Wednesday, February 25, 2004

‘The Passion’: Viewer discretion is advised

A movie about the crucifixion of Jesus Christ is like trying to whistle Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony. Something will be missing. The message exceeds the media’s ability to capture the critical theological issues that make up the greatest story ever told.

Is this to say that no one should attempt to portray Christ’s death on the cross in cinematic form? No, but viewer discretion is advised.

Movies can have an enormous emotional impact and precipitate life-altering decisions. However, emotions must be driven by truth.

Millions will be moved deeply as they witness a reenactment of the pathos of the most important death in human history. If we are to weep, we must do so because we understand what was really happening at Golgotha.

It will not be enough to become emotionally devastated and not be driven to worship the Son of God. It is frighteningly possible to cry and grieve because of what was done to Jesus and not experience the heart and life changes that can come only through Jesus Christ (Joel 2:13; John 3:16; 14:6).

The meaning of Christ’s death is explained accurately in the Bible. This is our only trustworthy source of documentation regarding the meaning of the cross of Christ.

One writer in his review of “The Passion of the Christ” refers to the Bible as being a “problematic source” and that “Scripture is not always a faithful record of historical events.” There is no evidence for this assertion.

It is a failure to understand the internal harmony of the Gospel accounts. Why not take the Bible’s own claims for itself? The Gospels are Scripture “inspired by God” (Lk. 10:7; 1 Tim. 5:18; 2 Tim. 3:16). The Holy Spirit of God has told us in the Bible what happened to Christ and why it happened.

Another factor to be considered when viewing any visual representation of Christ is that any picture of Jesus or movie about Him has the potential for contributing to our worship of a false Christ.

The second commandment forbids the making of images of God (Ex. 20:4-6). Love expressed for God must come out of right thoughts about God. If we imagine Jesus to be someone other than who He is, we are to that same extent limiting and misunderstanding Him.

We are to worship a Christ who was crucified, but who is now risen and glorified and coming again (Acts 1:11). Jesus is no longer on the cross. He is not sacrificed again for sins. Redemption is finished. We are not to imagine a Savior who is a victim but One who has provided the final and complete sacrifice for our sins (Heb. 10:12).

A writhing, suffering Christ beaten, battered, and bleeding on that splintered wooden cross tells us more than can be seen with the physical eye. It is for this reason that the Gospel accounts of the crucifixion are rather subdued in their description of Jesus’ physical death. The details of His torture are not accentuated.

Instead our attention in the New Testament is drawn to the horror of the fact that the judgment of God fell upon Jesus as He was dying for our sins (Mk. 15:33; Isa. 53:4-6). He was enduring the abandonment of the Father in that dark night of His soul so that He might accomplish what He came into this world to do.

When Jesus said “It is finished,” He was declaring that the full penalty for sin had been paid (Mk. 15:34-37). We cannot atone for our own sins. The Christ of the Passion is the only one who was qualified to endure, as our substitute, the howling winds of God’s wrath toward sin (Rom. 3:25; 2 Cor. 5:21).

He, the God-Man, opened a new and living way to God that in life and in death we might dance the dance of eternal joy of the forgiveness of sin and eternal fellowship with the Lamb who was slain.

Dr. Howard E. Dial

Senior Pastor

Berachah Bible Church

Fayetteville, Ga.