Arguably, the most anticipated movie in Christendom is the sequel to The Passion of the Christ. And yet, the man who became seminal with the role of Jesus Christ is afraid to become him again in what is now officially entitled The Resurrection of the Christ. 

Jim Caviezel, 56, was mesmerizing in Mel Gibson’s 2004 box-office juggernaut. Many Christians left the theaters weeping. Others fell to their knees amid fallen popcorn and spilled soda. At the time, it was the most successful R-rated movie ever made earning over $610 million during its theatrical run. 

To help raise awareness of the long-awaited sequel’s confirmation, Gibson appeared on the largest podcast in the world, “The Joe Rogan Experience.” Some of his descriptions may have led to this fear as he shared the film is in pre-production now and will begin filming “next year sometime.” Then, he offered, “There’s a lot required [for the film] because it’s an acid trip. I’ve never read anything like it.” 

Recently, Caviezel provided an intimate interview on Raymond Arroyo’s podcast, “Arroyo Grande.” On the show, the actor navigates some harrowing scenes during the first movie, a few unknown and stunning things that happened to him following the movie’s production (like actually dying on an operating table), and why this movie brings him fear.

A devout Catholic with a burning faith for God, Caviezel revealed how the thought of The Passion of the Christ sequel scares him. 

[All the pain he experienced] was okay, though, because it was part of the purpose of why I was born. I take it very seriously… Am I scared [for the sequel]? Yes! But if I weren’t, I wouldn’t want to work with that actor because you’re not ready and this is a war.

The Bible reads in Proverbs 19:23, “The fear of the Lord leads to life, And he who has it will abide in satisfaction; He will not be visited with evil.” 

Most Christians know this “fear” is not terror or horror but rather an earnest respect for God, a reverential fear toward Jesus and His teachings. Those who walk according to Christ’s red-letter words understand that those are the cornerstone of belief and how to find eternal peace with our Father in Heaven. 

The instance of The Resurrection of the Christ provides Caviezel with a more literal sense of the Scripture. He is a little apprehensive, even scared, to play this role for a second and final time. 

As he shared in the Arroyo podcast, he trusts Gibson with the subject matter and script. During The Passion of the Christ, a Jesuit priest on set provided Gibson and Caviezel with the Catholic sacraments daily. Before filming, they (and anyone else on the crew who desired) would gain spiritual counsel, offer confessions, and take Holy Communion. 

Yet, two decades later, that admitted fear still exists. The unconscionable thing about Cavizel’s metamorphosis into the King of Kings is what he endured filming the role, ironically during the crucifixion itself: 

• He was struck by lightning, twice. (Once during the Sermon on the Mount and the other while on the Cross.) 
• Two of those violent thrashings while Caviezel was chained to a rock were real, leaving a 14-inch scar on his back. That strike is in the final cut of the movie. 
• While hanging on the Cross for several hours in real rain, he suffered pneumonia and hypothermia. 
• Because of the brutality portrayed during Jesus’ flogging and the path on the Via Dolorosa, he went through hours of painstaking makeup. One device, a prosthetic nose, caused migraines that would last for days. 
• Caviezel lost 45 pounds during the film.
• When the Cross fell on him, he bit his tongue so hard that his tooth went through it. 
• As he shared during the podcast, he underwent two heart surgeries after the movie because of the grave amount of stress, pain, and exhaustion during the film—one proved to be fatal for a few moments. 

Obviously, the actor wants to avoid that heightened amount of physical torment. However, he notes that the Lord already has him covered. 

The devil’s already doing what he has to do to me right now. Now there’s protection there but there’s enough… God the Father, Son, Holy Spirit and all of Heaven is already guiding this right now… Of course I am [worried]. But I was worried on the last one. Did I fail? I will fail if I get too far out over my skis. I have to really, really stay in this moment… I want to enjoy this one more than I did the other one.

Whatever Gibson has in store, it promises to be a glorious portrayal of those three days from Good Friday to Easter Sunday. Prayerfully, it will have an eternal effect on millions.