In a bit of inspired marketing, Icon Productions showed “The Passion of the Christ” to tens of thousands of evangelical leaders before its Ash Wednesday release.
Not surprisingly, “The Passion of the Christ” overwhelmed prerelease audiences with Jesus’ brutal torture and agonizing death on the cross. Pastors and ministry execs quickly endorsed “The Passion” as “perhaps the greatest outreach opportunity in 2,000 years.” Ministries immediately went into overdrive to equip churches with tools to bring non-Christians to the movie, and they continue to produce evangelistic resources for post-film follow up.
As I left the theater this afternoon, however, I have to confess that evangelizing others is not at the top of my list. Don’t get me wrong. I certainly pray that the Spirit will move millions to seek God with all their heart, place themselves in Messiah’s hands and journey with fellow Christ-followers as true disciples of the Master.
It’s just that I am struck even more deeply with my need to embrace again the true cost of discipleship in a culture that sees itself as largely post-Christian. I suspect that many Christians are also trying to wrap their own heads and hearts around “The Passion” and what it all means for their faith and practice.
The Gospel on Film
One of the challenges “The Passion” raises is how to “read” this movie. Speaking to us through sight and sound, the film resonates in our imagination and hammers our emotions, drawing on memories of Scripture we’ve read – from the Psalms Jesus prays in the Garden, through the flashbacks to the Sermon on the Mount and the Last Supper, ending with his final words from the cross.
Seeing “The Passion” feels like being there. But we must remember that Mel didn’t shoot a documentary of the Crucifixion. “The Passion” is a work of art based on Scripture; it is a visual interpretation of the Gospels, tinged with extra-biblical tradition and filtered through Gibson’s own spiritual experience.
Part of reading “The Passion” involves checking Gibson’s representation against the biblical accounts. But we also should ask the Spirit to deepen our understanding and insight into the written Word through images the film has seared on our hearts.
Back to evangelization. Film and TV are probably the dominant storytellers of our day. Millions will go to “The Passion” possessing well-developed literacy for visual media -- and no biblical literacy whatsoever.
At the same time, sadly, many Christians with deep knowledge of Scripture do not have “eyes to see or ears to hear” the language of film. Effective outreach around “The Passion” may require Christians to become culturally bilingual in movie-talk as well as Bible-speak.
Before we Scripture-savvy believers start explaining “The Passion” to unbelievers, let’s first listen to what media-savvy seekers tell us about viewing “The Passion” on its own terms as film. What we learn will make us better witnesses to an “entertain-me” world.
To browse dozens of reflections and practical resources you can use for church ministry, as it relates to “The Passion,” check out our special theme section.
Releasing “The Passion” at the beginning of Lent was spiritually right on target. During these weeks leading up to Easter, we are challenged to reflect on the true state of our souls, to face how readily we sin against God and our neighbor, to remember our weakness, and to see that mortal life ends in dust. Though hardly the message mass-marketing wants us to hear, that’s the truth “The Passion” forces us to face. Christ died to free us from sin and death.
What made me weep, however, was Peter’s denial, because I know how often I deny Jesus. I gasped at flashbacks from the bloody feet of a Roman soldier to Jesus washing his disciples’ feet, from Golgotha Hill to Christ teaching on the Mount.
Like the Stations of the Cross, every scene, every close up, every freeze and transition provides a moment for inward conviction and confession. Christians come out of “The Passion” rightly grieving that our sins put Jesus to death.
What made me weep, however, was Peter’s denial, because I know how often I deny Jesus. I gasped at flashbacks from the bloody feet of a Roman soldier to Jesus washing his disciples’ feet, from Golgotha Hill to Christ teaching on the Mount. What kind of disciple, what kind of witness am I when my Master commands me to serve others, to love God with all my heart and our neighbor as myself, to love not only fellow believers but even my enemies as he did?
Resolving to be more Christ-like is a start, but it usually ends badly, with even more guilt over my failures. I’m learning that I need to practice the same patterns of obedience Christ practiced with his Father: prayer, solitude, fasting, and an intimate knowledge of Scripture.
Many of us have little practice in the classic disciplines such as contemplation, spiritual self-examination, and confession. Churches can pick up where the film ends as schools of spiritual formation, in which disciples learn and practice together time-tested disciplines for cooperating with the Holy Spirit in the renovation of our hearts.
Back to evangelization: Today’s unbelievers are jaded and cynical about Christianity. They are also spiritually hungry and very open to Jesus as an enlightened teacher. The Passion gives disciples a fresh opportunity to dialog with unbelievers about Jesus. It also challenges us to be compassionate, generous, forgiving, merciful, and loving, just as Jesus is.
Resources
Check out some of these resources as you pursue your own spiritual journey.
In a bit of inspired marketing, Icon Productions showed “The Passion of the Christ” to tens of thousands of evangelical leaders before its Ash Wednesday release. 
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