There are some brillaint Christian films. "The Passion of The Christ" showed Jesus' crucifiction, and His agonies leading up to it. It was powerful stuff. Other Bibical films show the crossing of the Red Sea, Lazarus being raised from the dead; the Miracle of the loaves and fishes, feeding the five thousand; and Jesus reappearing to His disciples after He rose to life again. "The Story Of Jesus" did that scene really well. When Bible history is done with good cinematography, it's great to see. The next time someone makes a film about Jesus' life, I can think of one thing I'd love to see, though.
Check out Matthew's Gospel. In Chapter 27, the crucifiction is described. And there are some events mentioned that I've never seen presented on film.
In verse 50, Jesus "gave up His spirit." He died.
Look what happens next.
"At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.
The earth shook and the rocks split. THE TOMBS BROKE OPEN AND THE BODIES OF MANY HOLY PEOPLE WHO HAD DIED WERE RAISED TO LIFE. THEY CAME OUT OF THE TOMBS, AND AFTER JESUS' RESURRECTION THEY WENT INTO THE HOLY CITY AND APPEARED TO MANY PEOPLE".
(Emphasis added. From the New International Version).
The first time I really read that, it stopped me in my tracks.
Just imagine seeing that! Suppose that we lived in the time of the crucifiction. We remembered certain people who had been faithful believers - not self-righteous types, but real, loving, kind hearted believers who walked in the faith. And when this shocking horrible event happened -Jesus tortured and flogged, tormented and abused, dragged up to Golgotha and killed horribly - and when He breathed His last, the earth shook; the rocks split. An earthquake would be terrifying. No wonder the centurion said "Truly, this was the Son of God."
And then - just short days later, when Jesus had risen, these people you knew were alive again. I've tried to imagine, remembering Christian friends who have died, what it would be like to see them walking around our town, and being seen.
It would not be like "The Mummy Walks" or some sort of zombie movie.
It would leave you astounded, shaken, but absolutely certain of one thing. Jesus said that His believers live again. He gives them eternal life.And there's a sign. Those people were dead, and now they live again.
Of course, the eternal life is in the spirit, not the flesh. But the sign was there. Those people had died. Their bodies had been enclosed in the earth. And yet they were seen walking around, alive.
Is that really what you'd call AWESOME?
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There is also a film called "The Gospel of John". It was really good. They quoted right from the book of John. My parents both really enjoy it and we always watch it at Easter. You probably can find it at a Family Christian Bookstore, or somewhere like that.
The only thing I find wrong with it, is that alot of the actors look too American or British. What people need to do is take a film like "The Nativity Story" and make a film about Christ with actors who actually LOOK Jewish. ;)
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