When the original came out I wound up as one of the last of my group of friends to see it. I didn’t want to know how the movie portrayed different events and just wanted to see it with no idea what was coming.
They were talking about it one day and I said “hey, don’t tell me how it ends. I haven’t seen it yet”. I got some pretty shocked looks.
I still haven’t seen it. Mixed feelings. Gibson majors on blood and guts but the crucifixion was nothing if not blood and guts. The truth is, I believe that during those last agonizing hours on the cross when ALL of God’s judgment, condemnation, and wrath for ALL the sins of the WHOLE world was poured out on the body of Jesus Christ on the cross, Jesus probably became grotesque and unrecognizable. The entire world became dark for three hours. Maybe no one could even see Jesus because his visage might have been too horrific to see. It’s really hard to imagine - God in the flesh becoming grotesque, becoming sin itself (2 Cor 5:21), all for us.
What is even more astonishing is afterwards, Jesus was greater than the condemnation of sin. He cried, “IT IS FINISHED” and gave his spirit to his Father. With Elijah, God’s judgment was greater than the sacrifice. But with Jesus, His perfect sacrifice was greater than God’s judgment. Hard to express how that makes me feel, really - “grateful” doesn’t really say enough..