THE PASSION OF CHRIST
I�d like to begin with John 20:21: "But these are written that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name."
I�m going to talk for a few minutes but there�s not one thing important that I�ll really say. This, the Bible - our Gift from God, is the most important Word that we will hear. It is more than our purpose for gathering together; It gives us the Message of our purpose in this life and the life to come.
This is where I�d normally say something about my unworthiness to stand before all of you. Once again, no need! You�ve already figured that out! I have never confused myself with the notion that I am here to impart any sort of knowledge to you. You guys are the team and I am basically a cheerleader. I don�t have anything for your knowledge and skill, only for - at my best - your spirit and step. I don�t play the game; I only acknowledge those who do and hope to give you the honor that you�ve well earned in the field of combat.
I�m going to start by reading something that I found on the internet at wings of hopeministry.com. These are some of the "letters" from their children�s page. It is called "Elijah�s Page." Since Elijah is the name of my grandson... It got my interest!
These are letters to God from little children. Their theological naivete offers a unique glimpse of the religious misconceptions of their parents. After all, from whence do these ideas spring if not from overhearing Mom and Dad during commercial breaks on the T. V.
These are cute, and humorous as well. The humor is well intentioned, however, I want to make the point that not all of us - few of us in reality - are on your levels of astuteness.
I should warn you that these will be my only real attempts a humor. As a matter of fact, after this I�ll probably be so serious that I�ll be about as welcome as Dr. Kevorkian at a Right to Life dinner.
The letters all start, "Dear God,..."
Please put another holiday between Christmas and Easter. There is nothing good in there now.
Thank you for the baby brother but what I asked for was a puppy. I never asked for anything else before. You can look it up.
I wish You would not make it so easy for people to come apart. I had to have 3 stitches and a shot.
Is it true my Father won�t get in Heaven if he uses his golf words in the house?
I bet it�s very hard for You to love all of everybody in the whole world. There are only 4 people in my family and I can never do it.
Do You really mean Do Unto Others As They Do Unto You? If You did the, I�m going to get even with my brother.
My Grandpa says You were around when he was a little boy. How far back do you go?
Did you mean for giraffes to look like that or was it an accident?
In Bible times, did they really talk that fancy?
Maybe Cain and Able would not kill each other so much if they each had their own rooms. It works OK with me and my brother.
You don�t have to worry about me. I always look both ways before I cross the street.
If You watch in Church on Sunday, I will show You my new shoes.
Is Reverend Coe a friend of Yours, or do You just know him through the business?
In Sunday School they told us what You do for a job. Who does it when You are on vacation?
In school we read that Thomas Edison made light, but in Sunday School they said You did it first. Did he steal Your idea?
I am doing the best I can. Really.
There are more; but, you get the idea.
I love kids. They have such a literalist view of the world. It is as they see it - only! Whenever someone gets upset with my little granddaughter, she puts her hands over her eyes. To her the world is what she sees and nothing else. If she can�t see the person scolding her then that person doesn�t exist!
When it comes to the Scripture too many people are like these children. They (I should say "I" but that would be confessing my faults [see James 5:16] and, folks, we ain�t got near enough time to even begin that litany!) can only see those few verses that are comforting - like the sight of Shandi�s hands over her eyes - and do not see the gentle correction of the Father over our own misconceptions.
Gentlemen, it was not without cause that Paul told the Ephesians elders that he had, "...not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God." (Acts 20:27) Since it was in the Mind of God to provide us with a complete Scripture, a partial Gospel is a faulty gosepl. That is the most grievous fault I found in Mel Gibson�s Passion of Christ. It only portrays the Suffering Savior; short shift is given to His glorious resurrection and none at all to the purpose of His sufferings.
I went to a movie the other day. Bet I lost a lot of you, there! Now, that�s not something that I generally do. But, this Mel Gibson film, The Passion of Christ, has become such a religious / cultural event that I felt I needed to view it just to be able to speak about it as an informed person.
By the way, that last point - about being an informed person, brings up something that we need to realize as Christians. Culture is not changing; it has already changed.
Back in that 1950's I was watching T. V. Western which contained the line, "When Jacob tried to be the arm of Esau he needed the skin of an animal to hide his own." The meaning, of course, was that a man must either be true to who his is or he will be false to others and to himself. It came from the Biblical event contained in the twenty-seventh chapter of Genesis.
Almost everyone knew what was meant. Christian and non-Christian alike were seeped in things Biblical. It was part of our shared heritage. It had nothing to do with "establishing a religion" or proselyting for the Christian faith." It was simply an acknowledgment of from where we had come as a people.
But, for the past forty years or so, the radical secularists have stained the fabric of Western Civilization with the dye of their own prejudice. Their loathing for, and fear of!, anything remotely connected with anything that nears the sound of Biblical, or - especially - of Christian, content must be, to their minds, censored from all public, and in many cases even private, discussion.
Some of these radicals have even attempted to silence the content of speech from the Pulpit. Most of us who are pastors have received threatening letters from organizations promising lawsuits, and the loss of our churches tax status, if we dare to speak on the morality of persons running for public office. How strange that this has become an issue only since the conservative Christian community has become active in political discourse. The liberal voice was always considered to be "caring" and "principled." Go figure!
The upshot of this censorship is that we have an entire generation (more!) who have been taught that the Christian religion is at best irrelevant, probably an evil to civilized society, but certainly unworthy of study. Because of this there is a dearth of knowledge about things spiritual among the general populace which would not have been possible to find in previous times.
Whereas in times past we could simply put the claims of Christ out to a world that could be expected - whether they would accept or reject - to understand those claims, we now really do need to be ready to "...give and answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear." (II Peter 3:15) I guess that�s O. K., though. After all it is Biblical!
The verse that shows up on our stationary is II Timothy 2:15. "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needth not be ashamed rightly dividing the word of truth." That is more than a simple suggestion or homily, that is Lawful Command from our Sovereign.
We, every one of us who name the Name of Christ, need to be what we�ve always claimed that we are: A People Of The Book. If we are not students, even more than just regular readers!, of the Bible we will not be able to follow the directive orders of our Heavenly Commander: "And ye are witnesses of these things." (Luke 24:48)
One can not be a witness about that which he does not know. You can not be an obedient Christian unless you are a witness.
Because of this we need to treat people outside the Household of Faith with a little more respect than have some of us in the past. How can we claim to be a people who revere the Word of God and yet call ourselves "Fighten� Fundies." And, we call ourselves this with pride! Why?
The attitude is bad enough, terribly anti-productive really, when it is unleashed against the unsaved. But, we are just as likely to aim our invective towards those who are of the household of faith. Do we somehow think that this fulfills the prophecy of Jesus? "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." (John13:35)
I am not saying that we do not correct. I am not saying that we do not discipline an erring brother. I am saying that we do not need to call in Michael Buffer to intone, "Let�s get ready to rumble," as part of our modus operandi.
We make the claim that we are just defending God. I�ll tell you something, God got along for years without my help and my guess is that He can continue to do so when it becomes necessary!
It has been said that the Democratic Party "ain�t on speaking terms with itself." Of course, that is politics. Brethren, our mission is more important than temporal politics. Our mission is even more important than mere religion. Our mission is even more important than simple life and death. As a matter of fact, our mission is even more important than eternal life and eternal death. Our mission is to be true to our Savior, Jesus Christ!
Jesus not only gave us the mission to tell men and women, boys and girls, that there is a Heaven to gain and a Hell to shun, He also told us how to carry forth that Message! He asked that we do so in a way that the Message would be understood, or at the very least heard. If we go after people in such a manner that they are so mad at us that they�ll never listen to a word we say, we just ain�t communicating that Message!
The pill of the Medicine of God will be bitter to mankind who are in bondage to Satan, we do need to sugar-coat that pill with the sweetness of civility!
While we are at it, may we never forget to deliver pill in the Spoon of prayer which will carry the leading and conviction of the Holy spirit of God.
I know that "a whole lotta Christians" refused to read any more of this paper after they read those five words: "I went to a movie." O. K. I can understand that. That�s the way you�ve been taught and I don�t even disagree with that teaching. But, let�s lay aside all that we�ve learned in our pugilistic Ring of Rhetoric, and see what is actually contained in the Scriptures we claim to follow.
Nowhere in the Scripture are we commanded to brow beat, or to attack, the sinner. Our Lord�s example was to "...seek and to save that which was lost (Luke 19:10)," not to "slap and to skewer those which we find loathsome."
This does not mean that we are to condone sin. Far from it! A part of our witness is the message that Christ offers much more, and better, than does the world. That is part of the allure of the Gospel. If we display the fruits of that Gospel in our own lives that message will be more meaningful that if we are only seen as attacking our prey. It would be much better to pray for souls than to fight with those to which we claim to offer the peace of God from a loving Savior. We must make that offer; this is the purpose of our witness.
But, while doing this we need to remain cognizant of the example of our Lord. There is not a place in the entire New Testament Canon where we see Jesus ever berate a sinner. He loves them where they are. He ministers to them where they are. He offers them freedom from sin from where they are. All the while He calls them from where they are to walk a new walk with Him, to live a new life with Him, to gain an eternal inheritance in Glory through Him and His atoning sacrifice.
He does not condone sinners; He calls them. He does not coddle sinners; He confronts them. He does not combat sinners; He charms them. He does not coerce sinners; He converts them. It ain�t an easy job to be a Christian. In the Biblical sense of the etymology of the word it is to be Christ like, or like Christ. We are His representative on earth. We are not His riot police.
Jesus saves His ire for those religionists who would stand in the way of men coming to Him. May we never, by our own actions, attitudes or words, be responsible for driving men from Christ.
We need to speak out in an attitude of projecting the Truth rather than an attitude of protecting our turf. I understand our all too human desire to try to protect our culture. However, may we realize that culture is time centric but the souls of men are eternal. ...and so, also, is their destination.
I realize that the above is hard. It is difficult to remain on a friendly basis with the sinner while deviating - not in the least! - from the Truth which we hold. But we must. The Truth can not be compromised or diluted. To do so is to make it less than Truth. Since God felt it important enough to give us the doctrines, in His Preserved Word, which we hold dear, it is an act of sacrilege and rebellion to deny - or to compromise - His Message.
Yet, we must offer this uncompromising, dogmatic, Eternal, and unpopular to the mind of lost man, Message in an attitude of uncontested, and undiluted!, love. This is how Jesus fulfilled His mission. That is how we must fulfill our mission.
We can never do this type of witnessing on our own. The Words of God are anathema to a world in bondage to Satan. And, yet we are supposed to take those wonderful Words and give them in sweet love to those who will be offended. Yes! And, we must do so without being offensive. We can not do this. But, we do have a secret Weapon. Well, it is a secret from the world. That Weapon is the Holy Spirit. We must be more often in prayer for, than in pillaging of, the sinner.
It is our responsibility, as witnesses of the Lord, that means as Christians!, to give forth the Message of Salvation. It is our duty as witnesses of the Lord, that means as Christians!, to talk and act so as not to discredit that Message. Then, we must leave the job of convicting the sinner up to the Holy Spirit.
We give the road map: "...ye must be born again (John 3:7)." We show the conveyance: "Neither is there salvation in any other, for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved (Acts 4:12)." Then we, if we have honestly prayed for His intervention in this sinner�s life, must let the Holy Spirit press the accelerator: "And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved (Acts 2:47b)."
This does not mean the fatalism of hyper-Calvinism. I mean only the faith of honest Christianity.
By the way, I do realize that I am preaching to a choir that has taken the bus to another service. I do not find this type of attitude, or spirit, among those assembled here. The men and women here are committed to the Lord and the Message which He inspired. We are not antagonists; you are apostles in the sense that you have had this personal relationship with the real and living Lord Jesus Christ and carry a commitment to share His Story and Word in the purest manner possible. I say this things only because all of us need to be reminded from time to time. While we are adopted children of God, we are still encumbered in this coil of clay.
And, now, back to the movie.
There were two things that stand out to me about going to this movie. The first was the cost of the popcorn! At that price I didn�t know if I was suppose to eat it or pass it down as a family heirloom!
The second thing that stood out was the conclusion of the film. As the credits began to roll not a single person moved or spoke. They just sat there in stunned silence.
The movie itself was sort of like reading the New International Version. It was close to the actual events. It followed the actual events fairly closely. It gave a real sense of what really did happen. But, it did contain a few inaccuracies. The difference between the move and the NIV, is that the movie only claimed to be entertainment while the NIV makes a claim that it is an accurate representation of the unalterable Word of God.
I was going to say a whole lot more about The Passion, but then I went to David Cloud�s web site to do some research. Ain�t nothing left to say! I am amazed by the thoroughness of this site, and this servant of God, in not only this but in so many other areas. If you haven�t discovered this site then go home, go to the library, go somewhere there is a computer and dial up wayoflife.org. I don�t know if there is a place on the web where so much information is so readily available for a profitable study of the Word of God and the issues of the day in light of that Word.
There are, however, still a few things that I�d like to comment on about this movie. And, these are the same type of failings as we find in the newer translations. How could it not be so considering that they have laid aside the Truth of God for the tall tales of man?
The first is that there were a few things added to the sacred story. There was a scene of Mary having a "flashback while Jesus was carrying the cross. The memory came to her character that she had seen Jesus fall and "skin his knee" when He was a child. She had then comforted Him.
My problem with this was twofold. First, this tended to elevate Mary to a position as comforter of Jesus. That just ain�t so! As great and courageous a woman as was Mary, she was simply the vessel which was used to provide for Him Who would be the Savior. He had no need of her comfort. The True Comforter is the Holy Spirit of God.
Second, Jesus did not need Mary�s protection from that which He had come to do! She, rather, needed the salvation which this sacrifice of His would make available.
Also, there was a scene where the wife of Pilate came and gave Mary tome towels with which to wipe up the blood of Jesus from the stones in the streets. This would give the misconception that the Catholic practice of religious relics has its genesis in the Scriptural story. But, this fantasy is nowhere in the Scriptural page. Indeed, the opposite picture is given of Pilate�s wife. She is not seen as adoring the Savior, she is seen as being very apprehensive of Him.
Both of these scenes come more from Catholic tradition (More from? Completely from!) than they do from the pages of inspired Scripture. This presents a very large spiritual problem with the movie. When a person has opened his heart to spiritual influences and these influences are not of God... That is a real spiritual danger.
In the same vein, to trust the souls of man to a sham scripture is to give spiritual trust to the lie of Satan. A dangerous situation.
We are so spiritually offended by some of the charismatic excesses that we don�t speak, or teach, or even think very often on this subject. But, I would remind you that Satan still, "...as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour (I Peter 5:8)."
Notice what Paul says in Ephesians 6:10-18:
10. Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. 11. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. 13. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness. 15. And you feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace: 16. Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. 17. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God. 18. Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.
Everything that we know, rightly know, about spiritual forces and warfare comes from the preserved Word of God. Without that Word to guide and instruct us we are left to the devices of he who would do us evil. To elevate tradition, be it so-called church tradition, entertainment, or bogus translations from flawed texts, to the level of true Scripture which God gave to mankind, is to move away from that Scripture. One is then left unprotected from the onslaughts of the evil one.
You think it ain�t important that we use the Bible version translated form the Preserved Text which God inspired!
There was also the problem of so-called antisemitic influences in the movie. That whole problem came about because only a small slice of the Scriptural story was even attempted to be portrayed.
That is a problem that occurs whenever only part of the Scripture is accessed. God gave us a complete record. When we fail to preach, or teach, or study the whole counsel of God we are in danger of giving a false picture of the God Who is revealed therein.
This is a problem of which most of us are well familiar through our dealings with various cultists.
Another problem I had with the movie was a scene that was left out. Well, not completely left out. The words of the crowd, "His blood be upon us, and on our children (Matthew 27:25b)," were deleted from the text box at the bottom of the screen because people had complained about them. Gibson�s defense at this pruning of the crucifixion account was that, "The words are still there in the Aramaic."
Doesn�t that sound like the defense of those new, ersatz translation, so-called? "All that doctrines are in there. You just have to search for them."
How sad that Gibsons� vision, which he was compelled to put on the screen, was diluted of even more of its authenticity because of his fear of what others might say about him and his film. May we never be so ashamed of the Gospel that we fail to preach It in Its entirety - The Whole Counsel of God!
The final thing I want to note about the movie is that it presented facts without faith. Facet after facet of the crucifixion story was brought out. Picture after picture of the agony of Jesus was flashed upon the screen. Most of the audience was transfixed by the spectacle which transpired before their horrified gaze. The general consensus of the views was that this movie had shown them the facts of the death of Jesus to a depth that they�d never before understood.
Of course, like the newer and easier to understand translation of the eclectic texts, the things that the movie taught weren�t always reliably true!
There were even some honest conversions that came about in the lives of those who viewed this theatrical production.
These conversions were not the result of this motion picture. They were the result of the prayers of the faithful finding fruition at this time. Those people would have had to have been aware of the purpose with which Jesus went to that cross before they ever entered the theater because the movie was so immersed in the facts of the crucifixion that it never took the time to present the purpose for which Christ died.
Facts and argumentation have their place. But faith is the medium in which the Christian life is generated and sustained.
There is an interesting argument made in the book, The Q Document:
We assume that, if logic can prove something, it is true and that, if logic cannot prove it, it is false. But under that method all Christianity is false because the facts of Christianity suspend logic. It is not logical that Christ should have been born of a virgin. It is physically impossible. It is not logical that Christ arose from the dead. That is a contradiction of terms. It is not logical that a whole civilization should suspend belief in logic to worship a Christ who defied all logical analysis. And the worst offender against Christ is the intellectual Christian who attempts to break down the component parts of his faith and analyze them and rationalize them and identify them.
Reason and study are not bad things. They are simply a use of a God given ability. Dedicated to Him they are wonderful tools. Held up for our own self aggrandizement and pride they become a terrible detriment to the cause of Christ. History is replete with example of schools, people, denominations, and movements which had begun as a humble defense of the things of God, which have fallen into rank heresy when they began to think more highly of themselves then they ought.
The song says it all, Faith is the Victory. May we never succumb to the siren call of intellectualism of facts at the expense of faith.
Learning about Christ is not bad. Libraries have been filled with books and commentaries about the Message contained in the Bible. This is all good. We are, after all, as noted above commanded to study His Word.
But, the purpose of the Scriptural story... Well, it was contained in the first paragraph of this paper. "But these are written that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing ye might have life through his name." (John 20:31)
Reader, what about you? Have you accepted the Jesus of the cross as your personal Savior? That was His purpose in going to the cross. That was His purpose in entering human history. He came to pay the price, to offer the perfect sacrifice, so that you could have your sins forgiven and find peace with God.
Accept Him as your Savior.
Do it now!