[missyme]

The point I think of the beatings in the film is that Jesus took on the beatings the whippings that human beings deserve, through-out the Bible the Jews sacraficed innocent animals to reconcile with GOD, frankly I don't understand this concept but I beleive that GOD has commanded it so I will accept it based oh GOD's plan and my desire to do his will..

Jesus was slaughtered like an animal we do not have animal sacrafice to be reconciled with GOD because Jesus took the sacrafice so we all have a chance to be reconciled with GOD through his death and resurrection.

[madconservative]

I certainly agree that the point of the Crucifixion was a substitutionary punishment. But if you look at Scripture, the real punishment was the three hours of Spiritual torment when separated from the Father on the cross. The whipping was not the substitutionary punishment. No amount of whipping could pay the penalty for sin.

I think that due either to a slight lack of that understanding or an artistic shortcoming, Gibson (who I like a great deal btw) chose to embellish the physical torment as a proxy for the spiritual. As already stated by several posters, the details of the whipping in Gibson's portrayal are nowhere to be found in scripture. You will find such details in Anne Catherine Emmerech's (SP?) writings (which Gibson has quoted) but those are the absurd ramblings of an antisemitic Pseudo-Christian Mystic who claimed to see them in divine visions.

P.S. I actually liked the rest of the movie. The scene where Jesus says "I make all things new" to Mary was extremely moving. I also thought the actual Crucifixion scene was done well.