His Grace Magazine!
Page 26
Risen
“The Resurrection of Christ”
T
he movie, Risen, is about a nonbelieving Roman soldier who hunts for Jesus Christ's body, as he didn't know that Jesus had risen from the dead. Risen is almost the follow-up to Mel Gibson's movie, The Passion, with a few war violence and killing scenes but with a powerful Christian, biblical view and the reality of Jesus Christ's
resurrection. Clavius is a Roman military Tribune often called upon by the Roman Governor, Pontius Pilate, to lead missions. Pilate sends Clavius to make sure the Roman soldiers crucified Jesus correctly. The Pharisees came to Pilate to tell him that the soldiers needed to guard the tomb of Jesus because of the prophecy that Jesus will rise from
the grave. The Pharisees do not believe that Jesus was the Messiah who will rise again after three days, but rather believe that Jesus’ disciples would come and steal Jesus’ body in order to make the prophecy true. Clavius sends soldiers to the tomb to guard it, but they fell asleep. The next day, the soldiers come forward and says that Jesus’ body was gone from the tomb. Clavius is now at fault for not making sure more was done to protect the body. Pilate tells Clavius he must go out and investigate and find Jesus’ body, so Clavius gives the order to dig up all the recently dead bodies in order to hopefully find Jesus’ body. As the days go by, even the smell of the dead bodies doesn't bother the hardened heart of Clavius. Lucius is new to his job and he is assisting Clavius with the search. He is able to find one man who knows about Jesus’ followers. The two manage to bribe the man to give them the information they need.
April 2022
When they find and catch Mary Magdalene, she tells them they won't find Jesus’ body because He has risen. After more of Jesus’ followers are brought to Clavius, he wonders if what they are telling him could be true. Will Clavius begin to see the truth about Jesus and the resurrection? Risen is a dramatic movie about Jesus and the resurrection. The movie is very well done with great suspense and excellent acting. There are some violent battle scenes, but nothing gory. Overall, Risen is a powerful story and is a great movie to bring a secular friend to see, as it shows a skeptical nonbeliever turning to faith. This movie captures the essence of the biblical story of Jesus while also adding a dramatic element. After watching this movie with your friends or families, tell them about the rest of the story in the Bible; or better yet, ask them to read the Bible for themselves, or read the Bible to them. Risen is available on Blue ray and DVD.
