For some people, watching Mel Gibson’s film, The Passion of The Christ, has been one of the most disturbing and emotionally charged events they have experienced. The fact that the “punishment” Gibson portrays in the film really did happen to an innocent human being only adds to our shock and discomfort. Amazingly however, the terrible physical suffering endured by Jesus is not what his death is really about. Jesus’ death is primarily a horrific spiritual ordeal where he is punished by God for other people’s sins (wrong actions). Consequently, what we have seen in Mel Gibson’s film acts as a graphic picture to help us physically-minded humans appreciate the extreme spiritual agony Jesus had to endure to make it possible for people to be forgiven.
More accurately then, The Passion of the Christ is about a pure, sinless man voluntarily being punished for other people’s sin. It is about Jesus being identified by his God as the one who is guilty of all types of evil – evil that demands God’s rightful punishment. During his crucifixion, Jesus, who never knew what it was to sin, suddenly had placed on him the most disgusting sins you can ever think of. In God’s eyes, at that moment, it was as if Jesus had committed them all himself; and God the Son (Jesus) for the first time in his eternal existence experienced something even more horrific than any human whipping or crucifixion –
he experienced separation from his Father with whom he had eternally shared the most beautiful and fulfilling relationship. In our own human history, on a Roman cross, God the Father separated himself from his own precious Son. Why did God put himself through such an agonising, heart-churning event? There are two simple answers.
1. God really does love humans. He created us and he loves us.
2. God really does hate sin; that is, people living selfishly - living as if God doesn’t exist.
But why do these two answers bring about the death of God’s Son? The reason is this: God is holy and totally pure. He will not overlook the disgusting nature of sin, even if we make sin acceptable in our society. Sin does bring down God’s legitimate punishment upon every human – because all of us have done wrong without exception. But, amazingly, God’s love for people is so deep that he hates to see us experience the punishment we deserve and is, shockingly, willing to transfer people’s offensive sins onto his only Son so enabling humans to escape eternal punishment. This is the reason for Jesus’ suffering. Even now this God of love, our Creator, offers all people everywhere the opportunity to turn from their selfish, sinful life and accept the forgiveness he freely offers through the death and resurrection of Jesus.
It is essential to understand that God does not forgive people’s sin automatically – even though his Son was punished instead of others – but God forgives a person when they believe Jesus is from God and put their trust in him. No sin is so terrible that it can’t be put on Jesus; but no sin is so small that it will be overlooked by God. So, don’t ignore or dismiss God’s gift of a Saviour, but believe in him as the only way to be made right with God.
God says, right now is your opportunity to be saved. To ignore Jesus and what he has done is to face certain eternal separation from all hope, life, light, joy and beauty.
Jesus will come again to this earth, not as a blood-soaked sacrifice as seen in the film, but as King to establish his eternal kingdom. Will you be ready to meet the God who died and lived again so that humans could escape his coming judgement?
If you would like to discuss further the issues raised by this film you can contact our community workers James & Lis. For their contact details click here.
