MOVIE GUIDE TO

THE PASSION

OF THE

CHRIST

MOVIE GUIDE TO

THE PASSION

OF THE

CHRIST

Interview with Mel GibsonReview of The Passion of the ChristParents’ Guide to The Passion & more

Photography by Philippe Antonello - Photos from The Passion of the Christ

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®

“God made you alive with Christ.

He forgave us all our sins, having

canceled the written code, with

its regulations, that was against us

and that stood opposed to us; he

took it away, nailing it to the

cross.”

Colossians 2:13-14

Easter, worship and music resources to equip the church available at...

One of the most controversial and challenging examples of gospel themedvisual arts in recent memory is about to hit a multiplex near you. The Passionof the Christ, directed by Mel Gibson, is one of those cultural events thatpromise to have an enormous effect on a broad range of concerns critical to

pastors, worship leaders and congregations of every persuasion. It’s a giant step for-ward in the use of the visual to edify, educate and enlighten. Big time.

However you’ve imagined Christ in your mind’s eye, it’s likely to be radicallychanged after experiencing The Passion of the Christ. The meaning and impact ofChrist crucified should be the aim of all Christian communicators, but the questionremains: is the point getting across? Our hymned history is replete with classics which

seem sweet and sentimental compared to the torture, pain andviolence graphically portrayed in The Passion of the Christ.But is it violence with a purpose? Does it make the crucifix-ion more real, more believable? The answer to those ques-tions is a resounding yes.

Why? Because the sacrifice that Jesus made is theessence of the gospel (1 Cor. 15:1-4). It’s where God declaresHis love to us (1 Jn. 3:16; 4:9-10), freedom from our old life(Ga. 2:20) and our access to Him (He. 10:19-22). Christ’s suf-fering is a deterrent from sin, an inspiration to shoulder ourown cross (1 Pe. 2:21-24; 4:1, 19) and a perfect guarantee ofGod’s mercy and grace (Ro. 5:6-10). In advance of the releaseof this watershed film, Worship Leader has taken an up-closeand in-depth look at the innovative new approaches to visu-al worship with an “eye” toward the context, content and cre-

ative spirit igniting these exciting new developments. It’s a journalistic investigationset against the backdrop of a powerful movie that promises to spark its own passion-ate debate about the role of visual arts in presenting, and representing, the gospel. It’sour belief that The Passion of the Christ may well be the leading indicator for a renais-sance of Christianity in the visual realms.

As a result of many requests by our subscribers who are pastors and leaders with-in the church, Worship Leader magazine has culled from the best of ourJanuary/February Visual Arts issue and compiled this special issue, in hopes of help-ing you as you prepare for viewing the Passion of The Christ, which is sure to be a riv-eting and powerful experience.

As we move into a new century, and a new millennium, our collective Christianexperience demands a new and comprehensive understanding of how God speaksthrough artists of every description to convey His character and calling.

Chuck FrommPublisher

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AT YOUR SERVICE:

As we move into a new century,

and a new millennium, our col-

lective Christian experience

demands a new and comprehen-

sive understanding of how God

speaks through artists of every

description to convey His char-

acter and calling.

For advance tickets andadditional informationon The Passion of theChrist, go to www.thepassionofchrist.com or call 877-777-6171.

To order copies of Worship Leader's Movie Guide to The Passion of the Christ, visitwww.worshipeader.com and click on the Worship Leader Store tab.

4 W O R S H I P L E A D E R

For the past several months, Worship Leader has beenworking on our annual Visual Arts issue, whichincludes extensive coverage on the highly anticipat-ed and controversial film, The Passion of the Christ.In our efforts to provide you with well-rounded cov-erage, Worship Leader has convened several panels,conducted extensive research and held both editorialand pastoral screenings of the movie, as well as spenttime discussing the film with Mel Gibson and his staffat Icon Productions – all during a time of intense

media scrutiny and coverage. In recent months there has beenoverwhelming editorial opposition to the film in many well-known and respected secular publications describing the film asfueling hatred and anti-Semitism – calling it the most offensivefilm ever made. The filmmaker, the film and its artistic interpre-tation have literally been under fire since the day they beganfilming The Passion of the Christ, and that controversy is likely tocontinue up until and after the film’s debut. In many ways IconProductions can thank their opposition, as it has brought atremendous amount of awareness to the film. According toindustry insiders, films that are over three months from releaserarely enjoy awareness ratings over 4%; conservative estimatesput Gibson’s film at an awareness rating of 38%.

Either through its artistic interpretation or by its controver-sial content, the film tends to polarize viewers – they either loveit or hate it. On our editorial quest, we discovered whether theresponse is positive or negative, nobody leaves this film unaf-fected. Rather than give you a simple thumbs up or down on thisfilm, Worship Leader offers you these insights direct from theartist on his intention in making The Passion of the Christ. Wehope in doing so, you can better understand more about thespiritual journey that the artist has traveled as he conceived, pro-duced, directed and now markets his highly controversial andpersonally costly movie.

While much of what Mel Gibson thinks and feels is still amystery, his film attests to the fact that he is a deeply spiritualman, who has taken on this project with the utmost respectand seriousness of its potential for impact. Gibson’s candidexchange reveals why this movie was so important for him tomake, and exactly what audience he had in mind when he

made it. We hope these insights will help you as you wrestlewith the tough emotions and personal impact of this deeplymoving work of art.

WL: People are wondering what your intent for the movie was. Why didyou make it?MG: Because I had to do it. I just had to do it. It wasn’t some-thing that I had a choice about. A lot of things came together tohave me do the film, and I resisted it for quite some time.

…Then there were all of these weird things that happened,I mean really weird things that convinced me, that I didn’t havea choice (gesturing like he was being pulled by the collar tomake this movie).

WL: What did you study to prepare yourself for this endeavor?MG: Of course I had to study up on the crucifixion.… There wasthis convent that was going out of business and they were sell-ing their library. They sold them to me for a dollar a piece, so Ibought 1,500 of them. I was looking through the books andthere were some really OLD books – you open them and“thump,” dust would be everywhere. One of them was fromFather (Peter) Gallwey, The Watchers of the Sacred Passion. Itwas a meditation book on the passion of Christ. I used a lot ofthe book as preparation for the movie. The Dolorous Passion ofOur Lord Jesus Christ by Saint Anne Catherine of Emmerich(1774-1884) was another book that just popped out at me.

When I was shooting the movie Signs, I was looking for thiswarehouse where there were thousands of books and antiqueitems from the early church. I didn’t really think I was going toget there, but took down the address anyway. When I gave theaddress to the limo driver he pointed directly across the street.

PassionA N I N T E R V I E W W I T H M E L G I B S O N

OneMan’sB Y J U L I E R E I D

The warehouse was only around the corner from where I wasfilming! I kind of freaked the guy out when I showed up onlymoments later. He took me through the warehouse full of icons,artifacts and relics. I bought a few things and on the way out,he handed me this other relic, a small piece of cloth. He said itwas a free gift, and he wouldn’t sell it. He said, “You probablydon’t know who this is, but it’s from a nun named St. AnneCatherine of Emmerich.” It made the hair on my arms stand up.I have it in my pocket right now.

Anyway, I’ve been thinking about doing something like thisfor years, and I had every reason not to do it. God had to slap mein the face to finally do it. You come to a point in your life whenyou’ve made millions, you have a wife, and family, and a drink-ing problem and you come to an edge of a window and you wantto jump, but you don’t, of course, but you want to, but somethinghold’s you back. And what held me back was this story – the storyof Christ.

This was my meditation (pointing to the screen). I used Hiswounds to heal mine.

WL: Did you anticipate the controversy that would come as a result ofdoing this movie? MG: Yes, but anytime you make a movie about Christ, it’s goingto create controversy. From day one, these people have beenshooting arrows at me. But when you’re making this kind ofmovie, you don’t want to allow one bad thought in your head.It’s in my nature to want to strike back, but you can’t do that. Ijust had to look straight ahead and not look to the right or to theleft; it was only by God’s mercy. He gave me the patience.During the making of this movie, I felt like I had to put on myarmor, my shield and my sword.

WL: Much has been said about the violence in this movie. Some havesaid your goal was to have people be “undone” by the violence. Was it? MG: Oh, yeah. I wanted people to be devastated, but keeptheir butts in their seats. That is part of the filmmaking role, andit’s a delicate balance. There was a scene in Braveheart wherewe had to make a small change because it went too far andpeople would get up and start to leave. By doing a minor tweakwe were able to convey the same powerful message but keepthem there. This movie, it had to be violent. I think that I justshowed as much violence as people are able to bear, that thecrucifixion was actually more violent than what I depicted.This could have been much more brutal, but I tried to go rightto the edge of what I felt people could take, and still keep themin their seats.

I hope that people will understand the depth of whatChrist did.

WL: Who did you make this film for, the church or the unchurched?MG: Oh, that’s easy, the unchurched.

MEL GIBSON (director/producer) directs JAMESCAVIEZEL (Jesus) for The Passion of the Christ, afilm by Mel Gibson.

TYPES OF VIOLENCE IN FILM & TV

It may be useful to the discussion of The Passion of the Christ to distinguishvarious forms of violence in the media.

• SUGGESTIVE VIOLENCE: Sometimes violence is suggested, but not shown.For example, we see a knife moving downward in a striking motion,but do not see it penetrating skin.

• GRATUITOUS VIOLENCE: Some acts of violence in film are unnecessary,and neither drive the plot forward or develop a character.

• FICTIVE VIOLENCE: There is a form of violence that is not as disturbingbecause it occurs in an absurd setting. As a rule, viewers are less con-cerned about violence done to robots than to humans and violence infantasy and science fiction.

• REALISM: Violence done to humans and to animals in situations that imi-tate real life and simulate the actual physical damage that would occurto the victim are among the most disquieting forms of media violence.

• VIRTUAL VIOLENCE: Computerized violence, as in video games or computer-graphic animation.

• COMIC VIOLENCE: Most people are desensitized to the comic violence ofslapstick.

The Passion of the Christ contains graphic violence, suggestive vio-lence, and realism. This film earned an “R” rating for the realistic portrayalof the brutal crucifixion and flogging of Jesus.

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WL: What is The Passion of the Christ’sgreatest potential for the church? CP: In a two hour time period, in themidst of the very comfortable life I’m liv-ing, I probably felt the experiential suffer-ing of Christ more than I ever have. Andthat was good for me. It changed my per-ception of what it meant to follow Christ.

CS: I had a desire for the experience tobe sustained. I want to always keep thatfeeling, that sensitivity somehow. I hap-pened to be reading through the gospelsat the time I saw the movie and it some-how affected my reading of the gospels.I felt like, this is that guy - that guy thatsuffered so terribly whose blood wasspread everywhere.

SS: Hopefully the church, which ischarged with preaching the glory of thecross, is going to have to sit with theimplications of this film, because it issuch a powerful existential expression ofwhat we often read too casually.

CS: In the church we’ve tried for a longtime with words to bring into conscious-ness the reality of what Jesus wentthrough. We have waxed eloquent inour sermons, but this film brings thatreality to us in one sitting and puts it

across quite dynamically. I think for thisreason the movie will be folded into theliturgical life of the church.

WL: What potential problems are posedby The Passion of the Christ? SS: One thing people might ask is, “Atwhat point do creative interpretationsstray from the pure gospel account?”For instance, the biblical accuracy ofthe way Judas and his very real despairafter the betrayal was handled maybecome a source of controversy withinevangelical circles.

CP: This is not the Video Bible. Like anywork of art it is an interpretation, but itremains true to the story. I’m sure peoplewill point out what they perceive to be aCatholic emphasis, but I would urgeProtestants to emphasize the similaritiesand not the differences... If you’re a fan ofMel Gibson’s films, there are certainlytimes when you’re not sure whetheryou’re watching a biblical epic orBraveheart. Violence is certainly a bigpart of this film. The violence in ThePassion of the Christ builds until it’s hardto take in any more, but the whole pointmay be to bring the audience to exactlythat juncture.

WL: Is The Passion of the Christ theo-logically sound, historically accurateand spiritually edifying?CP: ...This film claims to tell us themost significant and important real storyhumanity ever told. Christians claim it tobe history. I think it is biblically congru-ent, you judge for yourself.

SS: This movie is so wonderfully bibli-cally congruent, I would encouragefolks, to not stumble over parts that rep-resent a theme or characterization orexpansion due to artistic expression.Don’t let these rob you of looking at thestory and the power of the presentation.

CS: I’ve already been preparing mychurch for the movie. I described forthem last weekend in the closing of mymessage the violence in the movie, thebloodiness of it, the drop of blood withthat thick viscosity dripping from thepoint of the spike on the underside ofthe cross. And I asked this question, “Dowe need to see this much violenceinflicted on one human being for twohours?” My response was, “Perhaps wedo. Perhaps we do in order to appreci-ate the severity of our sinfulness and theinfinite love that washes it away. Perhapswe do.”

ExperiencingThe Passion of the Christ Pastors’ Panel

There is an old saying that urges us to “take sweetcounsel together” (Ps: 55:14), and it’s in that spir-it that Worship Leader recently convened a panelof respected leaders who have thought long and

hard on the subject of art and incarnation and theirmeeting point in the Body of Christ. Our PassionPanel consisted of Chuck Smith, Jr., Sr. Pastor ofCapo Beach Calvary; Charlie Peacock, founder ofthe Art House in Nashville and Scott Smith,Sr. Pastorof Christ Community Church in Nashville.

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8 W O R S H I P L E A D E R

The furor surrounding The Passion of the Christ filled mewith nagging questions as I prepared to see this contro-versial movie. Was it truly anti-Jewish, as has been wide-

ly alleged in the secular media? Was it indeed faithful to thegospels, as Mel Gibson has claimed? And, if it was, could Ibear to watch an accurate portrayal of the brutal murder of myLord?

A SKILLFULL DEPICTIONAllegations of anti-Jewish bias are based on fear rather

than fact. Since The Passion of the Christ meticulously followsthe New Testament accounts of Jesus’ death, some (but not all)Jewish leaders do instigate the effort to kill Jesus while theJewish mob follows along impulsively. But Roman complicityand ultimate responsibility for the death of Jesus are clearly pre-sented, even if the overarching terror of Roman domination ofJudea remains in the background. Moreover, behind all humanefforts to kill Jesus we see the insidious influence of Satan.Nobody will leave this movie with anti-Jewish sentimentsunless that person entered with these feelings already deeplyingrained. Ironically, Gibson’s consistent representation of theJewishness of Jesus and his followers may help to reduce anti-Judaism among Christians.

As one who has spent thousands of hours studying andwriting about Jesus, I had anticipatory doubts about the accu-racy of The Passion of the Christ. Thus I was gratefully surprisedby a film that is faithful to the gospels without being slavishlybound to them. Beyond having his characters speak in originallanguages (Aramaic and Latin, with subtitles), Gibson skillfullydepicts the historical and theological nuances of the biblicalnarratives. Yet he freely interprets the story of Christ’s passion,drawing generously from Christian reflections throughout theages. The result is not the definitive portrayal of Christ’s death,but a distinctive, creative, and biblically-faithful one. I wasimpressed by Gibson’s inspired rendering of several charactersin the story: Mary the mother of Jesus, whose emotionalstrength complements her maternal compassion; Simon ofCyrene, whose faith flowers as he carries Jesus’ cross; and

Satan, whose unsettling presence underscores the deeperdimensions of Jesus’ suffering.

SUFFERING IN GRAPHIC DETAILThe Passion of the Christ does portray His suffering in

graphic detail that is extremely hard to watch. The gore in thisfilm exceeds that of Saving Private Ryan, and, as in the case ofSpielberg’s classic, cannot be dismissed as gratuitous becauseit is essential to the film’s integrity. So, though I recommendThe Passion of the Christ highly, I do so with a major warning:only those who can bear to see depictions of graphic tortureshould view the movie. Parents and church leaders, in particu-lar, should exercise careful discernment before exposing youthto this film.

RATING THE PASSIONThe Motion Picture Association of America requires films that receive an

“R” rating to admit viewers seventeen and under only when accompanied by aparent or guardian. It is a decision based primarily on sexual content, language,drug use and violence. Since these strictly voluntary guidelines were institutedin 1968, the ratings system has come under attack from various quarters, somecontending the standards are too lax, other decrying what they see as de factocensorship. Large numbers of church-going believers have accepted the ratingsystem as a virtually infallible guide to their own movie-going habits, refusingto patronize films with R, or even PG-13, ratings.

The Passion of the Christ will directly challenge this decision. MelGibson’s graphically violent depiction of the death of Jesus has received an R

R E V I E W O F

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B Y D R . M A R K R O B E R T S

The Passion of the Christ doesn’t tell the larger story ofJesus’ life and mission. Except for a few flashbacks, it doesn’teven try. This film focuses on one day in Jesus’ life, much as ifPeter Jackson had filmed only Frodo’s final day in Mordorrather than presenting the three-volume story of The Lord of theRings. The Passion of the Christ really doesn’t answer the ques-tion of why Jesus was crucified and why this matters. (TheRomans crucified thousands of Jews who threatened civicorder, but none of these victims besides Jesus will be the sub-ject of a major Hollywood movie, not to mention the object ofdevotion for millions of Christians.)

POINTING TO A LARGER STORYBy saying that The Passion of the Christ doesn’t tell the

whole story of Jesus, however, I’m not criticizing Gibson’s effort.He delivers exactly what he promises: the passion of Christ.(“Passion” is used in the title with its original meaning: “suffer-ing”.) By telling only part of the whole story, Gibson confronts thechurch with an unparalleled opportunity to fill in the blanks. WeChristians need to be ready to explain why Jesus died and whyHis death makes all the difference in the world. The Passion ofthe Christ will give us that chance and calling.

Moreover, we must help people understand that Christ’spassion was far more than physical. He suffered, not just hor-rendous bodily pain, but even more excruciating torment on aspiritual level as He bore the sin of the world. Thus the mosttheologically pregnant moment in the movie comes when thedying Jesus cries out, “Eloi, eloi, lema sabachtani?”—“My God,My God, why have you forsaken Me?” We who know Christmust help viewers grasp the all-important answer to that ques-tion: Jesus was forsaken so that we might be embraced. Jesuswas spurned so that we might be saved.

OVERFLOWING WITH PASSIONThe Passion of the Christ overflows with passion, in the

usual sense of the word. Hardly a detached vision of Christ’s

suffering, it reflects the passionate faith of Mel Gibson. Hisdevotion to Christ is obvious, not only in the making of thisfilm, but also in his willingness to release it in the face of wide-spread condemnation. He deserves our thanks and prayers.

This movie also instills passion in the viewer. It is one ofthe most stirring, life-changing movies I have seen, in a classwith Saving Private Ryan, Schindler’s List and Gandhi. Though Ihave studied in detail the crucifixion of Christ, seeing it por-trayed on the screen enlivened my knowledge and deepenedmy love for the One who suffered for me. In a time when thecross of Christ is romanticized and thereby trivialized, ThePassion of the Christ will foster truer and deeper love for theSavior who “humbled Himself and became obedient to death –even death on a cross!” (Philippians 2:8, NIV)

THE BODY OF CHRIST BROKEN FOR YOUWhen we sing the popular song, “Here I Am to Worship,”

we confess, “And I’ll never know how much it cost to see mysin upon that cross.” The Passion of the Christ will help usknow this cost more profoundly. When I first received commu-nion after seeing the movie, my mind wasn’t preoccupied withgrisly images of Christ’s death. But I did hear differently thewords I know so well: This is the body of Christ broken foryou. Broken, yes, really broken, horribly broken, willingly bro-ken, gracefully broken, and for me! What can I say inresponse? What can I do? “Love so amazing, so divine,demands my soul, my life, my all!”

Dr. Mark D. Roberts is Senior Pastor of Irvine Presbyterian Church. Heearned his Ph.D. in New Testament from Harvard University and teachesNew Testament courses for Fuller Theological Seminary. Mark is theauthor of several books, including Jesus Revealed (WaterBrook, 2002).

rating. Even without the warning, parents would be well advised to accompany theirteenagers to the film and approach each child, irrespective of age, in terms of theircapacity to view the violent scenes that unfold in the film.

But a larger question remains: should Christian moviegoers regulate their filmpatronage according to standards established by an organization founded and fundedby the film industry? While parents are justifiably cautious about their kid’s film fare,is the MPAA a trustworthy moral voice? The Passion of the Christ puts these quan-daries in a whole new perspective. Those refusing to see, or let their children see, anyR rated film may assume they are guarding against a culture that celebrates deca-dence and death. But are they also excluding important and influential works of artthat may, in fact, serve to reinforce the moral absolutes on which their faith isfounded?

The Passion of the Christ is a blood-drenched cinematic experience that isalmost certainly too intense for some viewers. It may also be the most compellingvisual representation of Christ’s atoning work ever presented on the screen. It needsto be judged on its own merits and not by a rating affixed by an organization withinterests often at odds with the Christian worldview. Ratings may be helpful in deter-mining the appropriateness of any film for our children or ourselves; but what ThePassion of the Christ demonstrates is that our ultimate decision must be guided byinformation, education and careful evaluation.

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Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ is duein theaters on Ash Wednesday, February25th, 2004. The buzz in the Christian com-munity seems to be, “Everyone should gosee it!” Yet, as a youth leader and parent, Ihave reflected on the impact of such a

movie to high school and junior high students: “How do I pre-pare my youth or my child for such a grueling depiction ofJesus’ sufferings? And, at what age is it appropriate for childrento see this movie?” Indeed the movie has received an “R” rat-ing, which is warranted, due to its realistic portrayal of the cru-cifixion. Some say, nobody under 13 should see this movie;although others have said their grown children couldn’t toleratethe violence. Therefore, each parent must evaluate the abilityof their child to see extreme gore and violence focused uponone person for a two-hour period. You may want to previewthe movie before allowing your children to see it.

PREPARE FOR VIOLENCEAs a parent, then, how do you explain why it’s okay to see

this R rated film and not any other? The reason is this: “Not adrop of blood was wasted; you saw everywhere it went, whereit dropped, where it splattered. You sense the preciousness ofthe blood of Christ,” Chuck Smith, Jr., senior pastor of CalvaryChapel Capo Beach comments. “The movie helps you feel the

pain Christ felt. It didn’t involve gratuitous violence. It madeyou appreciate the love of Christ,” adds Greg Steir from Dare 2Share, a youth ministry focused on evangelism. A panel ofyouth pastors had no qualms about their students watching thegruesome brutality of Christ’s suffering because of the reality ofhistory. As a parent, then, use discernment and prepare yourchild for the graphic imagery.

PREPARE A TIME TO DEBRIEFRobert Murray, youth pastor from Heritage Christian

Fellowship in San Clemente adds, “I wouldn’t see it unless I goget some food with my students and talk about it. You can’tleave a 13 or 14 year old just hanging after a movie like this.”

The Passion of the Christ will not only impact you andyour child emotionally, but mentally and spiritually as well.Thus, you and your child may want, or rather, need, a time ofdebriefing to reflect, ask questions, discuss, worship and pray.After watching the movie, prepare an extended time of discus-sion with your family and child. “Many will want to talk aboutJesus’ humanity and how they can relate to Him, recognizinghow utterly human He is. The movie makes Jesus a very realperson; and if you can encounter His person more, it opensdoors for spiritual formation,” comments Kirk Winslow, youthpastor at Irvine Presbyterian Church.

PREPARE FOR QUESTIONSIf your child invites non-believing friends to see the

movie with you, these friends will surely have questions thatneed to be answered. “This movie begs for the rest of thestory. It leaves an invitation to go deeper,” Dr. Mark Robertsinterjects. Prepare yourself and your child to answer pertinentquestions, such as, “Why did the authorities want Jesus to bekilled?” “What threat did Jesus pose for the Jews andRomans?” “How accurate is this portrayal of Jesus?” “Whatevidence do we have of the reality of this story?” “How do Ilearn more?” What a great evangelistic opportunity for yourfamily. Remind your child and their friends, that although themovie is relatively accurate, it is still a movie. And as ChuckSmith, Jr. puts it, “It’s a work of art. And art begs for interpreta-tion. It asks us to find or give it meaning.”

Y Bonesteele is Associate Editor of Worship Leader magazine andYouth Leader at Faith Christian Fellowship, Hawaiian Gardens, CA.

PA R E N T S ’ G U I D E TO T H E PA S S I O N

B Y Y B O N E S T E E L E

PREPARINGYour Teen

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QUESTIONS TO DISCUSSWhat are your initial reactions? How did the movie make you feel? What scene struckyou the most and why? How does it alter your view of Christ? What are your thoughtsabout Christ’s sufferings? Has this affected your view of communion? How? Do you thinkthis will affect the way you live? How? What questions does the movie leave you with?

SUGGESTED VERSES TO STUDY•Isaiah 53:1-12 •Romans 5:1-11 •Ephesians 2:1-10 •Philippians 2:5-11 •Hebrews 9:11-28

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES•C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity (HarperCollins, 2001) •Josh D. McDowell, More Than aCarpenter; (Tyndale House, 1977) •Mark D. Roberts, Jesus Revealed (WaterBrook Press,2002) •Lee Strobel, The Case for Christ (Zondervan, 1998)

POST-MOVIE ACTIVITIES•Worship gathering •Family discussion group •Bible study on the cross and Christ’s suffer-ing • A time of meditation, prayer and reflection •Share communion together as a family,and read Matthew 26:26-30

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Jesus (JIM CAVIEZEL) on the Cross/Photo: Philippe Antonello

Romans 5:8But God showed his great love for usby sending Christ to die for us whilewe were still sinners.

NLT

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