Wow, I don't know about you guys but watching The Passion last night was something that I am very glad I did. It is soooo very easy to lose sight of what Christ did when you hear it over and over. To see it the way it actually happened was powerful. I wish that we could really get that in our heads/hearts permanently, but it always seems to fade, and entirely too quickly.
Some of my "mostest favoritest" scenes were:
1. The whipping was... just absolutely... oy. I can't even... Oh man. Whipping doesn't even cover it, scourging just seems to say it so much more like the way it really was.
2. When Christ's mother ran up to him while he was carrying his cross and he said "Look mother, I make all things new" was powerful. I just can't help but think about how the “all things new” will be when we get to heaven. How we will finally return to the way it's supposed to be and get away from all this fallen business.
3. Where Simon of Cyrene slowly changed from regretting the fact he had to carry a criminal's cross, to almost holding up Jesus on the way to "the skull" was another of my favorite scenes. Especially touching was the part where they were getting close and Simon is saying, just a little bit farther.
4. The part where the two criminals were on the crosses beside Jesus and how the criminals who was penitent was humbly asking that he just be remembered, and Jesus told him that “this day you will be with me in paradise.” Again, I'm looking forward to that paradise. I was part of a heaven Bible study recently and it was extremely exciting because of the myths it dispersed and the things it described. I'm in no hurry to leave this earth, there is far too much to do to prepare for heaven yet, but I am excited about what IS on the other side of death. Not fluffy white clouds and disembodied harp-playing (blah) but a perfected existence! FUN! PLAY! Just cool stuff.
5. Where Peter denied Jesus was a rough scene. To feel that horrible gut-deep regret over what seems to be the worst thing you could ever do is familiar to us all hopefully. Not hopefully because I hope we have all done something super bad, but hopefully that we have not become so calloused as to not feel regret. The thing I hate most is when I mess up and DON'T feel like I've been hit in the stomach.
Another reason I like (“like” just doesn't say what I want to say, because how can you “like” such a scene of pain and betrayal?) the part where Peter denies Jesus is because we categorically KNOW that Peter went to heaven. When Jesus was talking with his disciples at the last meal they had together before he said that he had not lost any of those given to him, except Judas because that was to fulfill scripture. By “lost” Jesus meant losing someone eternally, and the fact that Peter DENIED that he even knew Jesus THREE times and yet that didn't somehow void his salvation just pushes the point home that our salvation doesn't depend on how good we are before OR after we are saved. It is by GRACE we have been saved! Absolutely beautiful.
6. My final favorite scene is (of course) the part where Jesus is shown to be alive again and he just has this look about him that says “I'm baaaack!” It's just a devil/death but-kicking scene. Just makes you want to scream YES! YEESSSS! (cain't touch this music plays) I love it. Absolutely love it.
What about you guys? Any scenes you especially love?
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Sunday, April 08, 2007
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3 comments:
I liked the way the crucifixion is intercut with the last supper. It helps drive home the meaning of the Lord's supper when you see the two scenes together. There's a shot of Jesus opening the towel to reveal the bread. Next shot: the soldiers tearing off Jesus' clothes. Then Jesus makes the statement about the bread being his body. Next shot: the cross being raised for all to see. Then there's the part with the wine, where John takes the first drink. Next shot: John looks up at Christ's blood-soaked body on the cross, the blood dripping off him. It's really powerful.
Also in the crucifixion scene is the fact that he climbs onto the cross to be nailed down, as opposed to the soldiers grabbing him and forcing him onto it. This scene follows a quick cut back the last supper when Jesus says that there is no greater gift than for a man to give his life for his friends. I particularly liked the music in this scene, which has this sort of building determination sense to it. It's the kind of music that makes me think of purpose, direction, intent. This helps remind me that Christ was in charge the whole time.
I also like the last shot of Satan, in Hell screaming and squealing like a tortured pig after Christ has defeated him.
That's just to name a few...
Yea, the last shot of satan is a great one.
That statement of Jesus's about no greater love used to puzzle me. I mean yea, laying down your life I could see as the greatest thing one could do, but it gave me a little bit of pause with the addition of "for his friends." I mean, wouldn't greater love be laying down your life for your enemies?
Then it occurred to me that if you are laying down your life for some one, could they still be your enemy? No, I don't think so. Even if they still count you as an enemy, you would count them as a friend.
Anyway, that was just kind of a side note. It's cool the way things like that look confusing at first, and then all the sudden they unfold and make sense.
Sorry I couldn't make it to the movie Friday. :( I did get to see the movie on Sunday after church. It is such a powerful movie. The beating on the movie doesn't even describe the way it was in real life. Unbelievable!
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