I was both excited and a bit nervous when the time came to go see The Passion of the Christ. I was excited because there was a Hollywood film coming out to show the great suffering our Lord went through for the sins of humanity. I was also nervous knowing how emotional it would be to see this great suffering. This movie is very realistic in displaying the violence inflicted on Jesus. The movie is rated R and parents are advised to be cautious before taking their children to see this movie. I do not think this film is suitable for children under 12 years of age.
The movie begins with Isaiah 53:5, "But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed." Never has the verse became more meaningful to me than after seeing this movie. As I watched every wound that was inflicted upon Jesus, I thought about it healing the many sins of mankind. His long, torturous journey to the hill of Golgotha, carrying His cross is a testament to His love for us. Yet after suffering so much and then being nailed to a cross, Jesus is able to ask the Father to forgive them. We read about Jesus' forgiveness, but the visualization of it makes it more powerful to me.
The movie is spoken in Aramaic, Hebrew, and Latin with English subtitles. This is not distracting to the movie as most of the lines are taken directly from the Bible. Those familiar with the scripture will be able to finish the lines without reading them.
There is great emotional depth shown in the beginning when Jesus is agonizing in prayer over what He is about to face and throughout the film in the relationship between Mary and Jesus (mother and son).
I'm glad to say there is a resurrection scene. It is very short because the movie is focused on the last 12 hours of Jesus' life. But it makes a powerful impact nonetheless.
I would highly recommend seeing this film. If you let it, it should renew your faith in Jesus and give you a deeper appreciation of His love for you and I.
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