The Son of God: Is Another Movie Necessary?

By Dr. Wilfred Bellamy

They thought they could do as they pleased with Him. And so when He rode into Jerusalem on a donkey they hailed Him their conquering hero. Then as the week progressed they rallied against Him. He declared Himself to be King of the Jews, the Messiah had come, and they became violent. Pilate washed his hands and found no fault with the Son of God. The crowd yelled "Crucify Him!" To all He was little more than an object.

He was flogged, sorely abused and wounded. Slowly He hauled His wooden beam to the place called Calvary, the place of execution and shame. There they did as they wanted to do ... they nailed His hands and feet to a cross and raised Him for all to see. Passers by wagged their heads, mocked and scorned Him. Gawkers stopped to study His suffering and probably said to themselves; "He got what He deserved."

It still goes on. People do as they please with the Son of God. They write what they choose, print what they choose, paint portraits and hang them for all the see, or worse yet, make movies so that people can sit in cinemas to witness a man's rendition of the sufferings of the Son of God. So unreal, plastic, contrived! We have not changed. The blood lust is still there. The mob violence that took Him to Calvary still abides.

But remember, He remains indomitable. He is the conquering Christ. He suffered and bled and died to be the supreme sacrifice for the sins of mankind. He satisfied the justice of God for the justification of His elect children, past, present and future. He was innocent but became guilty as He drew all my sins upon Himself, embracing them as surely as the thorns upon His head, and then took them to Hell where they belonged, witnessing His triumph over sin and death.

My victorious Lord Jesus is the risen Christ, vindicated, majestic as He was raised from the dead. They had rolled a stone at his tomb and probably said; "So that's that!" All was over and done with...on to the next criminal. Yet those close to Him saw Him, broke bread and ate with Him, and walked and talked with Him. Some understood what had happened while others puzzled over His glorious presence. He came through a wall to show the evidence of His crucifixion. There was no lingering question or doubt. Jesus was risen from the dead.

And then, as He was gathered to the Father in Heaven, as He ascended into the eternal glory that was always His, it was promised that "this same Jesus," the conquering Son of God, will come again. How amazing! What a challenge to those who had thought He was special but just a human being like themselves. Crucified, risen, and now to return? Incredible.  Wonderful.

So I wait with longing. I look to the horizon and I pray: "Even so come Lord Jesus!" I live in anticipation and expectation that the One whom I have come to know, not by way of the media, but by way of the witness of the Holy Spirit in my heart, is my coming King. I need no other argument. His truth is sufficient ... "for it is by grace that you have been saved, through faith -- and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God -- not by works, so that no one can boast."

-Wilfred A. Bellamy, Ph.D., is a former missionary to Nigeria, and an ordained pastor in the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church.