The Passion of the Christ - Essay Example

The Passion of the Christ Introduction The Passion of the Christ is a film based on the last 12 hours of Jesus of Nazarene; it begins with Jesus praying at Gethsemane at night, his capture, trials by Caiaphas, Pontius Pilate, and King Herod, his suffering and finally, his crucifixion. The Passion of the Christ exemplifies the self-sacrifice of Jesus Christ through his passion (derived from the Greek word, paschein, which means “to suffer”). This paper looks into the various aspects of eucharism (self-sacrifice) that are evidenced in the movie. Judging from the film, it is clear that Christianity as a religion governed by faith, hope, love, and forgiveness. Discussion In the film, there are various characters that make a huge impact to the development of the plot and the overall message of the film; first is Jesus who is introduced as a representation of righteousness, holiness and sacrifice throughout the film, second is Peter, a loyal disciple who fights for Jesus at Gethsemane but later betrays him due to the fear of death. Another character is Judas who is a representation of betrayal; he was a disciple of Jesus but he betrayed him to the Chief Priest and the Pharisees for thirty pieces of silver. Another prominent character is John, the disciple, Mary the mother of Jesus and Mary Magdalene, both who stood by Jesus through the whole process of capture and crucifixion, a show of unconditional love. Pontius Pilate, Herod Caiaphas and the chief priests are represented as figures of authority with Pilate and Herod representing political authority and Caiaphas representing the Jewish religion, which is depicted as loathing Jesus for blasphemy (The Passion of the Christ, 2004). Other characters who assist in developing the theme of the movie are Simon of Cyrene who carries Jesus’ cross, Veronica, the woman who wipes Jesus’ face with her cloth on the road to Calvary, the Roman soldiers that depict the system as being crude and violent towards criminals, and the veiled woman who represents Satan (death) – she appears every time death is imminent. Pilate’s wife is also a key character who influences Pilate’s decision, and she later offers Mary and Mary Magdalene a piece of cloth to wipe Jesus blood from the place where he is chastised. Throughout the film, we see betrayal, redemption, hatred, violence and absolute submission; however, some of the most evident aspects of eucharism are those of love, hope, faith, and forgiveness. Love The film begins with a verse from the Bible, “He was wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities; by His wounds we are healed”.1 This verse here depicts the trials, tribulations and suffering of Jesus as a sacrifice; that God would let his own son die for the sake of saving humanity from sin. This is the first portrayal of the Christian belief that Jesus Christ died for the sake of humanity, that he died to save them from sin, that he loved them so much that he would come down as a man, and suffer in pain, just like a normal man would. This here is a depiction of unconditional love. In another scene, we see Mary the mother of Jesus not having sleep on the night that Jesus was captured at Gethsemane; she is clearly worried about her son because according to her, the night feels different from all the other nights. This is a show of motherly love, a love towards her son (Abramowitz 4). She fears for her son and can be seen attending the trials at the temple, she is there when Jesus is being scourged by his captors before being taken to Caiaphas, she is also there when he is lashed by the Roman soldiers following Pontius Pilate’s orders that Jesus be chastised but not killed. She is there when he carries the cross to Calvary, and in one of the most emotional parts of the movie, we see her running towards Jesus when he falls down while carrying the cross, just like she did when Jesus was a child in a flashback scene. This is the best portrayal of Mary’s love for Jesus because at this point, one can see that she did not care what the Romans would do to her. Another scene that depicts love is when Mary Magdalene gets a flash back while cleaning Jesus’ blood after being lashed; in this scene, we see Jesus protecting Mary Magdalene from being stoned by the Pharisees and other Jews. In the Bible, we read that Mary Magdalene was a prostitute, and Jesus saved her because he wanted to show that love is something that needs to be shown to everyone.2 In another scene when Jesus is being crucified, Jesus gets a flashback of the last supper, where he tells his disciples that they should love one another, and their enemies like he has loved them. Judging from the films portrayal of Jesus as being holy, it is clear that Christianity is a religion that advocates for love, unconditional love. Hope In another scene, we see Jesus telling his disciples that he cannot be with them for long, that where he goes, they cannot go, he tells them that “…no servant is greater than his servant , if they persecute me, they will persecute you as well, but you must not despair, the helper will come….” In this scene, Jesus is telling his disciples to be hopeful, that even in times of hardships, death, suffering, God will come for to their rescue. When Jesus falls on the road to Calvary, Mary runs to her son, Jesus, and tries to comfort him by telling him that she is there for him, in return, Jesus tells her that she should wait and see as he makes all things new. This here, shows the hopeful nature of Christians, who believe that Jesus is the savior and Messiah, who will come to cleanse those that believe in him.3 When Jesus is first given his cross, he embraces it and calls onto his Father in heaven, telling him that he is his servant, the son of his father’s handmaid. During the trial with Caiaphas, Jesus says that he is the Messiah, that people shall see the Son of Man, seated on the right side of power, and coming down from the heavens. This is symbolic for Christians because they believe and hope that Jesus shall return back on the day of final judgment. Faith Christian faith is best expressed in a flashback when Jesus talks to his disciples telling them that “you believe in me, you know that I am the truth, the way and the life, and that no one comes to the father, but by me.” In this scene, Jesus is telling his disciples to have faith in the father, in the kingdom of Heaven, that those who have faith in him, shall see the kingdom of heaven. In the earlier scenes, Jesus prays to his father in heaven, he tells him to shelter him, to defend him from those who wish him harm, he says that he trusts in the father. He adds to say that his father can do all things, that if it be possible, his father in heaven should save him from the suffering that awaits, however, he adds to say that it is not his will that matters, but that of the father. As the devil tries to distract him, he prays to his father, he asks for strength, he asks the Lord to stand up for him. When Satan sends the snake towards him, he is not afraid, instead he crushes the serpent with his heel. In this scene, we see Jesus as being afraid, but at the same time, praying to his father in heaven, having faith and trust in him. When Pontius Pilate asks Jesus to speak for himself, to plead his case so that Pilate saves him from the blood thirsty Jews, Jesus tells him that he does not have power over him, that his power to judge Jesus only comes from above, therefore, it is the father in heaven who delivered him unto Pontius Pilate. This is of great significance to many Christians, it is the true representation of faith in God; we see Jesus as trusting in the will of his father, and believing that through this sacrifice, many will be saved. Forgiveness We see Jesus as a forgiving person, when the Roman soldiers come for him, there arises a fight between his disciples and the Romans; Peter cuts off the ear of one of the soldiers, but Jesus, despite his knowledge of what awaited him in the hands of this soldiers, goes ahead and heals the soldier by putting back the ear of the soldier where it should be. The soldier is surprised, that a man facing death, can be so forgiving. Another scene that shows forgiveness as a theme in Christianity is seen before, during and after crucifixion. Before going up the hill to Calvary, in a flash back scene, we see Jesus preaching at Calvary, telling his followers to not only love their neighbors, but to love and pray for their enemies as well. This scene therefore, shows Jesus as a forgiving person, telling his followers (Christians) to be forgiving as well. As they crucify him, he calls onto his Father in heaven, telling him to forgive ‘them’ for they do not know what they were doing. This here is a very evident aspect of Christianity, many Bible verses preach forgiveness and they believe that by embracing Christ, their sins are forgiven.4 This is evident in the scene where Jesus calls onto his disciples to eat the bread as a symbol of his body, and to drink the wine, as a symbol of his blood, and in doing so, their sins will be forgiven. On the cross, one of the thieves mocks him, whereas the other accepts his wrongs and his punishment, and asks that Jesus remember him when he goes to Heaven. Jesus shows forgiveness when he tells the thief that on that day, they shall dine together in paradise. Jesus is never angry when they hit him, instead, he prays for them. Conclusion As can be seen in the analysis, Christians believe in Jesus’ eucharism and the concepts of love, hope, faith and forgiveness. Throughout the film, the message is clear; one learns that no matter what happens, no matter the situation, people should love, forgive, hope, and have faith in God. This is the foundation of Christianity. Works Cited Abramowitz, Rachel. "Along came Mary." Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2004. Web. 22 Apr. 2014. . Brentano, Clement. "The Dolorous Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ." Jesus-Passion. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Apr. 2014. . Papamichael, Stella. "The Passion Of The Christ: Special Edition DVD (2004)." BBC News. BBC, n.d. Web. 22 Apr. 2014. . "Revelation 21:5 - New International Version." Bible Gateway. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Apr. 2014. . The Passion of the Christ. Dir. Mel Gibson. Perf. Jim Caviezel. Icon Productions:, 2004. DVD. Read More