Point-of-View

"The Passion of the Christ" is not your average passion play, although it covers the time period from the Garden of Gethsemane to the Resurrection. Going beyond most passion plays, it highlights in stark, dark, intense terms the spiritual warfare raging around Jesus Christ during His Passion in a concrete way.

The first scene has Jesus weeping in the Garden of Gethsemane, as Satan, an androgynous figure accompanied by a snake, tries to tempt Jesus and turn Him away from His destiny on the cross. When Jesus arises, he stomps on the head of the serpent. Quickly, Judas leads the temple guards into the garden to arrest Jesus. From that point, the brutal treatment of the Messiah is shown in stark detail, up to the Cross and beyond.

It is more than clear that the movie will transform and convict those within the Body of Christ. In fact, there are signs of revival and a deepening of faith whenever anyone sees "The Passion of The Christ." Paul Harvey said, in part, in his commentary on the movie:

"I really did not know what to expect. I was thrilled to have been invited to a private viewing of Mel Gibson’s film ‘The Passion’...This was not simply a movie; it was an encounter, unlike anything I have ever experienced.

"The Passion of The Christ" is an artistic masterpiece. The pacing and style have a foreign feel, and the violence is intense. Those who watch it will understand, perhaps for the first time, the price that Jesus paid to forgive us our sins. This is real grace, not cheap grace.

"The Passion of the Christ" is a must-see movie, beautifully directed, powerfully acted, with terrific sound. It could be argued that some of the violence could have been toned down and that the gleeful torturers are over the top. On the other hand, the violence and the glee of the Romans who were scourging Jesus highlight the demonic quality of the battle Jesus was fighting."

What a joy it is to know that His shed blood has redeemed us!