What is the movie The Passion of the Christ?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

The word “passion” means “suffering,” which is why the church refers to Jesus’ final suffering as “the passion of Christ.” The movie, The Passion of the Christ, is an artistic portrayal of Jesus’ life that culminates in that night of passion and His crucifixion. Because it is a movie, not everything is factually accurate. For example, Mary’s role was overemphasized beyond what the Bible describes. However, it does provide an accurate depiction of Jesus’ suffering and crucifixion, offering insight into the physical horror Jesus faced.

The move was based on the accurate accounts of the Gospels. They record His submissive anguish in Gethsemane (Matthew 26:36–46; Mark 14:32–42; Luke 22:39–46), His betrayal by Judas, the abandonment of His friends, and Peter’s denial (Matthew 26:47–50, 56, 69–75; Luke 22:47–48, 54–62; John 18:2–3). They also show how, alone, Jesus was falsely accused, mocked, beaten, and falsely condemned (Matthew 26:57–68; 27:11–26; Luke 22:66–71; 23:1–25; John 18:12–24, 28–40; 19:1–3). His “trial” ended with Him carrying His cross to Golgotha, being crucified, and slowly dying (Matthew 27:32–44; Luke 23:33–49; John 19:16–30). Even the Father turned His back on Jesus, treating Him as sinful because He bore the sins of the world (Matthew 27:45–49).

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

• The Passion of the Christ refers to Jesus’ final night before His death, and is not recorded in the Old Testament.

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

• The movie, The Passion of the Christ, is an artistic portrayal of Jesus’ final night, often called His passion, which means “suffering.” Christians use the word “passion” (from a term meaning “suffering”) to describe Jesus’ final suffering, from the night in Gethsemane to His death on the cross. Because it was a movie, not everything is factually accurate and sometimes exaggerated. However, the movie’s depiction of His beaten and bloody body offers a realistic picture that is sometimes overlooked in other portrayals of that night.
• However, for a clear understanding of Jesus’ death and what He achieved, it’s essential to turn to the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John). There, they show this period as a focused time of obedience, where Jesus willingly endured the final day of prophesied sorrow, betrayal, violence, and crucifixion (Matthew 26:36–27:50; Mark 14:32–15:37; Luke 22:39—23:46; John 18:1-–19:30). Jesus Himself said during that time, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death” (Matthew 26:38). Despite the sorrow ahead, He obeyed even unto death (Philippians 2:8).
• The passion started at Gethsemane, the night before His death. There, Jesus prayed that the Father might offer an alternative to the suffering He was about to endure. Mark recorded Him saying: “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will” (Mark 14:36). The “cup” image symbolizes drinking judgment. While in His humanity, Jesus was rightly repulsed by the thought of dying; however, He submitted to the Father. Therefore, Jesus’ passion night began with a willing surrender to, and trust in, the Father’s plan.
• The betrayal happened swiftly afterward. Judas arrived with a crowd to arrest Jesus, kissing Him like a friend as a signal to the soldiers (Luke 22:47). Jesus exposed his treachery, saying, “Judas, would you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?” (Luke 22:48). The disciples, who just hours earlier had said they would stand by His side (Matthew 26:35), fled, fulfilling Jesus’ prediction (Matthew 26:31, 56).
• Peter, however, followed at a distance and kept some space between himself and Jesus as He was taken for questioning. When asked where he was staying, Peter denied knowing Jesus out of fear for his life, even denying any association with Him. During his third denial, we read, “And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the saying of the Lord, how he had said to him, ‘Before the rooster crows today, you will deny me three times.’ And he went out and wept bitterly” (Luke 22:61-62).
• Entirely alone, Jesus then stood before the council, Pilate, and Herod. He was accused, spit on, beaten, and mocked (Matthew 26:67; 27:26-31; Luke 22:63-65; 23:6-12). John records Pilate saying, “I find no guilt in him,” highlighting Jesus’ innocence despite the sentence (John 19:6). This unjust condemnation showed that Jesus suffered as a completely righteous person. It laid the foundation for Him to die as a sacrifice for others since He Himself had no guilt.
• After the final verdict, Jesus was compelled to carry His own cross. However, because He was so weak from the beatings He had received, He couldn’t make it all the way. The soldiers pulled a man from the crowd to carry it the rest of the way (Luke 23:26).
• When they finally arrived at Calvary, He was nailed to the cross. Crucifixion was a slow, painful death. To add insult to injury, as He hung there, he was mocked (Matthew 27:39–40; Mark 15:29–32).
• The movie, The Passion of the Christ, vividly depicted the physical suffering of this moment. However, it emphasized the pain Jesus endured. While dying on a cross was a terrible experience, the purpose of Jesus’ death was to serve as a substitute for sinners. While Jesus was on the cross, the Father placed the sins of the world on Him, as if He had committed them (2 Corinthians 5:21). The Father then turned His back on Him, treating Jesus as if He were a sinner. We read, “Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, ‘Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?’ that is, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’” (Matthew 27:45–46). For the first time, the eternal Son of God and the Father were separated.
• From the rest of Scripture, we also learn that at this time, the Father poured out His wrath on Jesus because of the sin He was bearing (i.e., Isaiah 53:5–6). While His physical suffering was very real, the separation and wrath from the Father were infinitely worse.
• Finally, and mercifully, the passion ended when Jesus cried out, “It is finished!” (John 19:30). The phrase translated as “it is finished” is a financial term meaning that the cost for sin had been paid in full. Jesus then died. The soldiers confirmed His death with a spear (John 19:34) before He was buried in the tomb (John 19:40–42).
• The apostles explained the significance of these events. Paul wrote, “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3). Peter said, “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed” (1 Peter 2:24). Hebrews emphasized that His offering was once for all, bringing forgiveness and access to God (Hebrews 9:26-28; 10:10, 19-22). In summary, the passion of Christ was not just a historical event; it was the beginning of mankind’s salvation.

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

The passion of Christ, as recorded in the Gospels, shows how far God was willing to go to save you. Jesus faced fear, loneliness, injustice, pain, death, and even the fierce wrath of His own Father. But He did so willingly so that He could pay for others’ sins. Jesus’ passion calls for a response. While He died for sins, the Father only saves those who repent and believe in Him (Romans 10:9). Therefore, turn from sin and believe that Jesus died for you and rose again to give you life. Ask Him to forgive you and make you new. Those who come to Him are received, cleansed, and brought into the Father’s family because the Son finished the salvation work at the cross.

There is also a lesson for believers in Jesus’ passion. His suffering teaches us how to face suffering and pain in our lives. He prayed sincerely during His suffering, yet He did not demand that God change His situation. He asked for a change but submitted fully to whatever the Father decided. In Jesus’ case, the Father wanted Him to die because the Father had a greater plan in mind that required Jesus’ death, namely, the salvation of men and women. Let Jesus’ example guide you in your suffering. Pray honestly, but do so remembering that God has a purpose for your suffering. Indeed, James taught that believers should expect suffering and that, at the very least, it is used by God to make them better Christians (James 1:2–4). While pain is never enjoyable, as you trust the Father through it, you are acting like Jesus.

UNDERSTAND

• The Passion of the Christ depicts Jesus’ suffering from Gethsemane to the cross.
• The Passion of the Christ is based on the Gospels but with a Catholic emphasis.
• Jesus’ passion calls believers to faith, repentance, and trusting God in suffering.

REFLECT

• How does seeing Jesus’ suffering in The Passion of the Christ deepen your understanding of His love for you?
• How can you follow Jesus’ example of surrender and trust in God during your own struggles?
• How does reflecting on His sacrifice influence the way you respond to sin and repentance in your life?

ENGAGE

• How do the Gospel accounts of Jesus’ passion compare with the movie’s portrayal?
• What benefits or limitations does a film like The Passion of the Christ have in terms of communicating a biblical truth?
• What can we learn from Jesus’ obedience and endurance even to death?