The Passion of the Christ

Isaiah 53:5
But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes (wounds) we are healed.

Watching the movie that Mel Gibson created is not something you can see every year. We bought the movie The Passion, so that one day when our kids are of age, maybe in their teens, we can share with them what we saw. I took a personal day off school to go see the movie with John the day it came out. We walked into the theatre and saw our three pastors, and joined them. Once the movie started the theatre was silenced and none of us spoke. How could we? From start to finish the movie Mel Gibson portrayed was an honest account of all the pain and suffering the Lord went through, for us, for me, for you.

The beatings, the mocking, the spitting in his face, the wounds, the blood that was poured out...I just never, ever pictured it so painful. I guess we see such sheltered photos in our church, but this movie really helped me to see with my own two eyes, the brutality of man, and the love of Jesus. It was the first time I saw Christ as a man experiencing pain, and sorrow, and disappointment.

From start to finish the movie captivated me, especially the scenes where
Satan is lurking, taunting Christ saying "Do you really think you can take away the sins of the world?" Many, many times in the movie you just see the depravity and evil in man. I felt so ashamed, that my Lord, went through all of that, that they didn't even realize He was God, how dare they! I wanted to yell and shout out at them. But we all have sinned in the face of God, just like that? It's painful to admit. We would have done the same. And with those same arms of love, He would have stretched out his arms and allowed himself to be put through pain and agony because of the price of sin is a high price. It had to be paid.

My favorite parts in the movie is with Jesus and his mom. The brief moments of relief when you seem him thinking back to his days before his ministry with the 12 disciples. I love the scene when he splashes water and he and his mom are goofing off. It was such a natural scene. We forget the love between a mother and her son. How did Mary do it? How did she watch all of the horrible things Jesus had to withstand? I'll never ever forget the scene where after he was whipped 39 times they wipe up his blood on the ground with the white linen, we don't know if that really happened but seeing his blood spilled out and the white garment shows you how our sins are red as scarlet and He cleansed us White as snow.

My favorite line in the movie and in the Bible is when Jesus says "Behold, I make all things new." In this particular scene he is struggling to carry the heavy cross to the place where he will be crucified, Oh, I just wanted to take that cross and carry it for him, he was so weak and tired from the beatings, and someone came over crying to him, and he looked straight at them with confidence and said "I make all things new!" He did this so that we can have new lives, a new relationship with God, a new start, a new beginning, a second chance.

Revelation 21:5 Then He who sat on the throne said, "Behold, I make all things new." And He said to me, "Write these words are true and faithful."

Jesus knew that His obedience to God by dying such a gruesome death would bring life to us, his children. It was worth it to him because he loved us so. Man, I just can't comprehend His love, it has no limits and no bounds.

Before you get caught up in egg hunts, chocolate bunnies, and Easter baskets, please pause to praise God for this gift of sacrifice and love. Take time to think about the price that was paid for our sins, Jesus had no sin, He knew no sin, He did it for us. He was innocent, we are guilty. Thank you Jesus.

And the price He paid was so costly, it cost Him his life...but 3 days later...He rose!!!