The problem I have with most Jesus movies

I find most of these movies (and a good many sermons) tend to reduce the difficulties of Jesus, he’s too likable. We too easily are attracted to him for being a cool, nice guy and we too easily hate his oppressors. Most of his “fans” had a misguided projection that they were cheering about thinking he’d resolve the problem of the Roman occupation. The crowd dissolved when he let himself be crucified. What kind of savior would let the Romans win. None of his own disciples thought about heading to the tomb “just in case”. Only the women, loving, dutiful, came to do the dirty work of honoring an already decaying corpse. These movies put us on Jesus’ side too early and conveniently in the narrative and don’t do the real evangelistic work which is to help us to realize that in all likelihood if we were first century Jews we would have either though to use Jesus to try to solve our own problems (the crowds) or opposed him for the kinds of things he said that were betraying our culture war against the Romans (Pharisees).

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About PaulVK

Husband, Father of 5, Pastor
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