[ReasonGuy]

I saw the film recently for work-related reasons. Let me first add this disclaimer: I'm not a Christian, I honestly don't know much about Christianity, nor am I a militant atheist. I guess my religious views are best described as "I'm not religious."

Anyway, I think it's safe to say that if you're not a Christian this is a strange film. The first thing I said right after I saw it was: "Man, that was a weird film."

The film is unrelentingly violent. It's blood-soaked. Jesus gets so whipped you can see his ribs, blood spatters all over the cobblestones, and the sound is frighteningly realistic. And it doesn't stop after a pivotal scene or two - it goes on and on and on. Non-stop violence.

During the first couple of violent sequences, I winced and cringed. It was compelling and I was moved. By the time Jesus was dragging the cross to where he was going to be crucified, my attitude changed.

It's a long passage, and I know it's deeply symbolic to a lot of people, but it was grueling to watch, especially after already watching Jesus be whipped half to death. He drags the cross while enduring more whipping. There's a trail of blood on the ground behind him. He falls, gets up, falls, gets up, falls, over and over. I started to get distracted and I hate to admit it, bored. When was he going to get to wherever he was going? And would those guys whipping him leave him alone for a second so that he could get there more quickly?

When it comes to the crucifixion, Jesus doesn't just get his hands nailed to a cross, no - once he's nailed to the cross the Romans flip the cross over and Jesus lands face first into the ground. Yikes. Not very nice. Finally they prop up the cross and he dies pretty quickly after that, mercifully for the audience.

It didn't matter at that point. I was numb. I was well past the point of empathizing with the lead character. I just wanted the movie to be over.

All this is just to say, that for someone not familiar with the crucifixion story and all the deeply rooted theological meaning therein, this is a very unpleasant film, and as much as I hate to say it because it sounds blasphemous even to me, tedious.

As far as the anti-Semitism controversy goes, I think that if you go into the film as an anti-Semite, then you'll find plenty to justify the old "Jews killed Jesus" argument, but it's not as if the film is going to magically transform you into an anti-Semite. It's easy to watch the film and not even realize that the priests calling for Jesus execution are Jews. However, the priests really take delight in Jesus' torture, so it's difficult not to dislike them. Whatever.

The central message of the film seems to be: Jesus was not just a martyr, but a great martyr. He didn't just die for his cause, but he suffered a lot first, then died. The next message seems to be, if you're a follower of Jesus, then we should take revenge on whoever it was who killed him because they killed him in such a cruel and undignified way. Of course, the sensible person knows that there's no point in trying to avenge Jesus' death because the people who killed him are long gone.

To me, I wish I hadn't watched the film's unpleasant imagery in order to hear these two messages. Sorry this review is so long, and I sincerely hope no one is offended. Just reporting my experience. Wanted to add my $.02, hope it's helpful.

[commish]

Thank you for a very even-handed review from a non-believer. No offence taken here, and no condemnation either.

You do not believe, so to you it was a movie about a man being tortured and executed. End of story.

That said, yours is the review i have been waiting for. no ulterior motives, no underlying agenda, just your raw feelings.

Now, may I ask a couple questions :
Did the movie move you in any way?
Has it raised any questions in your mind about Jesus?
Has it given you any impetus to search for the meaning behind the story you just saw?

NO judgement, no pushing -- I want to know so I know how to approach other non-believers who have seen the movie. I am not a in-your-face evangelical, but I sincerely hope this movie moves some people to come to jesus and search for the reason why those of us who do believe see this movie as a work of love not violence.

[Cold Heat]

The violence reflects the truth of the times.

We see it again today in Afganistan and Iraq.

They are nearly animals in many ways.

The Romans gorged themselves on it.

It was the way. And it still is to a degree.

[Dianna]

The next message seems to be, if you're a follower of Jesus, then we should take revenge on whoever it was who killed him because they killed him in such a cruel and undignified way.

I wonder, if there hadn't been so much controvery, would you have gone to see the movie? I ask because I wonder if all the protesting is going to lead a lot of people who normally couldn't care less to go, see the movie and misunderstand it.

[freemama]

Thank you for posting your response to the film. I haven't seen a review from a regular person who is not aquainted with the story of Jesus. It was very interesting.

You may wish to do some reading about Christianity and the meaning of the Crucifiction to believers to make more sense of the film. Ask "why did Gibson show so much suffering" as you research. It makes perfect sense to a Christian why he would. It was interesting to me to see that you didn't see the point in it.

[scott7278]

I appreciate your honesty and thank you for the time you took to post your words.

I can understand why someone would think that Christians would be all for revenge, but we're honestly not. Even the disciples were not after "revenge" -- it went against everything they were taught by the Lord and thus believed.

Peter gave a sermon to those in Judea and Jerusalem in the presence of the eleven other disciples, found in Acts 2:22-40. He begins by saying,

"Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know -- this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death.

But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power" (Acts 2:22-24).

After continuing by pointing out that Christ's resurrection was foretold in the Old Testament (v. 25-35), Peter ends with this declaration,

"Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ -- this Jesus whom you crucified" (v. 36).

Now the Jewish people were pierced to the heart when they heard this, and so they asked Peter and the disciples "Brethren, what shall we do?" (v. 37).

It's important to note the important word "brethren" here, because it is true. The disciples were Jewish, as was the Lord. Romans 1:16 tells us that the Gospel "is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek."

The Apostle Paul specifically warns Gentile believers in Romans 11:17-25 not to become arrogant toward Jewish people, because the Gentiles are what he describes as the branches of a wild olive tree that have been grafted into a natural olive tree (Christ). The meaning is clear -- Jewish people were still being saved and are still being saved, and one day "all Israel will be saved" (v. 26). Further, the arrogance of the Gentiles could cause them to be cut off from the Lord (v. 20-21).

Paul stilled loved his Jewish brethren. In fact, he had "great sorrow and unceasing grief in his heart" because of their unbelief (Romans 9:2). Listen to these words: "For I could wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsman according to the flesh" (9:3). In Romans 10:1, he says, "Brethren, my heart's desire and my prayer to God for them (Israel) is their salvation."

All of us alike are under sin (Romans 3:9), and we have all fallen short of the glory of God (3:23). As the Bible says, "The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23).

Jesus came to this earth to die a cruel and bloody death, but also to rise from the dead as proof that He was everything He claimed to be. He is the model of humility, as Paul relates in Philippians 2:3-11:

"Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,

"Who, although He existed in the form of God, did not consider equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking on the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.

"Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on the cross. For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and gave Him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are on heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

We are to model Christ's humility, gentleness, and compassion, all while speaking the truth in love (Eph. 4:15).

So how did Peter respond to the Jewish cries of "Brethren, what shall we do" (Acts 2:37)? He spoke the truth in love, saying, "Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and your children, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself" (2:38).

There was, and is, no room for hatred of anyone. There is only room for this loving promise:

"That if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.

"For the Scripture says, 'Whoever believes in Him will never be disappointed.' For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; for 'Whoever believes in Him will never be disappointed'" (Romans 10:9-12).

[eyespysomething]

No one took his life, he gave his life.

[Anitius Severinus Boethius]

The next message seems to be, if you're a follower of Jesus, then we should take revenge on whoever it was who killed him because they killed him in such a cruel and undignified way.

That is the exact opposite of what Jesus taught and what Christians believe. We don't take revenge, we forgive. Yes, even as brutal and viscious a murder of our Savior as that, we forgive, not look for vengance. Anyone who says differently and claims to be a Christian is as guilty as Judas, betraying the teachings of Jesus.

That is what non-Christians just don't understand at times: the message really is about love and forgiveness, even of this horrific event.