From the first moment I heard about this movie several months ago, I knew it was going to be something different. I wasn’t wrong. It hasn’t only been different it has been a phenomenon – well BEFORE it was even released.
One is inclined to wonder why, whenever the name of Jesus Christ is mentioned, the name has the power to generate such controversy. Over 2000 years later, the name of Jesus still stirs up people, especially when the focus is the release of a major motion picture depicting the last 12 hours of His life.
I know why. Those last 12 hours are the reason He came to this earth in the first place. He came to redeem us back to God the Father by willingly laying down His life for us. By taking the punishment we deserve for our sin and thereby granting us a pardon from God the Father. Yes, I said He laid down His own life. Not one human being on this earth had the power to take the life of Jesus. He gave us His life so that we might have eternal life in Him.
You say, but the movie depicts Him being brought up on false charges by the Pharisees, and wrongly and savagely beaten and scourged by Roman soldiers. As if that wasn’t enough to kill someone, he was then forced to carry a cross weighing 300 pounds up a hill. Granted he had help from Simon of Cyrene, but could you have even been able to lift YOURSELF up after enduring such torture and carry a 300 pound cross as far as he did ALONE? All the while being continually pushed, hit, spat upon, and whipped by the soldiers and for what? For us, humankind. Yes, humans did that to Him. However, they could not have, had the power not been given to them from God the Father AND Jesus’ obedience to the Father and willingness to do so.
Some have said this movie is anti-Semitic and they said that BEFORE even seeing it. In fact that was said BEFORE the movie was even released. Some have said it depicted the Roman soldiers as ruthless and brutal. Guess what? The soldiers WERE ruthless and brutal. The whole human race is and can be ruthless and brutal. Anti-Semitic? No, it is not. How can I say that? Because, first of all Jesus was a Jew. So was His mother. So were the apostles and most of His followers. The first Christians were Jews.
Some have said that Christians, and I am one, are promoting anti-Semitism by supporting and promoting this movie. You see, that is just not possible because those who ARE truly Christian, cannot be anti anyone. It would be a complete oxymoron to say I am a Christian and then be a racist. Anyone who is truly a Christian and abides in Jesus Christ will not and cannot be against any race. Like Bill Gallatin, senior pastor of Calvary Chapel of the Fingerlakes, NY said, there aren’t any races other than the human race, just different nationalities. No, neither Jews, nor Romans put Jesus on the cross. Our sin was the reason He willingly laid down His life for us ALL. Why? Because He loves us, that’s why and He wants us with Him for eternity. He became the perfect, sacrificial Lamb who laid down His life for our transgressions.
The movie shows Jesus finally making it up that rocky, craggy hill to Calvary. He is swollen, torn, and bleeding over his entire body. He has already lost massive amounts of blood due to the horrendous beating and scourging He endured. He had to have been in unbelievable agony and yet He is shown lying down on the cross of His own accord. He did not struggle and fight as all the others who were crucified. Your reply might be, “How could He, he was already almost dead by then!” Then tell me, if that is so, how did He live yet another six hours hanging on a cross? He WILLED it, that’s how!
Many have said how unbelievably violent this movie is. Hmmm, funny thing to be said when most of the movies, video games, and television programs coming out these days are extremely violent; not to mention the Internet. Such as? Movies: Pulp Fiction, Bad Boys II, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Kill Bill, True Romance -the list is endless. Video games: Carjacked, Assassins, Hitman, to name just a few of the endless supply there. Television: Third Watch, NYPD Blue, CSI, etc., and that is just on regular channels – cable and satellite have endless violence, explicit sex, etc., and that is okay with most people!
Yes, the movie is violent but I don’t think that is why so many are coming out of the movie in shock, sobbing, and reeling from an experience unlike any other movie they’ve seen. It is because we know in our souls, that our sin caused this horrifying torture and death to be necessary. Mel Gibson makes us feel as though we are actually in ancient Jerusalem watching this event unfold before our very eyes.
Was it bloody? You bet it was – that’s the point: the shed blood of Jesus for us all.
It may have been extremely difficult to watch, but the ending gives us all eternal hope in Jesus Christ.
Will I see this movie again? Yes, but not yet. It’s too soon but someday, yes I will.
Does this movie leave people with questions? For those who don’t know the scriptures, I hope so. I hope so enough that they will seek out the answers in the only place they’ll find them – the Bible.
Thank you Mel Gibson, for being faithful unto God and fulfilling the mission of “The Passion”.

About the Author

Kim Bloomer operates a home business, www.aspenbloomnutrition.com.She also publishes AspenbloomWellPet, http://quikonnex.com/channel/page/AspenbloomWellPetan online guide to holistic pet care. Company information http://aspenbloom.byregion.com

Sent church is definitely a trendy title that is all over the place these days. the idea that we are required to label churches, missional, has since the beginning of creation been strange to me. I mean, shouldnt all places of worship be missional in their very nature? all churches, at its very core, want to engage their culture and area with the gospel as a missionary would in a different country? Isnt that what the churches is instructed to do in the great commission in Matthew 28:19? Our own place of origin begs for this style of church. Austin churches is slowly moving to what Christ instructed in the Bible.

Jesus gives the direction in Acts 1:8 saying, “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Acts 1:8 personifies this topic as, right before Jesus Christ leaves to go to Heaven, He points the disciples on a mission that would start right in their personal community. He begins with their hometown of Jerusalem, and then broadens the call to the outer parts of the world.

As disciples of Jesus, we are not moved to loneliness, but to be missional followers of Jesus who are aggressively going out and going to areas right where they are with the good news. We have gazed at this throughout history: God sends Abraham on a mission to exit his home and his people and go to the city that God would show him (Gen. 12:1), God sends Moses on a journey to rescue an enslaved people and lead them to independence (Exodus 3:8-10), God sends Jesus on a story to globe to reconcile all things to Himself through the blood of Christ (Colossians 1:20). And now God is sending believers on a exploration to engage neighborhoods, cities, people groups, and even nations with the message of Jesus (Matt. 28:19 Mark 6:7 Luke 10:1 John 20:21 Acts 1:8). If we resist this urge and continue to perceive the churches like a invite only country club ” urging that people straighten up their talents, pay their money, and visit to our church God will continue His exploration without us.

The separation of Church and State? Evolution, Intelligent
Design and the Bible. part 3. Intelligent Design is a doctrine
such as Evolution and the Bible. If the world is looking at the
Bible as a doctrine we must look at all Books, Papers, Articles
and Scientific Lectures as Doctrines. What is I.D.? Intelligent
Design (ID) is the controversial assertion that certain features
of the universe and of living things exhibit the characteristics
of a product resulting from an intelligent cause or agent, as
opposed to an unguided process such as natural selection..
Adherents of Intelligent Design have claimed that it stands on
equal footing with, or is superior to, current scientific
theories regarding the origin of life and the origin of the
universe. The scientific community has rejected this claim on
the grounds that Intelligent Design is not a scientific theory
but junk science. The N.A.S has said that Intelligent Design
“and other claims of supernatural intervention in the origin of
life” are not science because their claims cannot be tested by
experiment and propose no new hypotheses of their own.
Proponents of Intelligent Design make the claim that there is a
systemic bias within the scientific community against
proponents’ ideas and research, because of the naturalistic
assumption that science can or should only make reference to
natural causes. Critics have called this argument polemical, as
Intelligent Design, in its opposition to what it terms
methodological-naturalism, is at odds with current scientific
philosophy and methodology. Finally, supporters hold that
religious neutrality requires the teaching of both evolution and
Intelligent Design in schools, because teaching only evolution
unfairly discriminates against those holding the Creationist
beliefs. Teaching both, Intelligent Design supporters argue,
allows for a scientific basis for religious belief, without
causing the state to actually promote a religious belief.
According to critics of Intelligent Design, not only has
Intelligent Design failed to establish reasonable doubt in its
proposed shortcomings of accepted scientific theories, but it
has not even presented a case worth taking seriously. Critics of
Intelligent Design argue that Intelligent Design has not
presented a credible case for the public policy utility of
presenting Intelligent Design in education. More broadly,
critics maintain that it has not met the minimum legal standard
of not being a “clear” attempt to establish religion, which in
the United States is constitutionally forbidden. Many large
words are usually associated with theories dont you think? If we
are to teach, I.D. we might as well teach, Scientology, Budism,
Hinduism, and all the other isms in the world and hope our
children can still think for themselves afterward. The Bible
answers all these isms like this; Mat 16:12 Then understood they
how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of
the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. Rom 16:17
Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and
offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and
avoid them. 1Ti 6:3-5; If any man teach otherwise, and consent
not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ,
and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; He is
proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes
of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil
surmisings, Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and
destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from
such withdraw thyself. There are many fine Christians that want
to do the proper things for their children but for them to push
for Intelligent Design to be taught in the schools along with
Evolution, is also harmful, for they are devieateing from the
true word. This is a deception from Satan. 2Jo 1:9-11; Whosoever
transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath
not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both
the Father and the Son. If there come any unto you, and bring
not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid
him God speed: For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of
his evil deeds. Teaching Intelligent Design is erring from the
truth. We do not sneak about trying to cover up the Gospel of
Jesus Christ, but we are to stand boldly affirming the truth and
Faith that we have in the Word of God. Gal 1:7-9; Which is not
another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert
the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven,
preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have
preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so
say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you
than that ye have received, let him be accursed. Rom 1:16 For I
am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of
God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew
first, and also to the Greek. Phi 4:6 Be careful for nothing;
but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving
let your requests be made known unto God. So in ending, we see
that the men who are encouraging teaching Evolution and those
that argue to teach Intelligent Design are both at odds with the
Father and His word. We cannot allow others to teach false,
religions, doctrines and unprovable theories to our children.
Its the Bible or nothing. ars