“The Passion of the Christ” – And What Happens When God Does Not Live Up to Your Expectations

As I watched “The Passion of The Christ” this past Good Friday, three things in particular stood out to me (beyond the horrific abuse He suffered). I list them in chronological order.

(Spoilers ahead)

1) The Judas kiss was the perfect metaphor, revealing the true nature of the religious soul of Israel at that time. As Jesus so movingly expressed it: “Judas, do you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?” (Luke 22:48, World English Bible). And this gesture powerfully symbolized a quite literal interpretation of this passage from the Gospel of Matthew: “This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me,” (Matthew 15.8, Legacy Standard Bible), as the Lord quotes from Isaiah 29:13.

2) The sheer bravery of Jesus and how utterly sold out He was to do the will of the Father. When His mother raced to His side when He fell, touching Him, saying “I’m here!” and the Lord responded, in the midst of His agony, by saying, “See! I make all things new!” my heart broke and broke within me as I was overcome with emotion at the sheer bravery and selflessness He displayed and how consumed He was to do the will of the Father. What an incredible person our Lord is! That such a one as He, would endure such a thing as this, for such a one as me – I scarce can take it in.

3) Behold the rage that erupts when God fails to live up to your expectations. So many in the crowd did everything they could to beat the life out of Jesus Christ – all because He did not live up to their expectations. They were yearning and praying for a military hero and political leader who would liberate them from the despised Romans, not someone to free them from the bondage of Satan, sin, and self, in order that they may walk in newness of life. So they worshipped Christ the King when He rode into Jerusalem on a donkey. But when He didn’t perform as expected, a few days later their adoration turned to contempt, hatred, and rage. May this serve as a warning to us all.

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