Father in Heaven because Jesus goes to the Father. In John 16: 5 – 22, it foretells the importance of Jesus needing to leave, but He will be back. The disciples were confused because they did not understand what Jesus was foretelling, but Jesus was planting seeds to them that He must go, so His Spirit can come and live inside of all those who believe in Him. In 1 Corinthians 15: 3-4 (NASB), the Apostle Paul says “For I handed down to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins and according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and then He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures…” His resurrection is of great significance because we can believe the Gospel is true as it is a fulfillment of prophecy of things that were spoken in the Old Testament. 

4. Write a personal reflection of your viewing experience. How did this movie help in your understanding and appreciation of the sacrificial work of Christ?

The Passion of the Christ really helped me to understand what Christ endured for us in a visual way. I watched it when I was younger but I didn’t understand the weight of what was being portrayed. Now that I am older, I understand the why of it all. Even more so, it brings me to humility of the life we get to live having the Holy Spirit. How the Pharisees were reacting to Jesus and wanting Him crucified was in correlation to them having 400 silent years of no prophetic voice or king during their time. Jesus and perhaps John the Baptist were one of the very few prophets that people were coming to see and hear during that time. The Jews rejection of Jesus, yes it was prophetic, but at the same time it puts things into perspective for me now, to not allow the Word of God to be silent. If we allow God’s word to be silent and just rely on man’s carnal interpretation then we can be easily persuaded and be blinded by pride like the Pharisees. It is hard to see Jesus when we are not operating in the Spirit. Watching The Passion of the Christ, has stirred me to not be as silent but to live a life more like Jesus. Jesus sacrificed His own body so we can have the Holy Spirit , so we can live in grace, and so we can be commissioned to continue the work He had started on earth. Just like Jesus told His disciples, Jesus has given us the Great Commission, “…All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to follow all that I commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28: 18-20 NASB). 

by Keilani Mayo