February 28 - Snakes, Wolves and The Lamb

Snakes, Wolves and The Lamb

“The enemy has come to kill, steal and destroy, but I have come that you would have life and life abundantly.”  John 10:10

While Hollywood touts most movie premieres, there are some that go either “under the radar” or “against the grain” of the media elite.  However, tonight is a case in point where a movie is going to be “over the top.”  In an industry often contentious to a story of redemption, the opening of the Mark Burnett and Roma Downey-produced movie Son of God will bring to light the greatest message ever told.   While you would think a motion picture about the Man (Jesus Christ) who inspired hospitals, charity organizations, universities, all compassionate organizations, and of course, Christianity, would be appealing for all; too often it is just the opposite.  The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Exactly 10 years ago this month (2004), Mel Gibson’s Passion of the Christ stirred the same kind of waves.  While some are bolstered over such a work, it leaves others bristling at “The Figure” Who is so regarded in history that our calendars and checks denote His incarnation including this year marking 2014 years since His birth.   It is ironic for a few reasons:

1)    The Cental Figure of the movie:  Many of the greatest cultural heroes

      from music, science, politics and the arts point to Christ as their

      inspiration, including Newton, Bach, Shakespeare, Washington, Lincoln,

      Handel, Pascal, Milton and more glorifying Him as their inspiration.

2)    The inherent health of the movie: In a world where “The Wolf of Wall Street” was celebrated including its 503 vulgar words, Hollywood still can’t grasp the appetite countless people have toward godly and righteous films.  Many are drawn to the most putrid rather than the most pure disbursements of healing, love and redemption. 

3)    The core message of the movie:  Christ came to redeem mankind which is an affront to a society that believes man is self-sufficient, self-sustaining, and self-made in every way.  In the world’s eyes, Acts 4:12 audaciously and uncomfortably claims, “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”  Our pride can blind us from true hope in Him.

In a tolerance-minded and relativistic-based world, movies of this nature are able to be digested if generally speaking about “a” way or “a” truth” or “a” life.   But it’s a tougher pill to swallow from the One Who claims to be “THE Way, THE Truth, and THE Life.” John 14:6. 

During the decade past opening of The Passion of the Christ, television star and devout believer, Patricia Heaton (Everybody Loves Raymond) shared, “Hollywood isn’t bothered by the concept of God, they can make God anything they want it to be…it’s the person of Jesus that bothers them because you can’t do that with Him.  His claims don’t allow it.”

In a recent interview, Burnett and Downey were asked if anything unusual happened on the set of Son of God.  Filmed in Southern Morroco, Downey stated that throughout the making of the movie, a crew member, known as the “Snake Man,” would inspect each set to rid the actors of snake-infested terrain which were rampant amongst the African country’s territory.  Most of the time, he would find one or two.  However, on the day of filming the scene of Christ’s death at the cross, the serpent finder bagged over 40 snakes.  Whether you can chalk that up to coincidence or divine symbolism, there is something of the enemy’s revulsion toward the gospel that continues to reside today, even as it has from the beginning.  In Genesis 3, he dissuaded God’s first children from Him and will use every tactic to this date.

John 10:10 proclaims, “The enemy has come to kill, steal and destroy, but I have come that you would have life and life abundantly.”  A stark contrast of missions is revealed.  One has come to come on a “Seek and Save” Mission, while another has come for a “Seek and Destroy” Mission.

I encourage everyone (where age appropriate) to 1)  Go see the “Son of God”  (it supports films that glorify Christ)  2)  Pray for a friend or family member to be open to see the message in living color and 3) Tell someone how it blessed you as you might want to bless them. The mission is still the same…GO, PRAY, and TELL.  This weekend, in an increasingly godless culture, He is going to be lifted up across our nation.  He said, “If He is lifted up, He’ll draw people to Himself.”  And when He is, as always, it will be “over the top.”  

Terry Risser

Reflections:

1)   What is it about pride that causes struggles when the message of Christ is put before us?

2)   Who is someone you will pray for this month for salvation?

Consider reading the word today:

 

Copyright 2014- Terry Risser