PART IV of a four part series on The Passion of The Christ, a movie by Mel Gibson..
IV of a four part series on The Passion of The Christ, a movie by Mel Gibson..(M) Jesus falls for the third time. This time Simon tries to hold both Him and the Cross.
Simon helps Jesus and encourages him saying; "Almost there".
*switch - Jesus is teaching on a hill...
(M) Matthew 5:44 "But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you".
(M) Jesus crests the hill of Golgotha with Simon.
The other 2 criminals to be crucified with Jesus are already there.
Also there are the High Priest and Elders. They rode up the hill on donkeys.
*switch - Jesus remembers teaching...
(M) John 10:11 "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep."
(M) Jesus collapses in the dirt, Simon throws off the Cross and kneels in front of Jesus, looking at Him .. the soldiers chase him but he is reluctant to leave.. they whip him and chase him off the hill.
(ME) Simon is an example of discipleship.
We come to God through many stages or steps.
First, we are either repulsed by the idea of relying on something that we cannot see and touch, something that we cannot control.
Second, we walk with the Lord, reluctantly.
Third, we start to see Christ as someone special.
From there we begin to embrace our relationship with God.
At the end we do not want to leave Him.
(M) The soldiers try to get Jesus, laying on the ground, to move over to His cross.
He doesn't make a move until His Mother gets there with John and Mary Magdalene. Only when His Mother makes eye contact with Jesus does He move to His Cross.
(ME) She is part of our Redemption.
"Mary, it stands to reason, is the co-redeemer par excellence because of her outstanding holiness. On the bloody path to Calvary and at the foot of the Cross, the Blessed Mother united her sorrows to the agonies of her Son. St. Thomas Aquinas said so eloquently of Our Lady: "So full of grace was the Blessed Virgin that it overflows to all mankind. It is, indeed, a great thing that any one saint has so much grace that it is conducive to the salvation of many; but it is most wondrous to have so much grace as to suffice for the salvation of all mankind".
(ME) REMEMBER NEW ADAM...NEW EVE...
Revelation 21:5 "And he who sat upon the throne said, "Behold, I make all things new."
(M) *switch - Jesus looks up ...fade out to Last Supper.. He is holding bread...
John 6:51 "I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any one eats of this bread, he will live for ever; and the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh."
(ME) Remember the movie stresses the connection between the Last Supper and the Crucifixion. The Last Supper and the Crucifixion are one, as stated above.
(M) The soldiers tear His clothing from His body... pulling off blood soaked and hardened scabs of flesh as they do.
*switch - Last Supper...
John 15:13 "Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."
(M) He crawls to the Cross and lays on it... the High Priest watches... the soldiers tie Him to the Cross
*switch - Last Supper... John 15:17 "This I command you, to love one another."
(M) Jesus is nailed to the Cross...
*switch to - Last Supper... "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me." (John 14:6)
(M) There are pre-placed holes in the beams for the nails. Jesus’ right arm couldn’t reach the hole, The soldiers put a rope on His right arm to pull it, thus lining His palm up with the nail hole. When they pull on the rope they dislocate His shoulder. You can hear and see the pain that He is experiencing.
Jesus looks up and says; "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do."
(Luke 23:34)
(M) the soldiers nail His feet while His Mother looks on.
(ME, B) Luke 2:35 "a sword will pierce through your [Mother Mary] own soul".
(M) Jesus cries out; "Father, forgive them".
With a casual attitude of brutality the soldiers flip the Cross over to bang the ends of the nails over..
*switch - Last Supper... "This is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me." (Luke 22:19 )
Straightening the Cross up the soldiers thump the Cross into a hole in the ground prepared for it, vehemently tugging at the wounds of Christ. A blow that the audience can feel.
Blood runs down the wood, dripping everywhere... on the Cross... Christ... the ground...
As Mary of Magdala watches ... she puts her veil on.
*switch - Last Supper... "This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood." (Luke 22:20)
(M) The onlookers taunt Jesus… ""He saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, his Chosen One!", "If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!"" (Luke 23:35)
(M) Jesus repeats; "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do." (Luke 23:34)
(M) While one criminal on the cross mocks Christ (One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, "Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!"), the other rebuked him, saying, "Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41 And we indeed justly; for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong." 42 And he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." 43 And he said to him, "Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise." (Luke 23:39ff)
(M) A crow lands on the crossbeam and picks at the bad thief’s eye.
(ME) Showing when we work for Satan he abuses us more.
(M) Thunder clouds role in, time passes... blood dripping...
soldiers gambling "for my raiment they cast lots".
(ME, B) (Psalms 22:18 "they divide my garments among them, and for my raiment they cast lots.")
Soldiers laughing... drunk... the sky darkens… a storm is brewing.
The High Priest and Elders leave with many of the people.
Jesus looks at His Mother... His Mother looks at Him... she begins to approach the Cross with John holding her... a soldier steps in front to bar their way ... the soldier looks at His Mother ... then looks down and steps aside... Mother Mary approaches the foot of the Cross and kisses the toes of Jesus covered in blood... her mouth is now covered with blood... she leans back and looks up... He says; "I thirst!"
(ME, B) John 19:28 "After this Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the scripture), "I thirst."
(M) A soldier puts a sponge on a spear and offers it to Jesus... John 19:29 "A bowl full of vinegar stood there; so they put a sponge full of the vinegar on hyssop and held it to his mouth."
(M) Mother Mary... "My Son ... let me die with you!"
Jesus speaks; "Woman, behold, your son!" 27 Then he said to the disciple, "Behold, your mother!" (John 19:26)
(M) Jesus could barely utter these words... then He says... "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?"
(ME, B) Matthew 27:46 "And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, "Eli, Eli, la'ma sabach-tha'ni?" that is, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?"
Then He says; "It is accomplished!".
John 19:30 "When Jesus had received the vinegar, he said, "It is finished"; and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit."
(M) His Mother cries... Jesus looks up and dies... "Father, into your hands I commend my spirit".
(ME, B) Luke 23:46 "Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Father, into your hands I commend my spirit"; and when he had said this he breathed his last."
(M) Suddenly the view of the audience is looking down on the scene. We have the perspective of the Father in Heaven. He is looking down... First the scene is clear then it becomes distorted. We see as through a lens. We are looking through a tear in the Father’s eye. The tear falls to the ground at Calvary and the earth erupts!
There is an violent shaking or the earth. The soldiers, wishing to reach safer ground, are told to kill the criminals before they leave. So they break the legs of the two criminals. But when they come to Jesus ... one soldier pauses and then moves forward to break Christ's legs but the ground shakes so violently that he is unable to do so. He tells his commander that Christ is already dead. The commander tells him to make sure as he throws his spear to him, the soldier looking to His Mother, stabs the spear into Christ's side and blood and water issues forth...
(ME, B) John 19:32 "So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first, and of the other who had been crucified with him; 33 but when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. 34 But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water."
(M) At the outpouring of the Blood of Jesus the soldier kneels in awe under the flow of blood and looks up at The Christ.
(M) Pilate is shown in his home... it is shaking violently.
The Temple is split and the Curtain is torn from top to bottom, the High Priest cries out.
(ME, B) Matthew 27:51 "And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom; and the earth shook, and the rocks were split".
(M) Wind...earthquake...rock slides...
Satan is shown kneeling in hell ... he yells!
The screen goes completely dark for several moments.
(M) His followers remove Jesus from The Cross and place Him into His Mother's arms. She touches His head... the viewer sees the crown of thorns on the ground with the nails... His Mother kisses Him.
(M) Darkness... inside the Tomb... the stone is rolled away... Sunlight enters in… the burial clothes deflate... the face of Jesus is shown... He walks out of the Tomb into the light... with a New Body... yet the holes in His hands...
THE END
"M" for the movie
"B" is for the Bible
"ME" FOR ME - Philip Turgati
"ME, B" for I put this verse from the bible in
"CE" for Catholic Encyclopedia
"©" comments from the Passion book by Catholic Exchange or dialogue with Fr. Gabriel Ipasu.