Christ’s Passion

Christ’s Passion

He personally carried away our sins in his own body on the cross so we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. You have been healed by his wounds!

1 Peter 2:24

About six months before The Passion of the Christ was released, my husband and I were invited to preview the movie in London, where we visited a British distributor. I enjoyed going out to lunch with my husband’s colleagues before the viewing, but I wasn’t particularly looking forward to seeing the movie. I was skeptical of what Hollywood would do with the Bible, and I was also pretty sure that the movie was going to show more gore than I had ever seen. It did, and there were times when I looked down or closed my eyes. But I was relieved that for the most part the movie seemed true to Scripture. Because it contained so much truth and because the gospel is important to me, I entered into the experience.

As I watched the movie, I contemplated Jesus’ agony in the garden. I wept over his humiliation. I was warmed by the flashbacks, which pictured the incredible love Jesus showed to sinners in general, and his disciples in particular. As sad as Peter’s betrayal was, I sat there thinking, I’m a sinner too. And when the movie showed Jesus being beaten, forced to carry his cross, and then crucified, I was so overcome with emotion that I wanted to stand up and yell, “STOP!” But then I remembered why he did it—why he went through such passion and suffering. He did it because he loves us so much. He did it because he wanted us to be able to die to sin and live for what is right. I felt overwhelmed by his love.

After the movie, as I walked out onto the busy streets of London, I thought, All of eternity will not be long enough to praise Christ for what he did for me!

Father,

I am grateful for your wonderful plan to bring us life through Christ’s death. I don’t ever want a day to go by where I don’t thank you for Christ’s death and resurrection, which made it possible for me to be healed. In Jesus’ precious name, amen.