BASHED BUT STILL STANDING, MEL GIBSON'S FAITH SHINES

By Bruce Isacson, Film Producer

Motivated by his belief and faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, Mel Gibson directed and personally bankrolled, The Passion, in the amount of $30 million dollars. Those hurling stones rationalize their contemptuous action on their review of a stolen, first draft screenplay. They are trying to smear Mr. Gibson and his movie before its release because they fear the movie will cause outbreaks of anti-Semitic violence, worldwide. They are creating the very atmosphere that allows this sort of response by their reactionary and ruthless attacks on Mel Gibson, and on the beliefs of hundreds of millions of followers of Jesus Christ.

Among this minority who support these claims against Mel Gibson and his movie are: Abraham H. Foxman, National Director of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL); Paula Fredriksen, a professor of scripture at Boston University, and the spokesperson for a coalition of five Catholics and four Jews who want to stop the release of The Passion; as well as journalists Laurie Goodstein and Frank Rich whose incriminating articles appeared in the New York Times, on Saturday, August 3rd and on Sunday, August 4th respectively.

Paula Fredriksen stated in a lengthy biased article in the July 22 issue of The New Republic, "Anti-Semitism is not the problem in America that it is in the rest of the world." Her final sentence in the piece states, "When violence breaks out, Mel Gibson will have a much higher authority than professors and bishops to answer to."

Why don't Paula Fredriksen and her colleagues realize that statements like this can invoke the very violence they have devoted their careers to combating; which is the same kind of hate that causes people to yell "Christ killers" at Jews?

Laurie Goodstein and Frank Rich are just as provoking. Ms. Goodstein declares, "anti-Semitic, Mel Gibson" in the first sentence of her front page article, while in a story titled, "Mel Gibson's Martyrdom Complex," Mr. Rich writes in the first paragraph, "'The Jews didn't kill Christ,' my stepfather was fond of saying. 'They just worried him to death.' "

Failing to be witty, Mr. Rich is intent on degrading and discrediting the Messiah of at least sixty percent of the United States population. Obviously, he is trying to make the point that the Jews did not kill Christ. This is the crux of the antipathy. To prove their point, Mel Gibson's accusers are trying to repudiate the New Testament. Paula Fredriksen stated in The New Republic article that the four Gospels "differ significantly on matters of fact." As an example of one of her alleged contradictions, she states, "In Mark, Jesus's last meal is a Passover Seder; In John, Jesus is dead before the Seder begins." However, there are Biblical scholars who can prove that Jesus had His Passover Seder meal before the holiday began, which explains that both Mark and John were correct in their different accounts. Ms. Fredriksen refers to other scriptures, but her arguments are just as ludicrous. She claims, "Mark and Matthew feature two night 'trials' before a full Jewish court, and a dramatic charge of 'blasphemy' from the high priest. Luke has only a single trial, early in the morning, and no high priest. John lacks this Jewish trial scene entirely. The release of Barabbas is a 'Roman custom' in Mark, a 'Jewish custom' in John. Between the four evangelists, Jesus speaks three different lines from the cross. And the resurrection stories vary even more."

Contrary to Paula Fredriksen's ridiculous assumptions, thousands of Christian scholars would argue that indeed the Gospels varied in the personal accounts of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, but they do not contradict. Rather the sum of them gives a complete account of the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus.

In the midst of their fury, Mel's accusers have haphazardly turned their anti-Semitic, racial issue into a religious controversy. Not only would they like to prove that not one single Jew was responsible for killing Christ, but also that Jesus Christ was surely not the Deity He claimed to be. Since Paula Fredriksen and her colleagues have given scripture references in their defense, it is only fair to examine a couple of the three hundred plus prophecies regarding the Messiah found in the Jewish Old Testament. The odds of just two of these prophetic words being fulfilled by Yeshua is googolplex. When you see the movie you will be overwhelmed witnessing the fulfillment of many of the following prophetic verses recorded by King David and Isaiah respectively:

Psalm 22:1,6-8,14-15,17-18:

"My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? But I am a worm, and no man; A reproach of men, and despised by the people. All those who see Me ridicule Me; They shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying, "He trusted in the LORD, let Him rescue Him; Let Him deliver Him, since He delights in Him. I am poured out like water, And all My bones are out of joint; My heart is like wax; It has melted within Me. My strength is dried up like a potsherd, And My tongue clings to My jaws; The congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me. They pierced My hands and My feet; I can count all My bones. They look and stare at Me. They divide My garments among them, And for My clothing they cast lots." NKJV

Isaiah 53:

"Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, And as a root out of dry ground. He has no form or comeliness; And when we see Him, There is no beauty that we should desire Him. He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment, And who will declare His generation? For He was cut off from the land of the living; For the transgressions of My people He was stricken. And they made His grave with the wicked --But with the rich at His death, Because He had done no violence, Nor was any deceit in His mouth. And He was numbered with the transgressors, And He bore the sin of many, And made intercession for the transgressors." NKJV

I suggest reading the entire preceding references portrayed superbly in The Passion.

I have been to two screenings of the film, one in Washington D.C. and the other in Los Angeles. The Passion is an unprecedented portrayal of the love of God through the sacrificial offering of His Son. Even in its unfinished form there is something supernatural about Mel Gibson's masterpiece. You cannot look away as Yeshua is beaten beyond recognition or when He suffers excruciating pain upon the cross. You want to experience His suffering because you know that He did it for you, and for me; He died for all of our sins. This is what Mel's movie conveys; we are all responsible for killing Christ. Paul (Saul of Tarsus) noted in the book of Romans that King David was very aware, "that all people, whether Jews or Gentiles, are under the power of sin."

Psalm 14:1-2:

"To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. The fool has said in his heart, 'There is no God.' They are corrupt, They have done abominable works, There is none who does good. The LORD looks down from heaven upon the children of men, To see if there are any who understand, who seek God. They have all turned aside, They have together become corrupt; There is none who does good, No, not one." NKJV

Meanwhile, Mel's critics are convinced that history will repeat and certain Christians will persecute Jews and identify them as "Christ killers," after viewing, The Passion. The film shows a minority of Jewish priests under the leadership of Caiaphas conspiring to kill Jesus; however, it is very clear that the Romans complete the job; not the Jews at large. Nonetheless, it is apparent from the controversy that Mel's critics will not let go of their anti-Semitic charge because they believe that Mel's account of "flawed" Gospels will incite anti-Semitism.

In defense of Mel Gibson is movie critic Michael Medved, who served fifteen years as a synagogue president, and is on the board of a half dozen national Jewish organizations. After screening a rough-cut of The Passion Mr. Medved responded, "Gibson's movie is a superior and emotionally devastating work of cinematic art." In an interview with the Washingtonpost.com, Mr. Medved writes, "The argument concerning The Passion centers on the history of anti-Semitism. No people have ever been murdered as a group because of accusations that they killed Kennedy. Millions of Jews have, in fact, suffered death and persecution because of accusations that they were "Christ-killers." If the movie irresponsibly recycled those old, poisonous accusations I believe that people of good faith would appropriately condemn it. It's obvious, however, that Mel Gibson has tried to avoid echoing ancient charges of deicide and has gone to some lengths to stress that Jesus and his disciples, as well as his primary accusers, were Jewish."

In Michael Medved's USA Today, July 22, 2003 article in support of Mr. Gibson, he references an Orthodox Jewish scholar: "In fact, the plea that Gibson's movie should place exclusive blame for the Crucifixion on Roman authorities contradicts not only mainstream Christian teaching, but also elements of Jewish tradition. In a courageous piece in the national Jewish weekly The Forward, Orthodox scholar David Klinghoffer points to Jewish sources more than 1,000 years old that ''teach that Jesus died at least partly thanks to decisions taken by his fellow Jews.''

Again, the Word of God revealed in The Passion that portrays a minority group of Religious Jewish leaders responsible for conspiring to have Jesus Christ killed is not an anti-Semitic point-of-view, just like it would not be an anti-Christian statement if Stephen Spielberg directed a movie about the Crusades or the Spanish Inquisition. Christians who understand the heart of Christ know that Jews are not blaming all Christians for these and other atrocities; and likewise Christians are not blaming all Jews for the thousands of Christians who were persecuted and killed AD by Jewish zealots like Saul of Tarsus. Any Christian to commit a hideous act of anti-Semitism knows nothing about the Holy character of Jesus and the love that He personified. Most important, Christians who understand the love of Christ are grieved for the many Jews ignorantly killed in the name of Christ, and they are ready to express their deepest apologies. Many Christians, including Mel Gibson, are ready to stand by the side of their Jewish brothers and sisters and condemn anti-Semitic acts of hatred.

Many believers in Christ are taught that their God, (the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob) commands us to pray for peace in Jerusalem. The Old Testament book of Psalms makes this loving commandment very clear.

Psalm 122:6: "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper who love you. NKJV"

The ADL has done a wonderful job in combating Anti-Semitism; however, Abraham H. Foxman's angry statement against Mel Gibson and The Passion, is intolerance based on fear and fanaticism. Instead of trying to erase history, it would be a perfect time to bring reconciliation. As two early Jewish followers of Christ said so well, "Love covers a multitude of sins" (James), and "perfect love casts out all fear" (John). Millions of Christians are ready to forgive, just as they are ready to take the blame and apologize for those Christians who were deceived, and killed millions of Jews in the name of Christ. We need to educate not discriminate, even if Christians believe there is only one God, (the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob) and the only way to Him is through His Son. Jesus confirmed this in Luke 10:16, "And anyone who rejects me is rejecting God who sent me." (NLT)

Mel Gibson's detractors are also determined to discredit the historical proof that Jesus Christ is God. However, Mel is only revealing what Jesus claimed. For example, Jesus also said the following in John 8:58-59 (NLT) and in John 10:37-39 (NKJV) respectively:

"Jesus answered, 'The truth is, I existed before Abraham was even born!' At that point they picked up stones to kill him. But Jesus hid himself from them and left the Temple."

"If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; but if I do, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in Him." Therefore they sought again to seize Him, but He escaped out of their hand."

It's also important to note that 200 million Christians are currently under severe persecution throughout the world, including Christians of southern Sudan, of Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, of the entire Arab and Islamic worlds, of China, of parts of the Philippines, of parts of the Balkans, of Vietnam, of Uzbakistan, of Belarus, to name a few; and approximately 150 thousand are brutally slaughtered every year. For example, recently reported in "Voice of the Martyrs" website, (persecution.com): "Mobs attacked five churches in the southern district of Galle, Sri Lanka, on August 2nd. Initial information from the Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka (EASL) suggests the organized attack on the churches is part of the government's plan to introduce anti-conversion legislation."

With this truth in mind, I say to those who have bashed Mel Gibson and Christian beliefs; Please lay down your arms. Remember, millions of Christians are praying "Shalom" over Jerusalem and abhor anti-Semitism as much as anyone of Jewish descent.

I happen to know something about anti-Semitism. As a teenager growing up in Long Island, N.Y., I was called "dirty Jew," and had to defend myself with fists. I had a Bar-mitzvah. My father attended the Yeshiva in Brooklyn, and my great-grandfather was a chief rabbi in Bucharest, Romania, the main center for Jews in Europe before Israel became a State. And, on March 5, 1980, at 2:00 AM on 53rd Street in Manhattan, between 2nd and 3rd Avenues, I had a supernatural experience with God; the veil was taken off my eyes, and I believed beyond a shadow-of-doubt that Yeshua was the Messiah my ancestors and all the prophets of old had longed to meet.

I feel saddened that I had to respond to those who have taken offense to Mel Gibson and his movie. It is my hope and prayer that our discourse will not cause a violent anti-Semitic reaction and this debate will cease now--long before the release of the movie. It is also my hope and prayer that The Passion will work in a powerful way to reveal the true Jesus Christ who loves us all.

Maia Morgenstern as Mary and Jim Caviezel as
Jesus in "The Passion." © Icon Entertainment International, 2003 All Rights Reserved


More on this topic: Answer to the Critics of Mel Gibson's Movie, The Passion by Betty Miller