Kurt Eisele
Passion of the Christ Personal Reflection
Watching The Passion of the Christ was very touching to me. From watching the movie, I took a lot of knowledge about Jesus’ suffering for us. I never really had a clear picture in my head of Jesus’ trial, whipping, and crucifixion. This movie was a good depiction of what Jesus really went through to save us from our sins.
My favorite quote from The Passion of the Christ was when Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane. Judas betrayed Him and led a group of Roman soldiers to where He was. As the soldiers closed in, the disciples all jumped up to protect Jesus, and one of them cut a soldier’s ear. Jesus looked at him and said “All those who take up the sword, perish by the sword.”
This quote is meaningful to me, but also applies to anyone that thinks it through. On the second-level of interpretation, the quote would tell us all that if we are violent, we will be put in our place. Peaceful resolution is what Jesus calls us to with these words.
On the third-level, I think Jesus is telling me to settle down, and try to talk things out. Often times, I get short with people who are on my nerves. Jesus is saying to me that by snapping at people, they get mad at me and might snap back, and we could go on being mad at each other.
Another part of The Passion of the Christ that touched me was when Simon of Cyrene helped Jesus carry His cross. The whole time he was helping Jesus, he gave Him words of encouragement. Simon would say things like “Almost there”, or “Just a little farther,” when Jesus was struggling. Even though Simon of Cyrene didn’t know Jesus, he showed great love for Him, and may have kept Jesus alive on the route to the top of the hill. I should carry out Simon’s unconditional love in my world here and now, and set a Christian example for others to follow.
All in all, this movie mainly opened my eyes to Jesus self-sacrifice for our sins. The graphic portrayal of whipping and torture helped me grow to appreciate Jesus even more now than before watching The Passion of the Christ. I would recommend this movie to anyone who wants a good depiction of Jesus’ passion and death.