Jesus Christ Superstar--beautiful or blasphemous?

PacificPandeist

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It is a beautiful story!! I have seen on film and stage productions, and it never failed to move me with the message that Jesus is the Everyman who cares!! I find it fits well with both the messages of Theism or PanDeism, and I particularly like that the end portrays Judas Iscariot in Heaven, having ascended thereto for fulfilling his task as Jesus commanded!! Also, that song is a fave!!

//// Pacific PanDeist
 
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soulsearching1

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Jesus Christ Superstar is one of my favorite shows of all time (I actually used to do musical theatre- never did this one, but saw it a bunch of times). It's funny because I was listening to it around Easter, and if you see my other posts here (I'm new), you'll see that I am considering my own relationship with God and Christ, so it was all very ironic. But while I was listening to it, I started to interpret the lyrics differently than I had in the past. Here are some thoughts:

In regard to Mary Magdelene, the lyrics NEVER imply that she and Jesus were romantically involved, and no production I've ever seen has portrayed them that way. Judas only questions how it will "look" for Jesus to be hanging out with a woman like her. But that's all that happens- she's just in his group of followers. To me, her song is, as others have said, about her inability to love this man, because she has never had real love beyond a sexual relationship, and probably there was no love in any of those. To me, she could be a great example of someone who is considering Christianity- she doesn't know how to deal with this new non-sexual love that she feels for Jesus. She says she's "been changed- yes, really changed. In these past few days when I see myself, I seem like someone else". To me, it shows that she is considering a change in herself.

I don't necessarily agree with the idea that the show is from "Judas's point of view". Although he does have a discerning voice in the narrative of the play, so does Jesus, so does Pilate, so does Mary, so do the priests, etc. And you can't take the play as historical fact, because it's ART. Art is only art, not fact. That doesn't mean that art is not great, it's just a whole different animal.

Jesus and his qualities of humanity- in the dialogue, ultimately, he knows that it is God's will that he must die, etc. He never denies that. But the fear of that happening adds a human quality that I believe helps the audience connect to his character. The fear of giving yourself up to God fully is something that a lot of people face. Jesus in the play, in a sense, could be a bit more allegorical than actual representation.

Sorry- I have a degree in Theatre and one in Lit, so analysis of this kind gets me going!
 
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FGBC19104

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It is a little disheartening to see that people who have not seen either the live show or the 1970's movie would post opinions with the pretext of it being informed. But that is beside the point...

I looked into this. I am definately convinced that JCS is a piece of art that can definately be used to glorify God, and that some of the tracks even do a better job of it than our often over-exulted Christian Contemporary. Also, I believe all the points of concern can be dismissed when one accepts the fact that this play was never ment to be cannonical. At no point should it be taken as more reliable than the Bible... but at no point have I ever seen evidence to imply that people would actually be stupid enough to think that.

The first time I saw the production was the live farewell tour featuring Ted Neeley (Jesus from the origional movie.) It painted the Lord in a much higher light than the movie. During the opening instrumental Jesus brought back a believer from the dead, and during the final song he ascended off the cross. There is no doubt in my mind that JCS is not blasphemous, but if you are convicted when you watch/listen, maybe you should avoid it.
 
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Fantine

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One thing that shows like Godspell and Jesus Christ Superstar do is underscore how much of a revolutionary Jesus was in his own time.

Jesus never represented the status quo even though so many of his contemporary followers do......

Sadly, if Jesus walked the earth today, many of his contemporary followers who are so tied to the status quo would fail to recognize Him because His ideas were so revolutionary.
 
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Jerry (Jay) Owens

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Growing up with a newly converted Christian mother, she used to play this album almost non-stop, but only the first 3 sides. She felt the crucifiction to be too upsetting and when I discovered it and played it, it broke my heart! I was always blessed by this music and she always made sure that I knew to check the music against scripture. Even as a child, I knew that there were parts that were not scriptural. i.e. When Jesus screams at the thronging crowd to "...heal yourselves!" That is not in the scriptures, but I also understand there was a certain amount of artistic license taken and realized that in life, we are responsible for knowing the truth and being able to discern such error.
My wife finds it sacriligious, thus my searching and finding this thread. I guess I am undecided and will have to continue to seek the Lord on whether He finds it blasphemous, after all THAT is really the question. Opinions may vary but what should matter to all christians is whether it pleases our Father or not. After all, our primary goal should always be to please Him. So, with that said, I humbly give my opinion which is that at this time, I find it to be a beautiful piece of art that focuses my attention on the sacrifice that God the Son made and the anguish that he experienced for the redemption of our sins!
So, until God convicts my heart and tells me otherwise, I will continue to listen to it.
 
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Jerry (Jay) Owens

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Growing up with a newly converted Christian mother, she used to play this album almost non-stop, but only the first 3 sides. She felt the crucifiction to be too upsetting and when I discovered it and played it, it broke my heart! I was always blessed by this music and she always made sure that I knew to check the music against scripture. Even as a child, I knew that there were parts that were not scriptural. i.e. When Jesus screams at the thronging crowd to "...heal yourselves!" That is not in the scriptures, but I also understand there was a certain amount of artistic license taken and realized that in life, we are responsible for knowing the truth and being able to discern such error.
My wife finds it sacriligious, thus my searching and finding this thread. I guess I am undecided and will have to continue to seek the Lord on whether He finds it blasphemous, after all THAT is really the question. Opinions may vary but what should matter to all christians is whether it pleases our Father or not. After all, our primary goal should always be to please Him. So, with that said, I humbly give my opinion which is that at this time, I find it to be a beautiful piece of art that focuses my attention on the sacrifice that God the Son made and the anguish that he experienced for the redemption of our sins!
So, until God convicts my heart and tells me otherwise, I will continue to listen to it.
 
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MissusT

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As usual, as Easter approaches, I find myself listening to this CD over and over. I find new insights every time I listen. If you find this blasphemous...then you must deny the trinity of the Christ. He was MAN. This is the story of his human-ness. It's such an important story. Also...we find we understand Judas more in this retelling. We understand that this is GOD's plan...even though Jesus and Judas might balk at the stark realities of it. People who find this blasphemous are...frankly...afraid to examine their faith.
 
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MissusT

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As usual, as Easter approaches, I find myself listening to this CD over and over. I find new insights every time I listen. If you find this blasphemous...then you must deny the trinity of the Christ. He was MAN. This is the story of his human-ness. It's such an important story. Also...we find we understand Judas more in this retelling. We understand that this is GOD's plan...even though Jesus and Judas might balk at the stark realities of it. People who find this blasphemous are...frankly...afraid to examine their faith.
 
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Emma Rose

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I completely understand that people have emotional ties to this play (and I’m sure even more people will to the new upcoming adaptation with John Legend), and that a lot of people say this play helped them, if not changed their life. I get that, I really do. But…I would never accredit that to this play, I would completely accredit it to the living Lord Jesus Christ who reaches us in our most vulnerable moments, no matter the circumstance that caused it, because of His great love for us. The Lord will meet us in the most odd places and in the most odd circumstances, but I don’t think we should confuse His meeting us in those places/circumstances as His approval of such things. He meets us in those places on the merit of His great love for us, not on the merit of His approval of those places. Does that make sense? If I ever find myself confused about that, I look to His revealed Word, the Holy Bible, for the answers. And I don’t see why this play should be any different. Have you tested it against the Bible? Does it ring true to the Bible, or does it contradict the Bible? If it contradicts the Bible, then it should cause you to seriously consider its influence over you, “Let no one deceive you by any means…” (2 Thessalonians 2:3a), and, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” (1 John 4:1)

Well, for starters, there is a major problem with the way Judas is portrayed. I think they try to portray him as a man with good intentions that has been misunderstood through the ages, but that goes directly against the revealed truth we have of him in the Bible. Jesus, Himself, said of Judas, "Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?" (John 6:70). Jesus considered Judas a devil. Because after Jesus handed Judas the piece of bread at the last supper, it says "Now after the piece of bread, Satan entered him. Then Jesus said to him, 'What you do, do quickly.'" (John 13:27). Satan entered Judas. There was especially no love nor concern in Judas' heart for Jesus from that point on. Satan hates Jesus and he wants nothing more than to destroy Him and to destroy our understanding of who Jesus is. Satan would love nothing more than to glorify Judas as a good yet misunderstood man and diminish Jesus as a confused and ordinary man! In many ways, that is what this play does, which should be the first major red flag to us. The truth is, Judas did the bidding FOR SATAN when he betrayed Jesus. And even if one would like to argue that Judas was good before Satan entered him, that is still not true, because he was not some great guy that cared for the poor - that is the exact OPPOSITE of the truth. He was a thief! "But one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, who would betray Him, said, 'Why was this fragrant oil not sold for three hundred denariia and given to the poor?' This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it." (John 12:4-6). And then fast forward to when Satan was in him and he betrayed Jesus, Judas came to realize what he had done and had seen the brevity of what his betrayal did to Jesus, and the Bible says he was remorseful. Yes, this should break our hearts, because the emotion of deep regret is something we can all relate to with Judas. Perhaps Judas thought that even if he betrayed Jesus, perhaps Jesus would miraculously stop the tide of events that followed it, but Jesus did not do that, because it was not Judas' betrayal that caused Jesus to eventually die on the cross; Jesus willingly laid down His life, "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). What Satan did through Judas, he did with permission from Jesus, as even Jesus told Judas to go and do what he needed to do (John 13:27). And when Judas realized the horror of what he did, he tried to take it back, and seeing that he couldn't, he went and committed suicide. "Then Judas, His betrayer, seeing that He [Jesus] had been condemned, was remorseful and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying, 'I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.' And they said, 'What is that to us? You see to it!' Then he threw down the pieces of silver in the temple and departed, and went and hanged himself." (Matthew 27:3-5). Judas’ story is heartbreaking, from the evil and dark way he behaved to the sad way he miserably ended his life, because the reality is, he died in his sins, when Jesus would have so willingly forgave him his sins had he only come to Him. But from what is revealed to us in the Bible about Judas, that never happened, because Judas committed suicide before he ever went to back to Jesus. So the whole premise of this play is unbiblical just in the portrayal of Judas, that should cause alarm to us.

And then there is the portrayal of Jesus in this play that shoots up red flags all over the place. They seem to portray Him, as best as possible, to be just like you and me. You say, yes, that’s precisely what He was! But was He really? Yes, He was precisely like you and me in that He was fully man, but what this play leaves out is that He was also fully God, unlike you and me. Jesus was completely sinless, meaning, He never once committed a sin, nor was He even capable of committing a sin, because He was God! Jesus, Himself, said, "Do you say of Him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, 'You are blaspheming,' because I said, 'I am the Son of God'? 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." (John 10:36-38), and, "For such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens" (Hebrews 7:26), and again, "Who committed no sin, nor was deceit found in His mouth" (1 Peter 2:22), and one more time, “And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin” (1 John 3:5). I don’t think we realize how easily we sin, and how unlike to our behavior Jesus was. I mean, for example, we think committing a sin is when we do something bad like physically committing adultery, but Jesus said that even in you look after a woman with lust in your heart, then you’ve committed adultery (committed a sin) with her in your heart! "But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” (Matthew 5:28). So, for us, it’s seeing a beautiful woman and then BAM! lust almost immediately filled your heart for her and then you just sinned. But with Jesus, He never did that, not even once. That instant sin within your heart, He never committed that. He was very different from us, and thank God for that, because who wants a Savior that is just like us, anyways? The point is, we are in bondage to our sin…the sin of alcoholism, the sin of inappropriate contentography, the sin of greed, etc. etc. etc., we find ourselves bound to these things and we want someone better than us to save us from it. Well, that’s exactly what Jesus was, “who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:6-11)

But, yes, Jesus was still tempted as a man, He just never sinned, because He was God, “For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.” (Hebrews 4:15)

And to see Jesus exasperated with the zombie-like crowds and telling them to go heal themselves is painful to watch, because, again, that is the exact OPPOSITE of the truth. The Bible says that when Jesus saw the crowds, He was moved with compassion for them: "Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd." (Matthew 9:35-36), and “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep. I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.” (John 10:11-15). How is showing an incapable exasperated Jesus better than showing the Jesus for who He really was?

This is just a couple instances of the untruths laced throughout this play. Overall, I believe this play has more blasphemy than it does truth, not because that is simply my opinion, but because of what the Bible says and how this play goes directly against what the Bible says.

"Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour." (1 Peter 5:8).

Perhaps the most deceiving aspect of this play is the way they portray Jesus like He was confused about who He really was and what He was on earth to do. Nothing can be further from the truth. Jesus knew EXACTLY who He was, “Pilate therefore said to Him, "Are You a king then?" Jesus answered, "You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice." (John 18:37), and Jesus knew EXACTLY why He came to the earth, "For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me...For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life" (John 6:38, 40). And again Jesus declared, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes the the Father except through Me" (John 14:6). Jesus knew that He came to the earth for the sole purpose to reconcile us to God, "Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ...that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them" (2 Corinthians 5:18a-19a). Jesus knew, too, that it is our sin that separates us from God, "Your iniquities have separated you from your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear" (Isaiah 59:2), and again, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). But Jesus knew that we wouldn’t be left in our sins, only to be separated from God for eternity, so He willingly obeyed the Father to come to this earth to lay down His own life for us and pay OUR penalty for OUR sins, so we didn't have to, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him." (John 3:16-17), and, "In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins." (1 John 4:10). And when Jesus hung on that cross, He was fully aware that He had taken the sin of all of humanity, including Judas' sins, upon Himself, “who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness--by whose stripes you were healed.” (1 Peter 2:24), and that is why He cried out, "My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?" (Matthew 27:46). God forsook Jesus instead of you and me. And the most important thing this play does not show, is that Jesus didn't remain dead (for then we would still remain dead in our sins!), but He rose again, something no one else has ever been able to do. "For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the Spirit." (1 Peter 3:18), and "For to this end, Christ died and rose and lived again..." (Romans 14:9a), and again, "And He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf." (2 Corinthians 5:15). So, yes, Jesus knew exactly who He was, what He was doing, and He knew His purpose and it was a joy for Him to complete it, knowing the end result would be that those who believed in Him would be saved, “looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:2). So how does it change, knowing that Jesus knew what He was doing? It changes because if He knew what He was doing, you should know what you are doing. "So then, each one of us will give an account of himself to God." (Romans 14:1), because, "It is appointed for men to die once, but after this, the judgment" (Hebrews 9:27). You may wonder, then, how you can have Jesus? All you have to do is repent of your sins and believe in Him and you will be saved, "Repent, therefore, and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped away, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord." (Acts 3:19), and "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved" (Acts 16:31a), and again, "If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." (Romans 10:9), and just in case you doubt it, Jesus reiterated, "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life." (John 6:47). There is no need to doubt Jesus, you can trust Him and put your faith completely in Him, "these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name." (John 20:31), and "These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God." (1 John 5:13). Jesus is not interested in religion, He is interested in a relationship with you. He knowingly laid down His life for you, so you could have life! "For it is by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9), and, "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new"!!! (2 Corinthians 5:17). The peace that Jesus offers (John 14:27) is yours for the taking, if you just repent of your sins and believe in Him, starting a whole new exciting life in the Lord Jesus Christ, having peace in Him even in the hard times, and living a life filled with and guided by the gentle Holy Spirit, until one day when you die you will finally and blissfully be face to face with our Lord Jesus Christ for eternity.

Why settle for something as far removed from the Truth like this play is, when you can have the REAL thing in the Lord Jesus Christ today!?!
 
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Fantine

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I remember the brouhaha of "The Last Temptation of Christ" by Kazantzakis. I never saw the whole movie, but I did tune in once for the last half hour. As Jesus hung on the cross (as depicted in the book) images of what his life would have been like had he married Mary Magdalene flashed before his eyes. Satan said he could get off the cross and have his dream life....he struggled....he struggled....he struggled....and said, "It is finished" and gave up his spirit.

I didn't find anything wrong with that. Jesus had a last temptation. He resisted. What was the censors' problem?
 
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Gigi Hayes

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Growing up with a newly converted Christian mother, she used to play this album almost non-stop, but only the first 3 sides. She felt the crucifiction to be too upsetting and when I discovered it and played it, it broke my heart! I was always blessed by this music and she always made sure that I knew to check the music against scripture. Even as a child, I knew that there were parts that were not scriptural. i.e. When Jesus screams at the thronging crowd to "...heal yourselves!" That is not in the scriptures, but I also understand there was a certain amount of artistic license taken and realized that in life, we are responsible for knowing the truth and being able to discern such error.
My wife finds it sacriligious, thus my searching and finding this thread. I guess I am undecided and will have to continue to seek the Lord on whether He finds it blasphemous, after all THAT is really the question. Opinions may vary but what should matter to all christians is whether it pleases our Father or not. After all, our primary goal should always be to please Him. So, with that said, I humbly give my opinion which is that at this time, I find it to be a beautiful piece of art that focuses my attention on the sacrifice that God the Son made and the anguish that he experienced for the redemption of our sins!
So, until God convicts my heart and tells me otherwise, I will continue to listen to it.
I completely understand that people have emotional ties to this play (and I’m sure even more people will to the new upcoming adaptation with John Legend), and that a lot of people say this play helped them, if not changed their life. I get that, I really do. But…I would never accredit that to this play, I would completely accredit it to the living Lord Jesus Christ who reaches us in our most vulnerable moments, no matter the circumstance that caused it, because of His great love for us. The Lord will meet us in the most odd places and in the most odd circumstances, but I don’t think we should confuse His meeting us in those places/circumstances as His approval of such things. He meets us in those places on the merit of His great love for us, not on the merit of His approval of those places. Does that make sense? If I ever find myself confused about that, I look to His revealed Word, the Holy Bible, for the answers. And I don’t see why this play should be any different. Have you tested it against the Bible? Does it ring true to the Bible, or does it contradict the Bible? If it contradicts the Bible, then it should cause you to seriously consider its influence over you, “Let no one deceive you by any means…” (1 Thessalonians 2:3a), and, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” (1 John 4:1)

Well, for starters, there is a major problem with the way Judas is portrayed. I think they try to portray him as a man with good intentions that has been misunderstood through the ages, but that goes directly against the revealed truth we have of him in the Bible. Jesus, Himself, said of Judas, "Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?" (John 6:70). Jesus considered Judas a devil. Because after Jesus handed Judas the piece of bread at the last supper, it says "Now after the piece of bread, Satan entered him. Then Jesus said to him, 'What you do, do quickly.'" (John 13:27). Satan entered Judas. There was especially no love nor concern in Judas' heart for Jesus from that point on. Satan hates Jesus and he wants nothing more than to destroy Him and to destroy our understanding of who Jesus is. Satan would love nothing more than to glorify Judas as a good yet misunderstood man and diminish Jesus as a confused and ordinary man! In many ways, that is what this play does, which should be the first major red flag to us. The truth is, Judas did the bidding FOR SATAN when he betrayed Jesus. And even if one would like to argue that Judas was good before Satan entered him, that is still not true, because he was not some great guy that cared for the poor - that is the exact OPPOSITE of the truth. He was a thief! "But one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, who would betray Him, said, 'Why was this fragrant oil not sold for three hundred denariia and given to the poor?' This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it." (John 12:4-6). And then fast forward to when Satan was in him and he betrayed Jesus, Judas came to realize what he had done and had seen the brevity of what his betrayal did to Jesus, and the Bible says he was remorseful. Yes, this should break our hearts, because the emotion of deep regret is something we can all relate to with Judas. Perhaps Judas thought that even if he betrayed Jesus, perhaps Jesus would miraculously stop the tide of events that followed it, but Jesus did not do that, because it was not Judas' betrayal that caused Jesus to eventually die on the cross; Jesus willingly laid down His life, "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). What Satan did through Judas, he did with permission from Jesus, as even Jesus told Judas to go and do what he needed to do (John 13:37). And when Judas realized the horror of what he did, he tried to take it back, and seeing that he couldn't, he went and committed suicide. "Then Judas, His betrayer, seeing that He [Jesus] had been condemned, was remorseful and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying, 'I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.' And they said, 'What is that to us? You see to it!' Then he threw down the pieces of silver in the temple and departed, and went and hanged himself." (Matthew 27:3-5). Judas’ story is heartbreaking, from the evil and dark way he behaved to the sad way he miserably ended his life, because the reality is, he died in his sins, when Jesus would have so willingly forgave him his sins had he only come to Him. But from what is revealed to us in the Bible about Judas, that never happened, because Judas committed suicide before he ever went to back to Jesus. So the whole premise of this play is unbiblical just in the portrayal of Judas, that should cause alarm to us.

And then there is the portrayal of Jesus in this play that shoots up red flags all over the place. They seem to portray Him, as best as possible, to be just like you and me. You say, yes, that’s precisely what He was! But was He really? Yes, He was precisely like you and me in that He was fully man, but what this play leaves out is that He was also fully God, unlike you and me. Jesus was completely sinless, meaning, He never once committed a sin, nor was He even capable of committing a sin, because He was God! "Who committed no sin, nor was deceit found in His mouth" (1 Peter 2:22), and “And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin” (1 John 3:5). I don’t think we realize how easily we sin, and how unlike to our behavior Jesus was. I mean, for example, we think committing a sin is when we do something bad like physically committing adultery, but Jesus said that even in you look after a woman with lust in your heart, then you’ve committed adultery (committed a sin) with her in your heart! "But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” (Matthew 5:28). So, for us, it’s seeing a beautiful woman and then BAM! lust almost immediately filled your heart for her and then you just sinned. But with Jesus, He never did that, not even once. That instant sin within your heart, He never committed that. He was very different from us, and thank God for that, because who wants a Savior that is just like us, anyways? The point is, we are in bondage to our sin…the sin of alcoholism, the sin of inappropriate contentography, the sin of greed, etc. etc. etc., we find ourselves bound to these things and we want someone better than us to save us from it. Well, that’s exactly what Jesus was, “who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:6-11)

But, yes, Jesus was still tempted as a man, He just never sinned, because He was God, “For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.” (Hebrews 4:15)

And to see Jesus exasperated with the zombie-like crowds and telling them to go heal themselves is painful to watch, because, again, that is the exact OPPOSITE of the truth. The Bible says that when Jesus saw the crowds, He was moved with compassion for them: "Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd." (Matthew 9:35-36), and “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep. I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.” (John 10:11-15). How is showing an incapable exasperated Jesus better than showing the Jesus for who He really was?

This is just a couple instances of the untruths laced throughout this play. Overall, I believe this play has more blasphemy than it does truth, not because that is simply my opinion, but because of what the Bible says and how this play goes directly against what the Bible says.

"Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour." (1 Peter 5:8).

Perhaps the most deceiving aspect of this play is the way they portray Jesus like He was confused about who He really was and what He was on earth to do. Nothing can be further from the truth. Jesus knew EXACTLY who He was, “Pilate therefore said to Him, "Are You a king then?" Jesus answered, "You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice." (John 18:37), and Jesus knew EXACTLY why He came to the earth, "For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me...For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life" (John 6:38, 40). And again Jesus declared, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes the the Father except through Me" (John 14:6). Jesus knew that He came to the earth for the sole purpose to reconcile us to God, "Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ...that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them" (2 Corinthians 5:18a-19). Jesus knew, too, that it is our sin that separates us from God, "Your iniquities have separated you from your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear" (Isaiah 59:2), and again, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). But Jesus knew that we wouldn’t be left in our sins, only to be separated from Him for eternity, so He willingly obeyed the Father to come to this earth to lay down His own life for us and pay OUR penalty for OUR sins, so we didn't have to, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him." (John 3:16-17), and, "In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins." (1 John 4:10). And when Jesus hung on that cross, He was fully aware that He had taken the sin of all of humanity, including Judas' sins, upon Himself, “who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness--by whose stripes you were healed.” (1 Peter 2:24), and that is why He cried out, "My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?" (Matthew 27:46). God forsook Jesus instead of you and me. And the most important thing this play does not show, is that Jesus didn't remain dead (for then we would still remain dead in our sins!), but He rose again, something no one else has ever been able to do. "For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the Spirit." (1 Peter 3:18), and "For to this end, Christ died and rose and lived again..." (Romans 14:9a), and again, "And He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf." (2 Corinthians 5:15). So, yes, Jesus knew exactly who He was, what He was doing, and He knew His purpose and it was a joy for Him to complete it, knowing the end result would be that those who believed in Him would be saved, “looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:2). So how does it change, knowing that Jesus knew what He was doing? It changes because if He knew what He was doing, you should know what you are doing. You may wonder how you can have Jesus, then? All you have to do is repent of your sins and believe in Him and you will be saved, "Repent, therefore, and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped away, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord." (Acts 3:19), and "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved" (Acts 16:31a), and again, "If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." (Romans 10:9). Jesus is not interested in religion, He is interested in a relationship with you. He knowingly laid down His life for you, so you could have life! "For it is by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9), and, "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new"!!! (2 Corinthians 5:17). The peace that Jesus offers (John 14:27) is yours for the taking, if you just repent of your sins and believe in Him, starting a whole new exciting life in the Lord Jesus Christ, having peace in Him even in the hard times, until one day when you die you will finally and blissfully be face to face with Him for eternity.

Why settle for something as far removed from the Truth like this play is, when you can have the REAL thing in the Lord Jesus Christ today!?!
I wonder if you would allow me to share your essay with some friends. Giving you credit, of course.
 
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Emma Rose

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I wonder if you would allow me to share your essay with some friends. Giving you credit, of course.

That would be fine. Although, I wouldn't consider it an essay, it's just a REALLY long comment :)

"Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but to Your Name give glory, because of your mercy, because of your Truth." -Psalm 115:1
 
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