An Intensely Personal Film

The central message of this deeply moving film: Jesus Christ suffered, and died, for our sins.

BY: Pat Robertson

The most important thing anyone can say about "The Passion of the Christ" is its central message: Jesus Christ suffered, and died, for our sins. That makes it an intensely personal film. It was your sins, my sins that put Him through that suffering.

People who see "The Passion" recognize this. When Mel Gibson showed it to our Regent University School of Communication faculty last fall, we were deeply moved. Every one of us who saw it felt that 'this is what He went through for me.' It is the most vivid portrayal of the suffering of Christ I have ever seen on film.

Now, moviegoers across America are reacting the same way. Some openly wept during the film; most left the theaters in stunned silence. I hope the power of the "The Passion" stays with Christians; I hope they take to heart Jesus' suffering on their behalf. This is the greatest impact "The Passion" can have--if Christians respond to the intensity of His passion by deciding they need to show more of the love of Christ.

Meanwhile, "The Passion" has become one of those rare films that Hollywood analysts call "a cultural event," partly because of criticism that the film is too violent, and partly because of criticism that it is anti-Semitic. Yes, the film is violent, but it's a historic fact that Jesus was badly brutalized. The book of Isaiah (which Gibson quotes at the beginning of the movie) prophesied that His face would be so badly marred He wouldn't even look human: "...there were many who were appalled at Him--His appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man and His form marred beyond human likeness..."

In "The Passion," we see this image as it's never before been shown on film. We see how the Roman soldiers scourged Jesus. That word, "scourging," sounds polite--but scourging meant using a whip and a cat-o'-nine tails with lead weights at the ends. The Roman soldiers used them to literally rip the Lord's back to pieces. That's what the Bible says, and that's what Gibson's movie shows, because that's what happened. Our redemption was not purchased cheaply; the very Son of God came down from Heaven and paid a horrible price for our sins, and our salvation.

Some Jewish leaders have claimed that this movie is anti-Semitic because they believe it makes all Jews responsible for the death of Jesus. But the film shows that an illegal assembly of the Sanhedrin convicted Jesus. It wasn't all of "the Jews." It was a small group of Pharisees 2,000 years ago. And it's important to remember that "The Passion" also has many positive portrayals of Jews--including Mary, the disciples, at least one outspoken Pharisee objecting to the illegal trial, and heroism from Simon the Cyrene. The film also shows that the Romans, not the Jews, crucified Jesus and inflicted a terrible beating on Him.

I don't think we have to worry about an outbreak of anti-Semitism because of "The Passion." A recent ABC poll showed that only eight percent of Americans believe that Jews today are responsible for the death of Jesus. Indeed, the ties between Jews and Christians are quite strong. Rabbi Daniel Lapin, the president of Toward Tradition, said recently on our 700 Club show that he believes "America's Bible Belt is Judaism's safety belt." Lapin believes that life in America has been more tranquil and safe for Jews than anywhere else in 2,000 years because of Christianity. Lapin said the majority of Jews in America, who have, in his words, "warm and affectionate and friendly relationships with their Christian neighbors and business relationships and friends are mortified" at the way some Jewish groups have attacked "The Passion."

And Michael Medved, the prominent Jewish film critic, said on The 700 Club a few days before "The Passion" opened that it is "by a wide margin of advantage the most artistically satisfying treatment of a Biblical story that has ever been put on film. And I think it's going to change people's lives. I think it's going to inspire people. But I don't think there's going to be any anti-Semitic backlash based upon the film."

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