Killing Jesus for Profit
The very Son of God, sent by His almighty Father, surrenders His divine capacity to assume human form, all to endure a horrific death that opens to the way for all of humanity to be given the gift of eternal life. And all the while, this same Son of God leads a perfect, sin-free life, confirming and magnifying the scriptures of what we know as the Old Testament, leaving us an example and standard for our own personal lives, wherever we are and wherever we came from.
Sounds like heady stuff? It is. It’s humbling. It’s life-changing. It’s inspiring.
During His 33-year earthly life, Jesus Christ—the very Son of God— was many things: powerful, eloquent, tender, unyielding, merciful, demanding, aggressive, authoritative, insightful and full of love. He was equally at home with powerful political leaders as He was with the poor and needy. Today He gladly calls us brothers, inviting us to share in His glory as the First-born among many brethren.
But you wouldn’t have gotten much of that from the recent popular “Killing Jesus” made-for-TV movie that pulled in an initial 3.7 million viewers on cable’s National Geographic channel. Backed up by one of the most complex Web sites ever designed and built, the “Killing Jesus” docudrama sadly fell flat. Instead of being an insightful portrayal of the most important human to have ever lived, the production represented (as one reviewer put it) “a whole lumberyard of wooden dialogue, bits and pieces lifted from various gospels or invented.”
Instead of an inspiring depiction, viewers like me were served up with standard secular fare of a Hellenized main character – one who stumbles his way through life unkempt and a little on the weird side.
And the “Killing Jesus” three-hour marathon of pseudo-biblical history was just one of many. Spring in the northern hemisphere is the time of the Christian Passover and the biblical Exodus, but it’s also apparently the season for programs a plenty about cinematic views of secular and fantasy views of Jesus. In addition to the multi-million-dollar “Killing Jesus” dramatization, another production I saw was about Judas. It featured the angle that Judas was just “human” and that maybe the biblical account is “too hard” on him. Another program suggested self-invented rubbish that Christ somehow orchestrated his own betrayal with a compliant Judas in order to “fulfil” a statement in Psalms to give him messianic status and credibility. Imaginations and perspectives run amuck as movie producers compete for audiences who crave “some new thing.”
But back to “Killing Jesus.” In my personal life, Jesus is my God, my Redeemer, and my Savior whom I worship together with God the Father. What did this particular secular portrayal of Jesus do for me? And, what is it doing for others? Do people better understand Jesus as One who pre-existed, was God, and is our only way to salvation, eternal life? Am I more informed and consequently a better Christian as a result of watching these depictions?
And on a personal note, were these momentous and sacred events heightened by near-continuous goofy insurance policies hawked by an animated reptile, or invasive ads touting the fact that I can lower my cable costs by switching to a satellite feed? Hardly.
For me, despite whatever original intentions there were by the book authors and producers, “Killing Jesus” could easily be titled “Killing Jesus for Profit.”
Allow me to review a few things that justify such a harsh evaluation. In “Killing Jesus” Jesus is portrayed as speaking as a wide-eyed activist, largely ignored by passing crowds. He fruitlessly tries to engage an audience with bare snippets from His Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7). Contrary to this grievously erroneous view, Jesus was in fact an in-demand speaker. Thousands followed Him. For me this scene demeaned a Jesus who spoke to crowds of thousands up in Galilea who were seated in an orderly manner and later fed through a decisive miracle that demonstrated the very power of God.
To be sure, Jesus was definitely not a “nobody” from a rural area. He was widely recognized as one with special insight and one who articulated the scriptures in a remarkable and knowledgeable way. Much of His northern ministry – including a side trip to the merchant city of Tyre (a commercial hub similar in its impact to New York City today) – put him on major trade routes where witnesses could carry news of His teachings and credibility-building miracles far and wide. The word of mouth was unstoppable!
Even as a youth – at the tender age of 12 – Jesus confounded and amazed the biblical scholars of His day. During the Passover season, Jesus’ parents took Him to Jerusalem. As Luke records, the scholars and teachers at the Temple were singularly impressed: “all who heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers” (Luke 2:47). As a young man in His 30s, how was Jesus perceived up north on these trade routes above and around the Sea of Galilee? “They were astonished at His teaching, for His word was with authority” (Luke 4:32).
I invite you to meet the real Jesus. We have a comprehensive 112-page Bible study guide called Jesus Christ: The Real Story. In it you’ll see the real Jesus. It does not create a Jesus who spoke archaic and obsolete English. It speaks of our Messiah prophesied to come, the pre-existent Word who was with and was God. It holds forth biblical truth straight from the shoulder.
This study guide—which is yours free for the asking—covers Jesus’ life and critical message in great detail. It is fascinating and powerful, illuminating scripture after scripture. From the pages of the Bible, you will learn what the mission of Jesus was, and what that mission means for you right now at this moment. You will learn what surprising role Jesus played in the Old Testament.
And you’ll understand what it means when Jesus Christ says He is not ashamed to call you His brother!
Don’t allow fantasy-filled movies about a Hellenized “Jesus” short you on the power and majesty of an incredible relationship. If you like, download the study guide right now at http://www.ucg.org/booklet/jesus-christ-real-story/ You’ll be glad you did!
P.S. After you read our study guide Jesus Christ: The Real Story, I’d be interested to hear your thoughts. Write to me at victor_kubik@ucg.org.
