"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
In 2004, a decade ago if you believe it, The Passion of the Christ came to theaters. Living in Utah, and being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, aka Mormon, I got caught up in the huge debate going on here. That film centering on Christ is rated R, and many Latter-Day Saints choose not to see rated R films. A few of my friends have even chosen not to view PG-13 movies. I haven't that strength!
It was a huge debate in my heart if I was going to see The Passion of the Christ. Oh, I wrestled with it! And one morning in Music Theory 101, my earphones cleverly (or deceitfully if you will) hidden under my hair, I listened to a local radio host as I worked through chord progressions on the chalk board. (I was the first to finish in the class, receiving 100%. I'll never forget it :0) The radio host was talking to a BYU professor about the film, discussing the subject matter and MPAA rating. I believe they both ended up seeing the movie.
So after much ponder and prayer I went with my family opening weekend, the theater absolutely packed with young and old alike. A quiet reverence resting in the theater as the end credits rolled. Silence all the way home as we pondered what we had just experienced. No one said anything for quite a while, which is rare for my family. We typically love picking movies apart.
A couple months ago I started seeing the trailer for Son of God in theaters, with the MPAA: PG-13. The movie looked promising, high quality, produced by Roma Downey and Mark Burnett, the same people behind the incredibly successful The Bible series on the History Channel last year.
That's one of the major differences between the two films. Where in The Passion of the Christ the major conflict/opposition is Satan (the images created by this tension is haunting and powerful, particularly the scene where Christ carries his cross, Satan walking along step by step.) In this latest film Son of God, Satan was left on the cutting room floor, literally, because the man who played Satan in The Bible and therefore Son of God looks similar to Obama, which created backlash and a negative dialogue last year, taking focus away from the beautiful scenes in The Bible. Honestly I understand why the producers made this change.
Instead of the opposition of Satan we get a great view of the conflicts of the time: Pontius Pilate, his wife, the High Priest Caiaphas, and the Roman dominance in Israel. Ironically, I guess, leaving out Satan in this regard helps us view the events in a more human way, though the war raging on the other side of the veil should never be forgotten.
Also, it was beautiful watching Mary Magdalene follow along as a disciple, participating as a witness to some of the miraculous events.
In terms of the violence in Son of God, it is tamed from The Passion of the Christ, though some of the scenes are still hard to watch. The famous whipping scene from the former movie is what helped earn that film an R rating. In Son of Got we see the whipping begin, pull away to only sounds, and then a cut.
The suffering and prayer of Christ in Gethsemane is glossed over, showing only a tiny bit, shifting quite a bit of focus to the scenes on the cross. (It is in Gethsemane where Latter-Day Saints believe the atonement of Christ took place, his blood sacrifice, "and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground". Luke 22:43–44. So I was saddened not to have seen more of the garden and that great trial.) I am aware that the majority of Christians believe Christ's blood sacrifice was on the cross, and thus the long scene in the film and the reverence given therein. For children watching in the theater it may be hard to watch Christ carry his cross, and then be hung. A lot of the PG-13 elements in the film are in these moments.
I heard Roma Downey share a touching story in an interview with Hannity about the cross scene. They hired someone to clear away scorpions and snakes as they shot scenes, usually clearing away one or two. But on the morning when the production filmed the Crucifixion, 40 snakes circled the base of the cross. What a striking moment of symbolism.
I will admit that when Jesus said, "I am the one, and only Son of God," I felt a little chill, though I know many believe it. (I have a testimony that Christ is God's literal, Only Begotten Son in the flesh. And I believe I am one of God's, our Heavenly Father's, spirit daughters. But then I believe in a pre-mortality, where we all dwelt in Heaven as a family unit, with our Heavenly Parents before coming to Earth. A Heavenly Father and Mother. I am their daughter, in the spirit, as we are all God's children in the spirit. But Christ is our Heavenly Father's Only Begotten Son in the Flesh. Christ is God; One with the Father. I believe this with my whole heart.)
The Son of God is a beautiful film. The ending absolutely touching. I can't not cry when "Mary Did You Know?" is played. This is a positive, touching film on Christ's life.
MPAA: Rated PG-13 for intense and bloody depiction of The Crucifixion, and for some sequences of violence.
I'd like to bare my testimony that I believe Christ is the Only Begotten Son of our Father in Heaven. That Christ lived and still lives! That he healed the sick, raised the dead, and walked on water. And that through the atonement we can be healed and be forgiven of our sins. Christ died so we can change. The atonement isn't a one time only deal. It's there for us whenever we need it, as many times as we need it, for none of us is perfect. We all sin. But thanks to Christ we have hope, and through his love and sacrifice we can live again with Jesus Christ and our Havenly Father. Christ is the Word; The great I AM; Alpha and Omega; The beginning and the end; Jehovah; The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
I believe these things to be true.
I know these things are true.
My spirit, through the Holy Ghost, bares witness of Christ upon my heart.
I have always and will always love Christ, appreciate him, cherish him, and plead to have his spirit by my side.
My Testimony is Sure and Strong.
I will never doubt.
I say these things in the Name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
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