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But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.

But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead…

Excellent post about a believer’s attitude towards politics found here (via Creative Slips). Hugo says this in relation to a First Things article :

There will be times when this leads us into coalition with liberals. But there will be times when we are far, far apart. The Christian left must be faithful to Christ first, not secular dogma. Where our agendas and our understandings coincide, so much the better. But at times, we will stand with our Christian brethren on the right of the political spectrum, not out of sectarian loyalty but out of a sense that, as Carter said, “discerning God’s will and doing it is prior to everything else.”

I like how our political actions are not compelled by partisanship but by our duty to Christ.

It’s funny how Rhesa says, “Pat Robertson and Jerry Fallwell do not speak for me.” I’ve always felt the same way. I am reading political commentator Hugh Hewitt’s In But Not Of, a guide of sorts to young Christians seeking to make a mark in this world. In one chapter entitled “Either a Player or a Pastor Be - But You Can’t Be Both,” Jerry Falwell is used as an example of how mixing politics and religion has had ineffective results. I share Hewitt’s sentiment when he says, “I and most other evangelicals I know cringe when we see (Falwell) appear on any of the many television shows that gladly book him as a spokesman for the evangelical community.” It is because the American public has long turned off its ear to preachers “speaking on any issue of politics or public policy outside his own congregation.”

Hewitt advises those who are ordained to “leave the world to others, and tend to your flock.” In fairness, in subsequent chapters he sings the praises of Christians who dedicate their lives to winning souls for the kingdom. But according to him, the world should be left to believers who have positioned themselves to make a mark in the political arena by assembling the proper credentials, getting relevant jobs, and cultivating the right relationships.

There really is no spoiler to “the greatest story ever told.” But discussing my thoughts on Mel Gibson’s adaptation of the gospel story here may spoil the movie for some. So proceed with caution.

I’d say Mel Gibson directed a masterful representation of the gospel story. It is a powerful and intense film. I was moved. Some violent scenes, however, were unbearable to watch. There’s no sugarcoating here, that’s for sure. Although the bloody suffering of Christ is central to the film, Gibson artfully used a series of flashbacks to show relevant points in Jesus’ life. I feel they balanced the brutality so far portrayed (they also accentuated it, I suppose).

The decision to use the original languages of the day, Aramaic and Latin, is brilliant. The speech inflections and body language that are distinctly middle eastern lend the movie an air of authenticity. To see the local people of Jerusalem represented in the crowds and among the major actors is refreshing.

Having said that, I feel Gibson may have played up some characterizations that border on caricature. The people of Herod’s court were vile depictions of debauchery. Some Roman soldiers came off as cruel and heartless. But perhaps it was a fair portrayal. Ruthless men have existed throughout history. Caligula, Stalin and Hitler are but a few that come to mind. I think it’s important to note that many Christians suffered and died, shortly after the death and resurrection of their Saviour, at the hand of the Roman empire as they were burned at the stake, crucified or fed to the lions.

As for the portrayal of the Jews? I feel it was even-handed. Even as the Sanhedrin were falsely accusing Jesus, many chief priests walked out, calling the illegal trial a “travesty.” During the flogging scene, several chief priests again walked out, visibly troubled by the brutality. In addition, as Jesus Christ was carrying his cross through the city, many local people sympathized with his predicament and several came to his aid.

Out of curiousity, I reread the passages in the bible that were portrayed in Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ to see if the movie jibed with the Gospels. Although some brief passages were drawn out in the movie for artistic purposes, I have to agree with the pope and say, “It is as it was.”

Update: mere minutes after writing this post I come across this review (via P&F) that makes me want to retract my agreement with the pope’s statement.

I’m off to see The Passion of the Christ today, on opening day. I bought our tickets last night from Fandango for this evening’s showing. According to early reviews, the movie is graphic in its depiction of Jesus’ last hours leading to his crucifixion, a conscious move Mel Gibson took in order to drive the film’s message. When violence is central to the film’s thrust, it’s not hard to see why people ask, “Who Killed Jesus?” (as Newsweek did on its cover last week). It is puzzling though how the media is pandering to those who like to see the film as a “blame game” of sorts when the question doesn’t even enter the believer’s mind. There is no outrage about “man’s inhumanity to man.” Nor man’s “inhumanity” to God. It is clear from the Scriptures that Jesus gave His life willingly.

“The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life–only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”

Landslides claim lives on both sides of the Pacific. 20,000 die in a 6.6-magnitude earthquake in Iran. Meat from a cow infected with mad cow disease is found in eight U.S. states. Unrest continues in the Middle East.

What are we to make of turmoil during this “season of peace”? The actual verse in the Bible that alludes to this peace says “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.” This was declared by a heavenly host after an angel announced the birth of Jesus Christ to the shepherds. Peace in this context means the ending of hostility between God and man. God entered into this world in the person of Jesus Christ so that he may share in our human struggles and experiences. And ultimately, he was offered as the perfect sacrifice for our sins. Those “men on whom his favor rests” are those who, having been justified by faith, “have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

He assures us, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”