Posted on 03/01/2004 10:08:26 AM PST by tame
There has been a lot spoken and written about the "undue violence" in Mel Gibson's movie "The Passion of the Christ".
But if w review the Biblical record, Gibson actually may have gone easy on the physical damage done to Jesus' face. Consider the following:
Isaiah 52:13-15 (prophecy about the Messiah): "Behold, my servant will prosper, He will be high and lifted up, and greatly exalted. Just as many were astonished at you, my people, so his appearance was marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men. Thus he will sprinkle many nations, Kings will shut their mouths on account of him; For what had not been told them they will see, And what they had not heard they will understand."
Matthew 26:67-68, "Then they spat in his face and beat him with their fists; and others slapped him, and said, 'Prophecy to us, You Christ; who is the one who hit you?'"
Matthew 27:27-30, "The the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole Roman cohort around him. And they stripped him, and put a scarlet robe on him. And after weaving a crown of thorns, they put it on his head, and a reed in his right hand; and they kneeled down before him and mocked him, saying, 'Hail, King of the Jews!' And they spat on him, and took the reed and began to beat him on the head.
Mark 15:16-19, "And the soldiers took him away into the palace (that is, the praetorium), and they called together the whole Roman cohort. And they dressed him up in purple, and after weaving a crown of thorns, they out it on him; and they began to proclaim him, 'Hail, King of the Jews!' And they kept beating his head with a reed [staff made of reed], and spitting at him, and kneeling and bowing before him."
Luke 22:63, "And the men who were holding Jesus in custody were mocking him, an beating him. And they blindfolded him and were asking him, saying, 'Prophecy, Who is the one who hit you?'"
John 18:22, "And when he had said this, one of the officers standing by gave Jesus a blow, saying, 'Is that the way you answer the high priest?'"
John 19:1-3, "Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged him. And the soldiers wove a crown of thorns and put it on his head, and arrayed him in a purple robe; and they began to come up to him, and say, 'Hail, King of the Jews!' and to give him blows in the face.
Now, to put this in perspective, when is the last time you received a direct blow to the face (accidental or otherwise). Now, imagine someone hitting you in the face two or three times. Assuming the blows are full force, your face would probably swell up.
Now, consider that a Jesus was hit in the face on more than one occassion during that horrific day. Also consider that on one of the occassions "a whole Roman cohort" REPEATEDLY hit Jesus in the face.
No wonder Isaiah 52:14 says that "his appearance was marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men"!
To be blunt, it appears from the accounts cited that Jesus' face was beaten to a swollen pulp. This may account for the fact that, after Jesus resurrection, the disciples on the road to Emmaus did not recognize him even as they spoke to him! (Luke, chapter 24)
True, Luke 24:16 seems to stress the eyes of those disciples being "vailed" or "kept from recognizing him" (depending on the translation). Still, the condition of Jesus' disfigured face may have been a factor used by God the father to prevent his immediate recognition.
And, in case somebody is wondering if Jesus continued to bare these wounds after his resurrection, the answer seems to be YES! In addition to Luke 24:16, John 20:24-28 depicts Jesus as showing Thomas his wounds. Also, Revelation 5:6 depicts the Messiah as "a lamb standing, as if slain..."
But let us not forget why this terrible murder of Jesus took place (If you're reading this, Mr. Gibson, place direct a prequal and a sequal!):
Romans 4:25, "He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.
BTW, This is not an optional belief for those who seeking truth, or salvation from the coming wrath. It is a necessary belief. In fact, Paul says Jesus death, burial and resurrection IS the gospel! Therefore a denial of this death, burial and resurrection is a denial of the gospel itself:
1 Corinthians 15:1-4, "Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise you have believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, that he was buried, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the scriptures."
Romans 10:9, 10, "If you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved."
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John 20:25-27
The other disciples therefore said to him, "We have seen the Lord."
So he said to them, "Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe."
And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, "Peace to you!" Then He said to Thomas, "Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing."
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A flayed, walking corpse
would be plain to recognize.
The Gospel is clear
that Thomas looks to
two specific wounds. Nothing
grotesque is described...
Being critical of this is just simple nit-picking.
As long as the scriptural portions of the film was portrayed accurately, it seems so---- very------prickish to say what these folks are saying.
They have another agenda for sure.
YES! Thank you for reminding me. I forgot to include that passage: Isaiah 50:6-
"I offered my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard; I did not hide my face from mocking and spitting."
Thomas specified that he wanted to put his "finger where the nails were" and "put my hand into his side" (John 20:25) as empirical proof that Jesus was resurrected. This does not AT ALL detract from the grotesque nature of ALL the wounds (which Isaiah 50, 52, 52 and the gospels make clear WAS grotesque).
I had not read a review by saffire. I try not to read much of anything that minimizes the severity of Jesus' punishment because such minimizing is either pure ignorance, or a deceptive lie.
It also may be wishful thinking by those who just can't stand Jesus or Christianity. You're right, they don't usually do their homework, and if they do it's not with a heart seeking the truth.
Outraged: Hey, long time no see, buddy! I agree that Cavizel's treatment was phenomenal!
Annaz; Outraged: I'd like your opinion. Am I overrating the Oscar potential for The Passion? I think Jim C should be nominated for an academy award for best actor, Gibson should be nominated for best director; the Passion should be nominated for best cimematography and best picture. Well, Annaz, you've worked on film projects. What's your opinion?
A relative told me she did not think Jesus would have made it to the cross alive if the scourging portrayed in the Passion was accurate. If it were any other man, he may not have made it. But because it was Jesus, and because he was taking on the sins of the whole world ("He bore our sins on the tree"), I think it could have been even worse.
It seems that the Bishop is not aware that there is one true story told from 4 different viewpoints, all in harmony with each other.
They have been deluded by a "gospel" that has been sanitized and stripped of the reality of the cross.
Even worse than the physical aspect of the cross was the private transaction between the Christ and the Father as the spiritual judgement that is rightfully ours was poured out on Jesus instead. We dodn't get to see that one.
Amen!
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