We have been prophesying for more than twenty years that the cross would be popular again. This is why His highest title in heaven, and the one the Scripture implies that He will be called forever, is the Lamb. There will never be a more powerful demonstration of the love and character of God than what was demonstrated in the last twelve hours of the Lord's life on this earth as a man. Evil vented its rage on Him with all of the power that it could muster on that day. The Lord did not just die for us - He submitted Himself to the most cruel torture of which demented human minds could conceive. The cross has been sanitized and homogenized to the point of losing its power.
#Watch passion of the christ movie#
I think that simple statement captures the most basic message of this movie and of the cross itself. He said simply, "I can't believe God would do that for me!" I was alarmed until I heard his response to why he was crying like that. Then I heard that after watching the clips, my eleven-year old son and his friends were crying almost uncontrollably. When we showed a few clips from this movie at our Harvest Fest Conference last September, they were so graphic that I was concerned about having the children see them. If Jesus did that for us, what must we do for Him? What Mel Gibson has produced is just a movie, but it may be as accurate as it can be in a movie, and it has an anointing on it that can help us in the same way. If it is like this watching a movie, which was just an hour and a half, what was it like for His disciples, His mother, and the other women who stayed with Him when He was crucified? After having lived with Jesus for more than three years, coming to know who He was, loving Him, and seeing Him endure what He did for their sakes, was without question the power behind their radical commitment, giving them the willingness to suffer for the gospel that gripped the first century church. "I Can't Believe He Would Do That For Me!" This movie will probably leave you speechless for a good while. It was curious to me how the pope replied after he viewed it, basically saying, "That's the way it was." For one of the most articulate men of our times, who knows many languages, that he could muster only five words in response is in itself a major statement. When it was over, Mel walked up front to answer questions, but it was a very, long awkward time before any one could say anything. When the lights came on at the end, the entire group looked like deer which had been caught in the headlamps of a car. I was stunned by the weeping I heard across the room. There were many entertainers, entertainment company executives, and accomplished artists present - the kind of people whose eye for excellence could not but help to cause them to catch every little flaw or mistake. I watched this movie with what I thought would be a very tough audience. I was able to catch my breath, and then I was thrust back to the most terrible day in human history. Several times it was so intense that I was about to get up and leave the room, and then, with extraordinary timing, there would be a flashback to a happier time in the Lord's life. It is like watching the torture of the One you love the most for more than an hour. It is my earnest prayer that every Christian will see this movie. I know this may sound like a wild exaggeration, but I believe it to be true. Even before I saw it, I knew it had the power to begin changing Christianity. The acting, directing, and overall quality of the movie is excellent, but there is more to it than that. I don't think there is any question that this is the most accurate, honest portrayal of the crucifixion ever screened. It touched something within me that deeply. After watching, The Passion, it almost completely dominated my thoughts for days, and now that it has been weeks after I saw it, I still spend time each day pondering it.
After watching great movies, I often wake up the next day thinking about them, and will often think about them for a few days afterwards. It was by far the hardest movie that I have ever watched, but was also the most powerful and impacting. I watched it with a small group of invited guests a few weeks ago. There is a reason for this - it is one of the most anointed and powerful films produced in a very long time. Mel Gibson's, The Passion of the Christ is one of the most controversial films to be produced in a long time.