Respond to Chuck's assertion that the "crucifixion of Christ was an achievement!" What was your opinion of Mel Gibson's - The Passion of the Christ? What were its positive aspects and how did it impact your life? Or was it a downside for you? BIB547-1-02-1

Isaiah 53:5, “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.”
And so begins Mel Gibson's movie – “The Passion of the Christ.” When the movie was first released, I watched it at a Brenden Theater with surround sound. I sat up close to the huge screen and felt nearly pulled and to the event. I was rather surprised that the audio was in Aramaic with subtitles, a fact that added greatly to the impact of the film. The movie was not sterile as are many of the movies made about the passion. Eight years later I can still remember vividly the scene where Jesus was being beaten. Whiplash after whiplash on His back and then He was turned over and beat about the front of His body. The beating was so realistic that I turned my head from the movie screen several times. No downside to the movie and a greater appreciation of the agony Jesus went through for us.
As to Mel Gibson, it’s interesting to note after all the acclaim his movie engendered; his life seems to have taken a turn for the worse. Mr. Gibson went on an anti-Semitic tirade that was recorded and went viral on the Internet. Perhaps given all the positive notoriety surrounding the movie Satan went on a real push to discredit Mel Gibson. However, the movie remains a classic.
The crucifixion of Christ was an achievement! The Crucifixion was prophesied in the Old Testament many times. That the crucifixion happened as prophesied substantiates the Bible as the inspirited Word of God. A few of the prophetic verses from the Old Testament that were fulfilled include:

1. Psalm 22, could nearly be the script for the movie The Passion as it seemed to have been dictated from the cross.

2. Isaiah 53 was so accurate that opponents tried to post-date it

3. Daniel 9:26 prophesied the actual date of the crucifixion

4. Zechariah 11:12 foretells the price of thirty pieces of silver and that the 30 pieces of silver would eventually end up with the potter after the temple priests could not take back blood money.

5. That Jesus would remain in the tomb for three days was prophesied by Jonah’s three days in the whale.

I've heard it said that it wasn't the nails that held Jesus to the cross; it was His love for us. God stepped out of eternity to become a man. After two thousand years Jesus remains the most important man ever; He was, He is and He will forever be. We are so blessed!

Added 7/26/12
I saw the movie "The Passion of the Christ" when it first came out about eight years ago. After responding to this discussion question I decided it was time to watch it again. I logged into my Amazon account and added the movie to my cyber-land video library and watched it. The movie was as graphic and as bloody as I remembered from so many years ago. How much Jesus loved us to go through that horrific physical pain and mental anguish. The ending was so unique as you could see the three dimension outline of the grave clothes collapsed and there stood Jesus. I wonder if this is what the rapture will be like, in our earthly garb one second and then in our glorified bodies.