3 Things Hollywood Won't Tell You About Jesus' Death on the Cross

Until Mel Gibson's "Passion of the Christ" Hollywood's depictions of our Lord's crucifixion experience was a whitewash. (Ya think?) I wondered why that was. Sure, they were considering the public's reaction. A person being slain isn't a real draw at the box office. And then there's the family element. It's really not something you want your children to see (though I think it would do many teenagers good).

But beyond that, was it because the cross in all its glory, shame and horror ~ it speaks to the heart of the matter ~ it speaks of the wickedness of men? It does. (Jeremiah 17:9) Hollywood is a tool in the promotion of wickedness (for the most part), not its exposure as filth and vileness to be forsaken and abhorred. (Mark 9:43-44)

And I wonder if we haven't whitewashed Jesus' death on the cross ourselves (in the church)? I don't even see it talked about much as I look around the internet. We talk about it at our church. Do you talk about it at yours? (aside from how you're gonna lose weight or save the planet, etc.) This isn't to hold up our/my church as "something" versus yours. (I hope you give me more credit than that.) It's just for discussion purposes (to make you think).

And so we come to it. The following list includes three points that I think are "overlooked" when it comes to the crucifixion. They are disarming. God meant them to be...

3 Things Hollywood Won't Tell You About Jesus' Death on the Cross:

1. HE WAS STRIPPED NAKED.

It only makes sense. The devil held nothing back.

"Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took His outer garments and made four parts, a part to every soldier and also the tunic; now the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece." (John 19:23)

(For an interesting back and forth discussion on this subject, click here. Also, read Crucified: Jesus' Experience on the Cross which speaks to my second point as well.)

2. HE SPOKE IN AGONY.

I posted the following on twitter the other night. It's 140 characters exactly if you would like to tweet it yourself. It says it all...

[To gather breath] Jesus [pushed against the nail in His feet&pulled against the nails in His hands]&said, It is finished! Jn19:30 #Tworship

(Selah ~ pause to reflect)

3. HE GAVE HIS LIFE.

Jesus died like everyone else while at the same time He died like no one else. Death didn't take Him. It couldn't. Jesus gave Himself over to death (for our sake / in our place). (Matthew 20:28b; Mark 10:45b; John 19:30b)

"'For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so that I may take it again. No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father.'"(John 10:17-18)

You might also be interested in:

• 7 Causes of Agony in the Garden
• Field Trip to the Empty Tomb