The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.
Matthew 28:5-6 NIV
These are truly some of the most beautiful words ever spoken.
Imagine the women, confused by the events of the last few days. They had believed in Jesus, and he had been killed brutally before their eyes. According to the traditions of the Passover and the Sabbath, they had not even been able to give him a decent burial (though in the Gospel of John we find out that Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea had wrapped his body with myrrh and spices before laying him in the tomb). Early Sunday morning, as soon as the Sabbath ended, they hurried to make preparations. They knew the tomb was guarded by Roman guards, but they went anyway, hoping to be allowed to. . . what? See the body? Give it a better preparation? Just be there to weep and perhaps find a bit of closure?
Closure was not what they found.
The tomb itself was not even closed. The guards were gone. The body was not there.
Jesus was gone!
Fear set in. Anxiety. What had happened here? Were the Romans so cruel that they would take the body of Jesus and hide it from them? Would Jesus' followers be arrested, and perhaps killed?
And then they saw two men they did not know. Men more terrifying than the Roman soldiers. Men dressed in dazzling white clothing that was not of this world.
"Do not be afraid."
These men gave the women the news that has spread and that has given us hope for the past 2,000 years. The news that we will never have to be afraid again.
“He is not here; he has risen, just as he said!"
My grandfather and my dad always called Easter "Resurrection Day," the Day that Jesus rose as the firstborn of all Creation, and the Day that gives us the promise that we will one day rise to eternal life as well.
Resurrection Day is one of my favorite times of the year. I love the stories, I love the music, and I love Easter movies. I love historical period movies that are well done, that make the Greatest Story Ever Told come to life while we watch. Normally, I like feel-good movies. Movies that are appropriate for children. Movies with a little bit of comedy that I can relax and enjoy watching and not have to think too hard about.
The Passion of the Christ, however, is an exception.
I would love to dwell in the glory of the Resurrection, listening to triumphant music, donning my new Easter dress or bonnet and thinking only of the happy ending to this story. That is all important, and indeed we should spend most of our lives realizing and being thankful for the Resurrection. But sometimes, we need to really meditate on the road it took to get there. Our sin was a great. Our punishment would be unbearable for us. To truly appreciate the Resurrection, we need to know what Jesus really did for us. As uncomfortable as it is, we need to see the size and the roughness of the cross. The length of the spikes that went through Jesus's hands and feet. The cruelty of the Romans. The hatred of the Jews. The desperation of Mary's screams as she watched her innocent son be put to death in one of the most brutal forms of execution ever invented.
I was not comfortable watching The Passion of the Christ. I would prefer to not think too much about the Via Dolorosa - the Way of Suffering that Jesus had to bear for me. But it was powerful. It was well-researched, done in the original languages with subtitles. It left me changed.
How can I not serve the God who would come down from heaven and suffer this for me?
The Passion of the Christ is rated R because of the graphic depiction of the real events, and it is not appropriate for younger children. I would very much recommend it, however, for older teens and adults. As we prepare our hearts for Resurrection Day, this movie is an excellent way to meditate on what came in the days before.
The Passion of the Christ will only be available from 20 March to 19 April 2022 on Pure Flix. See the trailer here:
You can find a wide array of Easter movies on Pure Flix, which has a 7-day free trial for new customers. Some serious, some lighter, I think selecting a few of these movies is an excellent way to prepare ourselves for the season.
In addition to the 7-day free trial Pure Flix, I will have a drawing for a giveaway of one 3-month Pure Flix subscription. Comment here or on my
Facebook page with your favorite Easter song or movie to enter. Drawing will be held on April 7.
#PureFlixEasterMIN #MomentumInfluencerNetwork
Note: Giveaway is limited to US winners only.
Disclosure:
Many thanks to Pure Flix for providing a sample of the product for this review. Opinions are 100% my own.
Takeaway from our Zoom worship team meeting tonight, from Psalm 91:
Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.”
3 Surely he will save you
from the fowler’s snare
and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with his feathers,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
5 You will not fear the terror of night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,
6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
nor the plague that destroys at midday.
This tells me two things: 1) Plagues and pestilences have always been around, since sin entered the world anyway. There is nothing new under the sun. We don't think about them as much these days because we have the wonders of modern medicine. Many things that were terrifying a hundred years ago can be handled with a simple drug now. A pestilence that stalks us is not something we normally fear, so the recent outbreak has been terrifying for us.
2) God knew, 4,000 years ago, that there would be a Black Plague, Smallpox, Polio, the Spanish flu, and the Coronavirus. He saw all of it ahead of time and told us before it all started, you do not have to fear the "pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday."
When God says "do not fear," or "you will not fear," I don't think he's telling us to galavant around and not take precautions. This post is encouraging neither staying at home nor re-opening society. I simply found it comforting to know that God spoke to this very issue that plagues us now - 4,000 years ago!
