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Greeting, Attendance pad, prayer
As I begin my message today I invite you to take out your outline. I have provided scriptures for further study and reflection this week.on the last page
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A. WHAT IS THE MOVIE ABOUT?
This is the second lesson in this series on experiencing the passion of Jesus. Of course, this topic is popular now because of Mel Gibson’s movie. I want to briefly review what this movie is about and why Mel Gibson produced this film.
VIDEO TRAILER
In an interview after a showing of the movie to a group, Gibson explained, "I have always believed in God. From age 15 to 35, I was a hell raiser. In many ways, I still am," he said, jokingly. He then added he had "come to a difficult point in my life, and meditating on Christ’s sufferings, on his passion, got me through it."
Christ’s passion became his obsession and ultimately a healing balm.
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"I’m not a preacher, and I’m not a pastor. But I really feel my career was leading me to make this," Gibson has said. "The Holy Ghost was working through me on this film, and I was just directing traffic. I hope the film has the power to evangelize."
It is a powerful film. I have been a Christian most all of my life and after seeing "The Passion," I wanted to sign up all over again.
The main question I ‘d like for you to consider today is…
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B. WHO KILLED JESUS –PLACING BLAME?
Where would you place the blame?
Here are some responses to the portrayal of Jesus’ death in the movie:
“The Passion of the Christ” portrays Jews as blood-thirsty, sadistic, and money-hungry enemies of God and will encourage violence against Jews. – Spokesperson for the Anti-Defamation League.
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“The Passion of the Christ” is not anti-Semitic. There is never any distancing of Jesus or his disciples from their Jewishness. And the film clearly states that it is a Jew that carries Jesus” cross and shares his miseries. The film is faithful to the Gospels and therefore the Pharisees are Jesus’ enemies, and they and their flock do call for his death. –David Horowitz, Jewish World Review contributor, editor of Front Page Magazine and the author of several books.
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[Use material from Strobel and Poole’s Experiencing the Passion of Jesus, pp. 16-16]
Gibson has been most vexed about the charges of anti-Semitism leveled against the movie. He spoke of venting his frustrations on his spiritual counselor, who simply would remind him that Jesus turned the other cheek.
"I am good eight out of 10 days," he joked, referring to the cheek turning.
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The first question I want to open to you this morning is this:
1. How did The Passion of the Christ change my opinion about who was most responsible for Jesus’ death? Who would I say the movie portrays as being guilty? Why?
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2. What difference does it make who killed Jesus? How important is it to me to know who killed Jesus? Why?
Diane Sawyer asked Mel Gibson in a recent interview: “Did the Jews Kill Jesus?”
Discuss Gibson’s response to Diane Sawyer in her interview with him.
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3. How are the allegations concerning anti-Semitism supported or weakened by the fact that Jesus was Jewish, his closet friends and followers were all Jewish, he lived in a Jewish community, and he was hailed as a hero by Jewish crowds as he entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday?
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Look at what this passage conveys about this event:
John 19:9-11 (Msg) He went back into the palace and said to Jesus, "Where did you come from?" Jesus gave no answer. Pilate said, "You won’t talk? Don’t you know that I have the authority to pardon you, and the authority to—crucify you?" Jesus said, "You haven’t a shred of authority over me except what has been given you from heaven.."
8:30 – Pilate is portrayed as being highly reluctant to crucify Jesus in the movie.
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4. What about the role Pilate played in the execution of Jesus? Because he seems to bow to the pressure of the Jewish authorities and crowd, who does this make most responsible for Jesus’ death?
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Philip. 2:6-8 (NLT) [Jesus] Though he was God, he did not demand and cling to his rights as God. He made himself nothing; he took the humble position of a slave and appeared in human form. And in human form he obediently humbled himself even further by dying a criminal’s death on a cross.
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Romans 5:8 (NLT) But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.
1 Peter 2:24 (NLT) He personally carried away our sins in his own body on the cross so we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. You have been healed by his wounds!
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John 10:18 (NIV) [Jesus said] “No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father."
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Matthew 25:53 (NIV) [Jesus declared] “Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels?”
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5. In reviewing the preceding Bible passages. Given the tension between God’s sovereignty and human responsibility, who do I think the Bible claims is ultimately responsible for Jesus’ death?
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6. After he saw the movie Billy Graham said: “The film is faithful to the Bible’s teaching that we are all responsible for Jesus’ death, because we have all sinned. It is our sins that caused his death, not any particular group” In what sense do I think that all of us are responsible since we had not even been born when Jesus was crucified?
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C. CONCLUSION – Is this movie about racism or personal responsibility?
Based on my perception of watching the movie, I think the film makes it clear that there were righteous and unrighteous Jewish and Roman leaders who played a part in the drama around the crucifixion of Jesus. It is fair to say that anyone leaving the movie theater with anti-Semitic fervor didn’t understand the movie or they didn’t watch it.
And what is Mel Gibson’s conclusion about who killed Jesus?
Gibson agrees with Billy Graham—that we all killed Jesus.
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In fact, he goes on to say that Christians are more culpable in Christ’s death than are unbelievers.
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Ironically, Maia Morgenstern, who plays Mary, is the Jewish daughter of a Holocaust survivor.
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Furthermore, the only appearance that Gibson makes in the movie is when his hands are seen driving the nails into Jesus on the cross, simultaneously driving home the point of his own culpability in the death of Christ.
My sins were the first to nail him to the cross. – Mel Gibson
So I come to the say question that I asked you last week: Who do you say Jesus is?
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In an attitude of prayer and meditation, I want to invite you to consider that important question today by considering the following options. As you prayerfully complete this exercise consider these words from Mel Gibson:
When you look at the reasons behind why Christ came, why he was crucified, he died and suffered for all mankind, so that really, anybody who transgresses has to look at their own part in his death. – Mel Gibson
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THE STATEMENT BELOW THAT BEST DESCRIBES MY POSITION AT THIS POINT IS:
q I’m not sure why the question of who killed Jesus is relevant.
q I’m convinced no single group of people alone is responsible for Jesus’ death.
q I understand that the Bible teaches that we are all responsible for Jesus’ death, but I’m not sure I believe it.
q I believe my sin and the sins of the world crucified Jesus.
q I believe the specific characters identified in the Bible each had a role in Jesus’ death.
q I have all kinds of doubts about God, because it doesn’t make sense to me that he would simply stand back and allow his son to be murdered without steeping in to stop it.
q I’m confused about how I could somehow be responsible for Jesus’ death.
q My own phrase is: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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PRAYER:
Share your commitment on the response tab
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NEXT WEEK: Did It Really Happen Like That?
