I suppose this might be considered a review of a film review. Really, I hadn't planned on speaking on this particular subject at all--until I read an article dated February 9, carried in the internet newspaper, WorldNetDaily. The writer, an orthodox Jewish rabbi (Shmuley Boteach), was commenting on a film that is scheduled to come out later this month--the Passion of the Christ. There has been a lot of discussion about this film, and I had been aware of the fact that many modern Jews were unhappy about some of its content. Even so, I was surprised at some of what was said, and thought that it might be good for us to consider some of the concerns that he brought up in his article.
One of the author's concerns was that the film might stir up some anti-Jewish feelings; and I believe that this is the primary concern of the modern Jewish community. Why would they think a film would stir up feelings like that? Because, just as the scriptures teach (Mt 27:25), the film apparently portrays Pilate declaring himself free of guilt, and the Jews at the time accepting the responsibility for Jesus crucifixion, crying out, "His blood shall be on us and on our children!" After which, Jesus was put to death.
This, he says, accuses the Jewish nation of killing the Creator; and while that accusation is "deeply offensive and insulting, there is the far more serious issue of how this has indeed led to the slaughter of literally millions of Jews for the past two millennia." In fact, there have been many, who in the years to follow, while claiming to be Christians, have either put Jews to death or allowed it to happen. For instance, it is said that during the Crusades, almost one thousand Jews in Jerusalem fled the crusaders and locked themselves in the main synagogue--whereupon the crusaders set the place on fire, and sang "Christ, We Adore Thee," as the Jews burned to death (The Guilt of Christianity toward the Jewish People, footnote 23). Ironically, they thought they were doing God a favor, in some ways like Paul, himself a Jew, when he was delivering Christians to their deaths (Acts 26:9-11).
And so the author wrote that the reason some Jews won't listen at all to what is said in the New Testament is because they have "...simply suffered too much in Jesus' name to give two cents about what he had to say." The problem is, of course, that simply because someone says that they are doing something in Jesus' name doesn't mean that Jesus condones it. Although Paul thought he was serving God by persecuting the Christians, he was actually working against God; but he would have said he was doing it in God's name. Jesus predicted this sort of thing (Jn 16:2): "They will make you outcasts from the synagogue, but an hour is coming for everyone who kills you to think that he is offering service to God."
The truth is that the Christian doesn't fight a physical battle, but rather a spiritual one. As Paul would later write (Eph 6:12), "...our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places." He went on to point out that because it is spiritual, our weapon and armor are spiritual as well. So whether or not the crusaders claimed it, the crusades were not a good thing, and they were not of Christ. Christians are not to persecute either Jews or anyone else.
Even so, there is concern that this films graphic portrayal of the crucifixion, and how the Jews delivered Jesus up to it, may cause an increase in anti-Jewish feelings; but not just that, the author of the article feels it may cause an increase in Jewish distrust of Christians.
That might seem strange; but I can see his point. While there was a time that many may have been anti-Jewish, in more recent times, there is a staunch pro-Jewish, pro-Israel feeling among many who profess Christianity. Because they feel that the Jews are still God's special people, they feel that Christians are obligated to support the modern nation of Israel.
So the author says, "The uncompromising modern evangelical support for the state of Israel has inspired a new understanding among Jews for the man Jesus as a rabbi who, even after 2,000 years, still inspires his followers to love the Jewish people and defend Jewish life against terrorist murderers." But this newfound relationship may be in jeopardy, because the Jews may withdraw themselves, feeling that, as the author put it, "the terrible lie that we killed the Christian God is being perpetuated."
I find this point of view interesting, in that it is based on the understanding that the Jews are still God's special people; yet scripture clearly teaches that they are not! Paul wrote (Rom 2:28-29), "For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh. But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God." You see, it's not whether you are a physical descendant of Abraham that endears you to God, nor is it whether or not you are circumcised; but, it is a matter of whether or not you are a Christian! Again, Paul wrote, speaking to Christians (Gal 3:26-29), "For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's descendants, heirs according to promise." Christians are God's special people!
Yet, the author is concerned that the film, the Passion, endangers the unity that seems to be growing between modern evangelicals and Jews. He believes that for all these years, the one thing that divided Christians and Jews has been Jesus. This is true. Where Christians believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah--in fact, God in the flesh--the Jews think far less of Him. As the writer put it, they thought him only a renegade Jew. But with these new ties between Christians and Jews, he thinks that that both Jews and Christians "might meet through the personality of Jesus himself"!
But how could that be? Could there ever really be unity between Jew and Christian? There is a big problem here--even though it may seem small to the author. You see, he continued on to say that we would still "...understand him in totally different ways." He didn't mean to give the impression that He believed that Jesus was the Messiah--far from it. In fact, just so we don't mistake him, he wrote, "Jews will never accept the divinity or messiah-ship of Christ. I am utterly opposed to all Jewish conversions to Christianity, just as am I opposed to Christian conversions to Judaism." So, how are Jews and Christians supposed to "meet through the personality of Jesus"? He believes, "The Jews will not accept Jesus as savior, but why not as sage? They will not embrace him as god, but why not as guru?"
That is, indeed, a big problem: Jesus said (Jn 14:6), "...I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me." In fact, He also said to the Jews of His day (Jn 8:24), "...unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins." There is no way to come to the Father without Jesus, and without believing in Him; and He didn't mean believing that He was simply a wise rabbi. We must believe that Jesus is the Messiah; and we do a grave disservice if we give anyone the impression that they are acceptable in God's sight without accepting Jesus as savior.
But these are all concerns the author has about the film, the Passion, and he asks in his article, "Was there not some other way of portraying the death of the Christian savior, without the Jews clamoring for his crucifixion...?" Of course, the answer is no; at least not if the film was going to be accurate. It is a question of the truth--the "gospel truth." Even though he, in his article, tried to make a difference between the gospel accounts, the fact is that, while those Jews may not have physically hammered in the nails, they were just as guilty, and their hands just as stained with blood as those who actually did the deed. In the same way that David, the King of Judah, put Uriah to death with sword of the Ammonites (2 Sam 12:9), they had put the Messiah to death by the hands of godless men--the Romans.
The Jews at that time did crucify the Messiah. Yet that is not all that the scriptures record; there is more. In Act 2:36-38, many of them were faced with that awful truth. Peter, speaking about seven weeks after the deed, exclaimed to them, "'...let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ--this Jesus whom you crucified.' Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, 'Brethren, what shall we do?' Peter said to them, 'Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.'" Later, in v41, we find that many of them did. Three thousand were baptized that day. They had repented of, and were forgiven, their sins, just as Peter had said--even those who had only weeks before been "clamoring for his crucifixion."
But, even if some (perhaps most) didn't repent, does that mean their descendents among the modern Jews are guilty for their forefathers sins? No; Ezekiel 18 clearly teaches that we are responsible for our own actions--not those of our fathers. Ezek 18:20, "The person who sins will die. The son will not bear the punishment for the father's iniquity, nor will the father bear the punishment for the son's iniquity; the righteousness of the righteous will be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked will be upon himself."
Modern Jews are no more guilty of crucifying Jesus than I am...but, they are also no less guilty. You see, just as is recorded in scripture, the Messiah was intended to suffer for sin: the sins of those Jews almost two thousand years ago, and yours and mine today. As Isaiah prophecied (Isa 53:5-6), "...He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed. All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him."
In a sense, each one of us put Jesus on that cross because of our own sin; and now, we are faced with the same awful truth that those Jews Peter spoke to were: "God has made Him both Lord and Christ--this Jesus whom you crucified." The question is, how will we respond? Or, more to the point, how will you respond? If you are not a Christian, will you repent of (or turn away from) your sins, and be baptized that you might be forgiven of those sins? Or will you ignore that sacrifice that was made in your place? Only you can say.
