The passion of the christ, the film that challenged my beliefs in christianity

The Passion of the Christ was a very controversial film. It went extremely in depth into Jesus Christ’s final days. As a Christian believer, I was never taught the extent of his suffering; nor was I taught the extent of how detrimental Judas was to Jesus’s wellbeing. Throughout Christianity, you see suffering to get closer with god and Jesus and the movie really shows why suffering is a cornerstone to the religion. It also confused me as to why Christians worship the word of his disciples when his disciples even turned their backs on Jesus. Exploration into the beliefs celebrated during Easter and the days prior are examined after the crucifixion scene.

The foundation of Christianity is based around suffering. Suffering is a way for us to explain the negativity in this world, as it shows us that god has better plans for his followers. An example always brought about, in sermons/ lectures by priests, is the crucifixion of Christ. Jesus Christ went through dismaying legal processes to eventually find his way on the cross. In the movie, he was humiliated with the rose thorn cross, betrayed by his friends/ followers, and embarrassed in front his mother. Throughout that, he eventually found his fate to be crucified publicly in the Hills of Skulls. It caught me aback because the ideology that one must suffer that much for the sins of people that did not even respect him was crazy. He was declared blasphemous for exclaiming he was the son of god but Christians believe it was a rite of passage, of sorts, for their holiness to be treated as such.

When it came to my personal knowledge, I did not know too much about Judas. I did know he betrayed him but I did not know how he did and to what extent. I did not even know Judas felt any guilt. In the movie, Judas releases the location of Jesus to the very important Jewish Priests for a bribe. Then the guards go ahead and arrest Jesus on several counts of heresy. On a side note, Peter does try to protect Jesus and cuts off an ear in a scuffle but Jesus asks to stop and heals the ear. Judas does feel immense guilt and tries to return the bribe but is unsuccessful. You see him praying for forgiveness. This is another case where Jesus is merciful to someone that just flat out betrayed him.

When it comes to the actual crucifixion scene, I was caught off guard by its gruesome nature. Jesus was hammered to a wooden cross and had his ultimate suffering. This day is celebrated in Christianity because his suffering represented God’s love for his children. That contradicted with my personal beliefs. Why would Jesus’s suffering be the goal of God? Even when he died, an earthquake arose which symbolized that nature itself was being upheaved. Jesus eventually came back, and his resurrection is celebrated in Easter.

In all, this movie really challenged my own beliefs in Christianity. It explored suffering throughout the entire movie. I was introduced to a new side of Judas, more than the greedy/ traitor type of person, but one that eventually felt his regret and mourned Jesus’s passing. The crucifixion itself was confusing to its meaning. I believe it should not be exemplary of Christianity, even though it has its very large imprint on the religion. The Passion of Christ shows the realistic interpretation on the finals hours of Christ and exemplifies many beliefs held by the followers of Christianity. I would highly recommend the film to a follower of Christianity and even one who just wishes to learn the historical ramifications of Jesus Christs final hours.