The Passion of the Christ.
From time to time Hollywood produce films that become the main topic of conversation.
Mel Gibson’s film, ‘The Passion of the Christ’, has already taken the world by storm. People all over the world are talking about this powerful motion picture, which portrays the physical suffering of the Lord Jesus Christ. We are told that many people in the cinemas are visibly moved and burst into tears.
Many questions have already arisen, as a result of the making of this movie.
Questions like:
1. Who is to blame for this dreadful brutality?
2. Why was Jesus crucified?
3. Who inflicted this most dreadful of sufferings on Jesus?
4. What good has Christ’s death done for me?
The only way to find an answer to these and other questions is to turn to the Book that relates the story and gives the answers.
Were the Jews or the Romans to blame for Christ’s death?
Jesus Himself said, ‘The reason my Father loves Me, is that I lay down My life only to take it again. No one takes it from Me. I lay it down of My own accord.’
John 10 v 17-18
Secondly notice what Jesus said to Peter, when Peter tried to defend Him at His arrest. ‘Put your sword back in its place. Do you think I cannot call on my Father and He will, at once, put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels. But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen this way’ Matthew 26 v 52-54.
Also listen to what Peter himself said. ‘This Man was handed over to you, by God’s set purpose and foreknowledge.’ Acts 2 v 23
The crucifixion of Jesus Christ came about as a result of God’s eternal plan. God had planned His death before the beginning of the world.
Why was Jesus crucified?
If we try to answer this from a purely human perspective, we will conclude that wicked evil men killed Him because they hated Him.
Holy Scripture gives us another answer. The Apostle Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15 v 3; ‘For what I received I passed on to you, as of first importance, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures.’
In 1 Peter 2 v 24, we read these words; ‘Jesus Himself bore our sins in His own body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness. By His wounds, you have been healed.’
Christ did not die just because men hated Him. No. The hymn writer put it like this.
He died that we might be forgiven
He died to make us good.
Christ’s death was God’s plan to set people free from their sin and fit them for Heaven.
Mel Gibson’s film portrays the horrific physical sufferings of Christ. Amazingly Holy Scripture does not go into nearly as much detail. It doesn’t dwell on the physical sufferings, but shows His sufferings at the hands of His Heavenly Father.
In Isaiah 53 v 6, we read these words; ‘ We all like sheep have gone astray. Each of us has turned to his own way and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.’ Verse 10 in the same chapter says; ‘Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush Him and cause Him to suffer.’
While Jesus was on the cross He cried out seven times. Looking down at those who nailed Him to the cross He prayed, ‘Father forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.’ Luke 23 v 34. He did not blame them because they were ignorant of their great crime. Christ cried out to His Father. ‘My God, my God, why have your forsaken Me.’ Matthew 27 v 46.
Who then, inflicted the most dreadful suffering on Jesus?
Surely, the answer is plain. It was His Heavenly Father as took the sins of all those who would be saved and put them on His Son.
The writer to the Hebrews says, ‘Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people.’ Hebrews 9 v 28. It is right here that the film, ‘The Passion of Christ,’ falls down. It does not, nor cannot depict this most dreadful scene, when God punished His Son for sins that were not His own. God’s Word tells us that from twelve o’clock until three in the afternoon, God caused a great darkness over all the land, as He punished His Son.
This brings us to another question.
What did Christ’s death accomplish?
When someone dies as a result of man’s sins, bigotry, and cruelty, we often say, ‘What a waste of a life?’ Was the cruel death of Christ a tragic waste of life. Again the answer if most definitely; No. Holy Scripture teaches us that Christ’s death worked the greatest victory in all history.
Listen again to what the Scripture says. The writer to the Hebrews tells us that by Christ’s death ‘He might destroy him who holds the power of death, that is the devil, and free those who all their lives were held in the slavery by their fear of death.’ John says ‘The reason the Son of God appeared, was to destroy the devil’s work.’ 1 John 3 v 8. These and many other Scripture verses, teach us that Christ’s death destroyed the great enemy of men’s souls. Paul said that His job was to ‘Open people’s eyes and turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God.’ Acts 26 v 18.
Eternity alone will reveal the amazing extent of Christ’s death.
John in the book of Revelation tells us of the wonderful revelation that he saw. ‘After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no man could count from every nation, tribe and language standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb (Jesus). They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. They cried out in a loud voice, ‘Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne and to the Lamb(Jesus).’
Praise God, Christ’s death was not the result of man’s scheming, but a plan of the Sovereign God of Heaven. His death was not a sad tragedy, but a great victory over sin, death and hell.
Holy Scripture teaches us not to pity a pathetic dying Christ, but that He is a great champion who has brought eternal life to a multitude of people.
We must remember that the physical sufferings of Christ alone cannot and will never do anything for anyone of us. It was in those dreadful hours of darkness that the Holy God poured out His wrath on His Son and sin was dealt with. We must see, by faith, the picture of a Holy God meting out divine justice on His Son as He became the sin bearer.
We read in 2 Corinthians 5 v 21, ‘God made Him, who had no sin, to be sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God.’
The final question must be:
What good has Christ’s death done for me personally?
Does His death mean that my salvation is assured? Again the answer must be, No.
‘Jesus said, “Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons, and perform many miracles.’ Then will I tell them plainly. ‘I never knew you. Away from Me you evil doers.” ‘
Matthew 7 v 22-23.
We must understand that, what Christ accomplished on Calvary was only for those who acknowledge, repent and turn from their sins, and come to the One who took their sin in His own body on the cross.
If you have seen ‘The Passion of the Christ’ it may have moved you to tears. You may, even, have been emotionally affected by the horrific sights. You might have had some sort of religious experience, but unless by God’s Holy Spirit you have acknowledged, confessed and turned from your sins and come by faith to Christ; His death will have been of no profit to you.
My prayer and the prayer of thousands around the world is that multitudes of people will see by faith the purpose of Christ’s death, that His death will change them for time and eternity.
Dear Reader,
Get a Bible and ask for the help of God. Don’t rest until you know that Christ died for you and that you will be part of that great multitude.
For further help contact
Alfie D Orr. Pastor of Crumlin Baptist Church.
Phone 028 94 459 492
Email Alfie&ElsieOrr@crumlinni.freeserve.co.uk