Passion of Jesus Christ

The first time I watched this controversial movie was around 6 years ago, it didn't make much sense to me except got to know the movie is really violent. Yesterday I bought the original and watched it again.....with a different mindset,attitude,belief, and as a different person from previous.
I was emotionally driven to tears as the story plays on. And I was able to explain to my wife what the movie was all about since she wasn't well versed with the Holy Bible.
The movie depicted the last 12 hours of Christ's life. It started with him praying at the mount of Olives where he started sweating blood during his prayers. He foresee his inevitable betrayal by one of his apostles, Judas Iscariot in exchange for 30 silver shillings. All the things that was about to happen to Him in the next 12 hours was prophesied during the last supper, the last meal Jesus had with His twelve apostles, Peter, Andrew,James the greater, James the lesser,john,Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew,Thaddeus, Simon, and Judas. The Last Supper Lord Jesus had with his 12 apostles.

The Last Supper Painting by Leonardo da Vinci.
It was during the last supper that Jesus revealed to the apostles that He will be going to a place where non of them can come yet, that one of among the 12 of them would betray the Son of God and condemned Him to Death, that Apostle Peter who previously pledged that he will follow his Lord to wherever, even death. But Jesus told him that Peter would deny Him 3 times before the rooster calls.

Judas Iscariot who was paid 30 silver shillings to betray Jesus by leading the Roman guards to Him. When Judas lead the army and met Jesus,Peter,and John, he identifies Jesus for the Romans by giving Him a kiss at the cheek.

While He was still speaking, behold, a crowd came, and the one called Judas, one of the twelve, was preceding them; and he approached Jesus to kiss Him.--Luke 22:47

However, when Judas found out his actions has lead to the crucifixion if Jesus Christ, he regretted his betrayal and committed suicide by hanging himself.

"Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that. And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself. And the chief priests took the silver pieces, and said, It is not lawful for to put them into the treasury, because it is the price of blood. And they took counsel, and bought with them the potter's field, to bury strangers in. Wherefore that field was called, The field of blood, unto this day."- Matthew 27:3-8

Now Peter was saddened with the fact that he was told that he will deny Jesus three times before the rooster calls. But when Jesus was tied and brought to the council of Pharisee he was asked by the Jewish people who identified him as Peter, one of the 12 follower of the "condemned" man.. He denied. Then a lady pointed at him and shouted at the crowd, claiming that he's been seen with Jesus, again, he adamantly denied. Finally, a Pharisee held him without letting go and accused him of being a follower, he fought back with overwhelmed fear that drove him to tears. He fell to the ground, and made eye to eye contact with Jesus who was tight and held by the Roman soldiers. The look on Jesus' face tells Peter that the His prophecy just happened. Peter had denied Jesus three times. Peter finally died by crucifixion, upside down.

One thing i like about the style this movie was made by the way they portray scenes before and during the process of crucifixion, where each moment while carrying the cross on His shoulder.

One scene would show how He was beaten while carrying the cross towards Mount Calvary, He was exhausted and collapsed a few times, each time His swollen, blood covered face looked up, then it jumps to another scene like the one below,

"Remember the word that I said to you, 'A slave is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also".-John 15:20

Then it snaps back to the procession, this time, Jesus was was looking far worse then before, you could see his blood and flesh being peeled away from the persistent beatings by the Roman guards. Then the picture snaps backs to 12 hours ago while they were having their last supper. "While they were eating, He took some bread, and after a blessing He broke it, and gave it to them, and said, "Take it; this is My body."--Mark 14:22
"And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He said, "Take this and share it among yourselves";--Luke 22:17
"Is not the cup of blessing which we bless a sharing in the blood of Christ? Is not the bread which we break a sharing in the body of Christ?"--I Corinthian 10:16
" For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread"--I Corinthian 11:23
Then there was this scene where it was silent and was in slow motion, showing Christ bending down to the ground and scribble something on the ground, while showing a group of men slowly threw down rocks which they held on earlier. After all the stones were on the ground, Jesus stood up slowly and then a slim hand stretching her arms out obviously still shivering trying to toucch Jesus's feet. For all you Christians, I am sure you would know this story...

" But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery.In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?" They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him. But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?" "No one, sir," she said. "Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin."--John 8:1-11

The following scene continues with the congregation toward the peak of Mount Calvary. I know its just a movie, but it have such an impact on me that drove me to tears, to know that Jesus alone died for the forgiveness of our sins. How possible can a man endure the pain and the inhuman treatment he receive then for hours? At this point, I must admit Jesus is not human, more... Through personal experiences, i am convinced that He is what He claimed to be, the Son of God.

To be frank, who wants to read about some review on a religious based movie? Its not exactly a review, it's not exactly a narration. I feel the urge to share my experience with Jesus Christ as I had while watching this movie. I actually felt the intensity of the movie.

How can anyone being beaten into pulp, impaled on a cross, left for death, until the very last moment of his life, He would still ask His Heavenly Father for forgiveness for those people from the Pharisee, the Roman governor, the Roman soldiers and torturers, and finally the ignorant Jews who has a role in his death?

Then said Jesus," Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do"--Luke23:34