ABC gets into biblical act ('Judas' looks at life of Jesus through eyes of betrayer)

World Net Daily ^ | 3-7-04

[truthandlife]

ABC tonight airs a biblical TV movie of the life of Jesus – this time told through the perspective of the man who betrayed him in "Judas."

The movie is sure to draw comparisons with Mel Gibson's blockbuster, "The Passion of the Christ."

'Judas' airs tonight on ABC Television

It is being well-received by some of the same Christian critics who have praised Gibson's movie – but getting far less attention.

"'Judas' is an extraordinary movie and I recommend it wholeheartedly to the Christian audience," said Ted Baehr, editor of MovieGuide and president of the Christian Film and Television Commission.

The movie is a dramatization focusing on the question of what led Judas to betray the man he called friend and Messiah? The ABC movie covers the two years Judas spent with Jesus.

The story begins at the foot of a cross, where 8-year-old Judas witnesses the crucifixion of his father. Years later, Judas, played by Johnathon Schaech, now 30, working as a wine seller and living with his widowed mother, Rohab. Captured by hooded men and taken to The High Priest, Caiaphas, he is called an "agitator" and warned that rebellion will not be tolerated.

"'Judas' deals with many of the same themes and challenges that 'Passion' does," says director Charles Robert Carner. "And while I am loathe to compare my modest efforts with those of an Academy Award-winning filmmaker, I am nonetheless proud of my film and hopeful that it will attract a large audience."

Carner seems surprised ABC took a chance on this biblical movie and scheduled it for broadcast in prime time even before the success of "The Passion of the Christ" was certain.

"Given today's media and cultural climate of ourtight hostility toward Christianity, I'm still quite amazed that Paramount and ABC supported 'Judas' in the first place," he said.

Judas is the final project of the late Father Ellwood "Bud" Kieser, C.S.P. — founder of the Humanitas Prize and Paulist Productions.

Judas is executive-produced by multi-Emmy Award-winning writer-producer Tom Fontana, who also wrote the screenplay.

[Jaded]

Iscariot was where he was from. Like Jesus of Nazareth. Judas was essentially the outsider of the Apostles.

[Agnes Heep]

Iscariot was where he was from. Like Jesus of Nazareth. Judas was essentially the outsider of the Apostles.

I think if you read the gospels in Greek you won't find the proper inflections associated with "Iscariot," to assume that it was "Judas of Iscariot," as opposed to "Judas Iscariot." Additionally there's some confusion about whether it's "Jesus of Nazareth" or "Jesus the Nazarite." But I'll have to check again to be sure. At any rate, we know where Nazareth is, but where is (or was) Iscariot?

[biblewonk]

OHHHH man!!!!!!!!!! {Smacking my forehead.} The Lord rebuke them.

[Jaded]

I got the information from a Bible Study done by an Associate Pastor at a Methodist Church near work. (that's a mouth full) Before the Passion came out, I went back and read notes I had taken from different studies.

[dangus]

It had a much more significant "cameo." The last hour is essentially a beautiful alter call.

Ben Hur is despondent and filled with hatred when he finds his sister and mother have become lepers. His once and future love tells him of a man she has heard speak who talks of peace. She takes the three of them, (and one of the three wise men who has been searching for him since his nativity) to hear Jesus, only to arrive just in time for his crucifixion. The scene wherein they are cured at the moment of Christ's death is one of the most powerful and moving scenes in Hollywood history.

[BigSkyFreeper]

Had Mel Gibson never made his movie, and the success borne from it, ABC wouldn't be going through great lengths to capitalize on that success by running their movie after sitting on it for a great length of time, and yet an ABC special hosted by Peter Jennings set to air on Easter Sunday.

[F16Fighter]

Anybody watching this ABC TV movie?

They've depicted Christ as effeminate and weak -- he was just admonished by Judas and reacted as a hurt little boy.

What else could we expect ?

[F16Fighter]

Are you watching this dog at the moment?

[jwalsh07]

Welcome to free republic, it's better than Pepto Bismal.

[jwalsh07]

Anybody watching this ABC TV movie?

LOL, absolutely not. If I tune to the networks I start to itch and throw TV sets out windows.

It used to get very expensive.

[F16Fighter]

Don't blame ya -- I've got two hands on the set right now...

[BigSkyFreeper]

Trying to.

[BigSkyFreeper]

I prepared myself over the weekend by brushing up on the 4 Gospels and this is so Hollywood biased it's sickening. Like you say, portraying Christ as weak.

[SoCal Pubbie]

Ben Hur, though a fictional story, is ALL about Christ and the message of Easter. It was really THE film, up until now, about the meaning of Easter and the essential message of Christianity. The original book was written by Lew Wallace, a Union general and later governor of the New Mexico territory. The original title of the book was Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ.

[F16Fighter]

Speaking of "weak," are we REALLY supposed to believe Judas -- who has been depicted acting like a beligerent weasel -- actually brought back anyone from the dead??

Sheesh, this is bad....

[WKB]

I find it interesting that in the Gospels, Judas is given a surname, "Iscariot."


There are several men named Judas in the Bible.
Maybe the writer just want to make sure we knew
he was talking about.

[Jerry_M]

Worse than that, when Jesus is asked about his "tirade" (they presented him as a madman) at the temple, he says something to the effect that his anger got the better of him. So much for expecting that ABC would present Jesus Christ as the sinless Son of God.

"You must be born again" just turned into "it will be as if if you have been reborn, I will turn your misery into joy".

[F16Fighter]

"Worse than that, when Jesus is asked about his 'tirade' (they presented him as a madman) at the temple, he says something to the effect that his anger got the better of him. So much for expecting that ABC would present Jesus Christ as the sinless Son of God."

Unbelievable. And what an idiotic script...

The only reason to stick around is to witness just how absurd and dumb the end will no doubt be.

[CWOJackson]

Looks like ABC and Judas have something in common; they're both trying to cash in on Christ.