The movie "Risen"

About 30 of us from my local church saw this movie together on Tuesday. It wasn't a bad movie at all in spite of tinkering with the Bibical text a bit as these films usually do. The tribune who is the main character in the movie looks a completely dead and expired Christ in the face as He stll hangs on the cross. He is then commissioned to guard the tomb and see that no sleight of hand deceptions take place with the deceased body of Christ because there is a rumor about that Christ's disciples plan to steal the body for the purpose of saying He rose from the dead. Plus Christ had spoke of rising from the dead. Things go along and the tomb is found empty with the large stone rolled away and as the tribune feverishly investigates the fact of a tomb now empty He eventually comes face to face with a risen and speaking Jesus Christ! I got a frog in my throat at that point along with some holy goose bump on my arms. Heck, I can be moved.

It was a unusually sympathetic movie regarding the reality of a living and risen Christ. Not perfect by any means but I can recommend it. The story line ends with the thought that since this local preacher claiming to be Messiah as so many already had really rose from the dead then who can remain the same as they always have been? The tribune looked Him in the eye while He hung dead and looked Him in the eye after He rose!

Greetings doc

I have been praying about seeing this movie. My husband and I wanted to see it but the time has not been there as such. I wanted to say thank you for sharing with us your heart after seeing this film. I appreciate that.

God bless
mj

In another thread on the movie, I admitted a cynical streak in me that just won't be put to bed about this movie. I thought about the same as you do about it, docs. I wouldn't go so far as to recommend it, but I wouldn't recommend not seeing it either. I might advise folks wait for it to reach DVD rental, though. :)

A few things are subtly troubling but I'll here mention only one.

People walk away from the movie "moved" at the Roman tribune's "belief" in Jesus. They will largely think, "Hey this is a positive thing. I can't believe Hollywood would do that." Well, I think Hollywood promoted another not-so-positive message ----- and it IS a subtle one: "Seeing is believing." The unseen underside of that message: "We had to make up a character who saw the resurrected Jesus to turn from skeptic to believer. You won't find anyone like that in reality because the fact is, you shouldn't believe it either unless YOU see it." And, of course, no one will see the resurrected Jesus until He returns (or, you know, we die in Him). I actually think the movie might be a clever way to make money from Christians, pandering to us, and then laughing at us. And, I can't escape the thought that we are playing into the hands of every anti-Christ spirit and power and principality on Earth as we plop our money down to see this movie. Now, that's the cynic in me and I am quite comfortable with that.

Having said all that, seeing and liking "Risen" is an individual matter of taste and discernment. I enjoyed it while watching it. I thought Joseph Fiennes did a GREAT job in the movie as well as the guy who played Pontius Pilate.

SPOILER ALERT***DON'T READ BELOW IF YOU WANT TO SEE THE MOVIE.

"Peter" was totally unbelievable , probably way too old, and this "Peter" would never have needed the vision in Acts 10 seeing as how he practically salivated over this Gentile and essentially just let him fall in with them without so much as a raised eyebrow. He reminded me more of Mr. Roarke on Fantasy Island, to be honest.

I don't pay to see many Hollywood movies at all. One man in the church here bought tickets for us all.

I have to disagree a bit that the movie leaves one with the impresssion that we need to see before believing. The Gospel message was first spread by those who saw Christ after His resurrection and when we are quickened by the Holy Spirit we believe their accounts written so long ago.

3"For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. 6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 8 and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born." (I Cor 15:3-8)

You wrote,

"I enjoyed it while watching it."

So did I.

Blessings.