Weekly Message
Tom Seymour
March 9, 2014
Lent Begins
Jesus Movies
The current popularity of
bible-based themes for Hollywood movies raises
some interesting questions. Is it a good thing to portray events as related in
scripture in a for-profit format? Do these movies help to draw people to God?
And what about the accuracy of such films?
Regarding the first question,
the answer is a tough one and there may well be more than one answer. First, we
must recall that Jesus overturned the tables of the moneychangers in the
temple. Filled with righteous anger, Jesus told those there that they had
turned his Father’s house into a den of thieves. Clearly, Jesus wanted for us
to see the distinction between true religion and religion-for-money such as the
moneychangers and sacrificial animal sellers practiced.
But before that event, Jesus’
disciples wanted to prosecute a man who was casting out demons in the name of
Jesus. And Jesus told them to let the man be, that those who were not against
them (Jesus and his followers) were for them. Might we tie this into
moviemakers who produce what some lump into the category of “Jesus movies?” Perhaps. But in the case of certain movies, certainly not.
The second question is
equally as perplexing. Do these movies draw people to God? Well, few people in
the modern era are unaware of the gospel. Religious television shows abound and
in towns and cities, church steeples are often the highest manmade structures
around. Except for primitive peoples living away from modern civilizations,
everyone has heard about Jesus.
On the other hand, many have
heard of Jesus, but have only a shallow, passing notion of what and who he is.
Jesus movies may well serve to enlighten such viewers.
The last question brings up a
point that a great many viewers of these movies may miss. Biblical accuracy as
portrayed not just in movies but in the bible itself is in question by bible
scholars. Many of these scholars have an ax to grind, too. The “in” thing now
among biblical academia is to discredit scripture and Jesus in particular. The
unearthing of ancient texts at Nag Hammadi was instrumental in this anti-Jesus movement
among scholars. These texts contained many writings, supposed "gospels" from after the time of
Jesus. These were from the Gnostics. One modern scholar and noted disputer of our canonical scripture, Marvin Meyer, considers these texts as valuable and perhaps even more valuable than the accepted gospel texts.
Many, not all, modern bible
scholars accept Gnostic (the Gnostics were a group that felt spiritual matters
must be experienced physically, among other things. They also wrote their own
gospels, many of them fanciful and all of them written long after the four,
synoptic gospels, those being the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John)
teaching and writing but reject the synoptic gospels.
This is not a new movement.
It began over 100 years ago, but only lately, in our “enlightened” age, has it
become so universally popular among mainstream scholars. An example of this
mode of thinking begins with bible authorship, particularly New Testament
authorship.
Scholars, analyzing writing
styles, have determined that none of the four gospels were actually written by
the authors for whom they are named. For instance, the Gospel of John,
according to our modern lights, was not written by the apostle John, but by an
anonymous author, a Greek-speaking Christian. And the Gospel of Luke? Not a
result of the Luke of scripture, but by an unknown person who had access to a
large collection of sayings called “Q,” or “Quelle,” German for “source.” From
these, scholars say, the false Luke composed his gospels.
The repudiation of what most
of us know, believe and cherish continues. Mark did not write the Gospel of
Mark, but rather, some unknown did. The author of Mark wrote, like Luke, from
existing sources.
The trouble with all this is
that authors, with the exception of Luke who was always supposed to be the Apostle
Paul’s traveling companion, claimed to have walked and talked with Jesus. They
testify that they have seen the word (Jesus is the "word") with their own eyes and touched with their
own hands.
This is best stated in the
first letter of John: We declare to you what was from the beginning, what we
have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched
with our hands, concerning the word of life-this life was revealed and we have
seen it and testify to it, and declare to you that eternal life that was with
the Father and was revealed to us-we declare to you what we have seen and heard
so that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with
the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.
John is talking of himself
and the other apostles and gospel authors being with Jesus. So if John is lying
and all the other authors are also telling made-up stories rather than factual
accounts, all our belief and faith in eternal life through the sacrifice of
Jesus Christ on the cross is in vain. But John wasn't lying. The only lies are
from those who seek to discredit scripture and so steal away our faith.
Getting back to Jesus movies,
the Christ-deniers have worked their way into television versions of such
movies. People like Dominic Crossan, a de-frocked Roman Catholic priest, and
Elaine Pagels, a non-believer and prolific author of pro-Gnostic books, are
part of something called “The Jesus Seminar.” You may remember a television
“documentary” called “The Search For Jesus.” Rather than working from
established scripture, these people presented a Gnostic point of view and took every
opportunity during station breaks to point out that nothing in the bible was
true as presented.
Satan is alive and well and
he loves The Jesus Movement.
It seems the lowest of low,
vile acts to use the time of Lent, leading up to the death and resurrection of
our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, as a time to try and turn people’s minds
against the truths of scripture. But that is exactly what these people do.
So regarding Jesus movies and
indeed, any bible-based movies, I must say, “Viewer beware.”
Some of these movies were
produced by bible-based people. The current movie Son Of God is such a one, as
was Mel Gibson’s The Passion Of The Christ. But not all are bible based and
because of that I say again, beware.
