The Bible Series - Passion

This final episode of The Bible series on the History Channel didn't disappoint. If anything, it exceeded the impact of the four previous episodes. The parts of the story are familiar to many of us but watching it on the screen instead of reading it in The Book made me think some new thoughts.

The Passion

• Caiaphas, the high priest who sought to kill Jesus, thought he was right. He knew he served the one true God of Israel. He served God the best he knew how - faithful to the Law. Yet, he couldn't see that God was doing something new. I hope I never cling so tightly to what God has done in the past that I can't see how He is working in the present or in the future.
• Peter denied knowing Christ three times. We know that part. But I wonder what I would have said if someone asked me if I knew Jesus? Right now, I'd agree eagerly and wholeheartedly. But what if I were as confused and unsure as Peter must have been that night? What if my life hung in the balance?
• I watched them flog Jesus and wondered, "Why was the beating necessary? Couldn't His death on the cross have been the extent of the horror? Why beat Him as well?" Maybe I'll find the answer... For now, I'll leave it that He was pierced for our sins and we are healed by His stripes (Isaiah 53:5).
• How would the people of Jerusalem have responded if they had known what they were witnessing that Passover day? Knowing what I know now, how would I have responded if I were there? I don't think I could endure the sight. Indeed, no words can describe - Hollywood will never fully portray - the extent of what happened that day.
• I can't imagine how the disciples must have felt as they waited those three days - unsure, confused, alone, doubting, questioning, anxious?

The Church

• Jesus said, "Go and tell. I am here." A few days later, Peter was empowered to say, "My brothers, my sisters. We have work to do." This line holds true to us today. Peter and the other disciples started the work; we are called to still carry it out today.
• I loved the epic portrayal of the coming of the Holy Spirit during Pentecost. The coming of the Spirit rocked their world and changed their lives. Yet it's no big deal for us; many Christians don't even know it happens or what it means! We are the temple - the dwelling place of God on earth. His power, His love, His grace flow through us to the world. Let it rock your world like it did the lives of the disciples!
• I was moved to see Paul's hatred - his vehement anger - for the Christians. Then, to know that God chose Him, forgave Him, and transformed Him. What a testament to the power of God. 
• God chose those men - the original disciples and the apostle Paul - to change the world. It doesn't stop there, though. He calls you to change the world as well. With the power of Christ, you can make a difference!

I've enjoyed sharing these videos with you. I appreciate Roma Downey and Mark Burnett's willingness to invest in their creation. Yes, they weren't perfect and have received much criticism because of it. Here's the thing, though. Neither am I, neither are you. Hopefully you've watched them and learned something new of God's epic plan for humanity.

It is a plan, a continuous story from Genesis to Revelation. God's love story stretches from His creation in the garden and will reach its fulfillment in the glorious paradise of eternity. So whether we're talking about Noah, Moses, David, Jesus, Paul, Martin Luther, Billy Graham, or one of us, His children, we are all part of the same love story.

Other articles in this series

The Bible Series - Beginnings (Episode 1)
The Bible Series - Homeland (Episode 2)
The Bible Series - Hope (Episode 3)
The Bible Series - Mission (Episode 4)

The Bible Series - Mission

As it has been with the previous three, the fourth episode of The Bible series didn't disappoint. Seeing the familiar stories acted out made me think some new thoughts. For example,

• Can you imagine sitting down around Jesus to listen to Him teach?
• What kind of conversations transpired between Jesus and the disciples around the fire each night?
• The Word Made Flesh read the words of Isaiah, the prophet. Yet He didn't need to read it as He knew every mark, every meaning, every word because He is the Word Made Flesh.
• Also, in this scene, the Word Made Flesh asked us to accept the Word of God. Such a holy irony exists in that statement.
• Would I have climbed out of the boat to walk on the water to Jesus as did Peter?
• I was inspired and motivated as the disciples talked among themselves; they were trying to figure out what the whole plan with Jesus was going to include. One of them asked the others, "Why are we here? To take the easy path?" I think us modern-day disciples could ask each other the same question.
• In the movie, Judas asked Caiaphas as they arranged to arrest Jesus, "What's in it for me?" These words echo the halls and sanctuaries of many of our churches today. We don't have a relationship with Jesus while we ask, "What's in it for me?" That is how we betray Jesus.

True to its name, the fourth episode of The Bible on The History Channel showed us much of the mission of Jesus.

Jesus' Mission - Grace and Forgiveness

Jesus forgave the sins of an invalid, denied judgment on a woman caught in adultery, and called the tax collector to follow Him. God's grace extends to all.

Jesus' Mission - Trust God

The movie reminded us that "Our Father in heaven feeds the birds in the air, how much more will He give you?"

Jesus walking on water was epic in the movie. But I found myself thinking as Peter crawled out of the boat to join Him, "Don't look down, Peter! Don't take your eyes off Jesus!"

Jesus fed 5,000 and then proclaimed, "Put God first and everything else will follow. Hunger for righteousness and be filled through Him." As Jimmy wrote on our Facebook page, "People are hungry for hope. Hungry to be fed... spiritual food."

Jesus' Mission - Show Compassion

Jesus healed the ear of the soldier which Peter had removed with his sword. Jesus' compassion is available for all - even the soldier who came to arrest Him. Would I extend compassion to such a one as that?

Jesus' Mission - He is God

"I am the way, the truth , and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6 NIV).

"I am the resurrection and the life" (John 11:25 NIV).

Jesus asked Peter, "Who do you think I am?" Peter answered, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God" (Matthew 16:16 NIV).

This is why I laughed when they said the line, "Nothing good ever comes from Galilee." I don't know if more incorrect words have ever been spoken; the Savior of the world came from Galilee.

Jesus entered Jerusalem riding on a donkey; He then proceeded to clean out the temple as it had become a den of thieves. He's going to do this again at the Second Coming - what a day that will be! The next days of Jesus' life He taught in Jerusalem - He was questioned and inspected. The people may not have known it but they were inspecting their Passover Lamb to make sure He was free from defect.

This week's episode was a little different than the rest as it all focused on the mission of Christ. Therefore, this article has been a little different as well. But I'd still love to discuss it with you. Leave your thoughts and questions below.

To read more in this series:

The Bible Series - Beginnings (Episode 1)

The Bible Series - Homeland (Episode 2)

The Bible Series - Hope (Episode 3)
The Bible Series - Passion (Episode 5)

The Bible Series - Hope

I'm exhausted. The Bible, episode three took us from the darkest of hours to the pinnacle of hope all in one night.

Babylonian Exile
Those who watched Jerusalem burn as they journeyed into Babylonian exile must have felt quite forsaken by God. How many of them questioned the words that came down to Abraham, Moses, and the prophets through the centuries? I attempt to put myself into the moment as I watch these stories unfold; as I watched the Israelites walk away from the burning city, I believe they must have thought all hope was gone. Within the movie, they said, "Everything we fought for is lost." And a few moments later, "The people have lost their prophet, their city, and their king."

I want us to know, however, that hope is never lost even when all seems dark. Sometimes God's plan includes times of darkness, of separation, of consequences for disobedience. Even in those darkest moments, He has not forsaken us. Cling to His promises - His ancient words of old that are new and fresh like the morning. The living Word of God will never fail; every Holy Word will be fulfilled. God will bring you through and He will reign victorious in the end.

Lions and Fires
The Babylonian exile was a time of two of the greatest stories of the Old Testament - Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace and Daniel in the lions' den. I fear our 21st century church has belittled these powerful stories into barely more than children's Sunday school stories only fit for a flannel board.

Fire and lions - no human stands much of a chance against their ferocious appetites. These men were human so I'd be surprised if fear didn't rule their hearts as they were thrown into their respective death chambers. And yet, "Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, 'King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty's hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up'" (Daniel 3:16-18). I can only pray my faith would be so solid if I ever encounter such a situation.

These four men serve as an amazing testament to the importance of faith. We must stay faithful to Him even when the world around us doesn't know Him. We must stay faithful in our own personal Babylons. We must stay faithful even when the lions and the fire await us.

Jesus' birth
The movie then skipped several hundred years. Indeed, the Bible itself is quiet for 400 years prior to the birth of Jesus. God stayed silent for so long but then spoke in a very clear and powerful way. He took a breath with human lungs, He stepped on soil with human feet, He spoke His Word with a human mouth.

The movie quoted the prophet Isaiah as part of Jesus' birth. I love this particular prophecy, "He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." Each of those names has special significance; you can read more at my article, And He Will be Called.

Jesus' baptism & start of ministry
Jesus' baptism seems odd to some, doesn't it? Jesus set the example for us through His willingness to be baptized. When we decide to follow God... when we yield to His calling... when we begin the ministry He has in store for us... we likewise are baptized in water as a sign to the world of our decision to follow.

After His baptism, Jesus immediately went into the desert to be tempted. I noticed something here. In the movie Satan said, "If you were the Son of God.." I looked it up to see if this quote is consistent with Scripture and it is. (See Matthew 4:3.) IF. It's a powerful word. And this is so sickeningly typical of Satan. He comes at us speaking lies. The speaker of lies uses them to plant doubt and make us question the truth. "IF you are the Son of God..." - there is no "if" in this scenario, friend. Jesus knew that. He knew the truth; He knew the Word. Even more, He is the Truth; He is the Word. That's exactly how He responded to each of Satan's attacks - with the power of the Word.

Tonight's episode ended with Jesus calling Peter to serve Him. Although the Bible never records that Jesus walked out to Peter's boat at the time of Peter's calling, I loved the imagery of this scene. It made me think, "God reaches out to each one of us. He stands outside our boat and wants us to pull Him in. What are we going to decide?"

So, I leave this week with that question. What are you going to decide? Will you pull Him in? If you do, He'll tell you as He told Peter, that with Him we will "Change the world."

Please leave your thoughts...What did you think of The Bible series, episode three? I look forward to discussing it with you.

Other articles in this series:
The Bible Series - Beginnings (Episode 1)
The Bible Series - Homeland (Episode 2)
The Bible Series - Mission (Episode 4)
The Bible Series - Passion (Episode 5)

The Bible Series - Homeland

Episode 2 - Homeland was epic! Did you follow along on the live tweets or on the Grow Barefoot Facebook page? We had fun at our online watch party.

As many have noted, many of the stories are missing from The Bible mini-series. Producers Mark Burnett and Roma Downey have done well at portraying the stories with a fair balance of biblical accuracy and dramatic interpretation; however, the scope of the entirety of God's Word is just too vast to include all of it in a mini-series. A society that thrives on 140-character tweets would lose interest before we even got to Daniel in the Lions Den.

What's important to remember is that the Bible isn't a series of stories. It is a story. Singular. It is the story of God's relationship with man. A relationship that was perfect until the created rejected and disobeyed the Creator. From that point on, the whole Book points to the coming Savior who would restore that relationship; who would renew the love story. That's what I'm hoping to see in the coming weeks.

Jericho - Rahab and Joshua

The battle of Jericho was one of many battles that brought the Israelites into the Promised Land. I loved Rahab's words, "You have a God who commands the winds and parts the seas. How can we fight a people whose God can do that?" Amen, Rahab. Here's the answer - you can't. "For the Lord your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you the victory" (Deuteronomy 20:4).(/span>

The first question that came up from the movie was during this part. Someone asked, "Why did the walls fall?" I hope to find a possible answer as to why God chose this method to conquer Jericho. When I do, I'll post it in the comment section below.

Joshua: "If we obey the Lord, anything is possible!" Absolutely, Joshua!

Samson

Samson was a Nazirite known for his God-given strength. "The angel of the LORD appeared to [Samson's mother] and said, 'You are barren and childless, but you are going to become pregnant and give birth to a son. Now see to it that you drink no wine or other fermented drink and that you do not eat anything unclean. You will become pregnant and have a son whose head is never to be touched by a razor because the boy is to be a Nazirite, dedicated to God from the womb. He will take the lead in delivering Israel from the hands of the Philistines'" (Judges 13:3-5).

Even with his incredible strength, we recognize as they said in the movie, "Our strength comes from God." The beauty of Samson's story comes toward the end. Samson messed up when he let his relationship with Delilah rule his heart over his vow to God. Yet when he sought God, repented of his sin, and asked forgiveness, the relationship was restored. God empowered him once again. From the movie, "Lord, if I'm yours, remember me now. Strengthen me once more."

Samson lost his eyes by the hands of the Philistines during his time of weakness. As awful as that is, there's something to it. After all, sometimes we see more clearly when we don't use our eyes.

The question from this part of the movie is this, "Is Samson a type - or a foreshadowing - of Christ?" Look for the answer as soon as it's available in the comment section.

Samuel

"God is our only King!" Loved that line from Samuel in the movie. The Old Testament prophets were a very no-nonsense group; Samuel lived up to this. I loved their straight-to-the-point comments.

God used Samuel to anoint both Saul and later David as the first two kings of Israel. The question was asked of me during this part of the movie, "Why did they pour oil on Saul?" I'll answer that later, too.

For now, remember this line from the movie, "What the Lord gives He can take away." God blesses and removes blessing according to His own sovereignty. Live grateful for what He has given.

David

The story of David in the movie was epic right from the beginning. I absolutely loved the part where Goliath yelled out for someone to fight him. As all the Israelite warriors cowered in fear, David stepped out and said, "I'll do it." God doesn't work through the strong and mighty of this world; He uses the small and ordinary to make known His power and majesty.

As David stepped out in faith to the battle before him, we all sat riveted as we waited to see Goliath fall. With God on your side, a small rock strikes a deadly blow.

David was a man of honesty, a man of integrity. Nothing showed this more than his refusal to kill Saul. David had already been anointed as the next king, yet he knew God had also anointed Saul. David knew better than to strike down God's anointed. As he said in the movie, "He's one of the anointed, it's up to God to decide his destiny."

As we all probably know, the lust of the eyes and the flesh brings down the mightiest of kings. David is no exception. Even then, after adultery with Bathsheba and the murder of Uriah, God's mercy and forgiveness awaited David. Who can comprehend the vastness of God's unfailing love? His anointed fell and yet God is faithful.

Finally, the best line of the movie came at the end. "A king is never above his God. You were to rule in His name, not your own." Samson, Saul, even David - they all fell when they sought their own desires rather than those of God. God blesses and protects those who serve in His name, not their own.

So there you have it - a few of my key thoughts on The Bible series, episode two "Homeland." What did you think? What was your favorite part of the movie? What part would you like to discuss? Be sure to leave a comment below!

Other articles in this series:
The Bible Series - Beginnings (Episode 1)
The Bible Series - Hope (Episode 3)
The Bible Series - Mission (Episode 4)
The Bible Series - Passion (Episode 5)

The Bible Series - Beginnings

We had a great time watching the first episode of "The Bible" as a family tonight. So many questions asked by everyone as the story progressed from Creation to the Israelites about to conquer Jericho.

Creation to Noah

"Wrong choices, wrong decisions." This quote from the movie characterized so much of humanity from creation to Noah. Starting with Adam and Eve in the garden, so many wrong choices and decisions have marked the human experience. By the time of Noah, every on earth except him and his family chose sin over living right. This depraved environment led to the flood.

Abraham

Many years after the flood, God called Abraham to a new land. His willingness to follow was the first of many acts of faith in Abraham's life...

• Faith to part ways with Lot
• Faith to be a leader
• Faith that God would give a child
• Faith that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars.
• Faith to sacrifice his only son - faith that God would provide an alternative.

Abraham's life always makes me question my own faith. Would I follow God to a new land? How much would I be willing to sacrifice?

I loved these quotes from the movie. "Isaac is the first star of all the stars in the heavens."

And then, when God called Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, "To be chosen by God is a blessing and a test." Abraham's reply, "Have I not shown you enough faith?"

Abraham's faith astounds...

His story is also amazing because it points us to the coming Messiah. Abraham didn't have to sacrifice Isaac because God provided a replacement. In this, we see the coming Savior, Jesus. He is God's only Son and the sacrifice provided by God for all mankind.

Moses

Moses may have been born as a slave but God had other plans for his life. After many events took him to the height of power and reduced him to a running convict, God called him to return to Egypt, the home of his people and slavery. He obeyed and told the people, "God sent me to set you free."

The story of the burning bush is one of my favorites. In fact, it is the source of the Grow Barefoot tagline Live Free· Pursue Holiness· No Excuses. Our family has a foreign exchange student living with us this year. She asked at this point in the movie, "Why a bush and why fire? Why not a rock or something else?" I didn't have an answer for her then but I do now. You'll have to check out the comment section to read it.

When God sets us free, we can say like the Israelites in the movie, "I will never be a slave again. God is with us." I love that line - God is with us; it reminds us of one of the names of Christ - Emmanuel. Emmanuel means "God is with us." Jesus is the One who ultimately sets us free from slavery.

In the movie, Moses warned the people, "Death is coming for us all." There was one important exception though. Death passed over the homes of those covered with the blood of the Lamb. Again, this pointed to Christ who is the final Passover Lamb that protects us from death. When death comes, will it pass over you?

Again, God provided a way.

Overview

As many have noted, many of the stories are missing from The Bible mini-series. Producers Mark Burnett and Roma Downey have done well at portraying the stories with a fair balance of biblical accuracy and dramatic interpretation; however, the scope of the entirety of God's Word is just too vast to include all of it in a mini-series. A society that thrives on 140-character Tweets would lose interest before we even got to Daniel in the Lions' Den.

What's important to remember is that the Bible isn't a series of stories. It is a story. Singular. It is the story of God's relationship with man. A relationship that was perfect until the created rejected the Creator. From that point on, the whole Book points to the coming Savior who would restore that relationship; who would renew the love story. That's what I'm hoping to see in the coming weeks.

What did you think of the first episode of the movie? Do you have questions about the stories? What was your favorite part? Leave a comment - we'd love to discuss it with you!

Other articles in this series:

The Bible Series - Homeland (Episode 2)

The Bible Series - Hope (Episode 3)
The Bible Series - Mission (Episode 4)

The Bible Series - Passion (Episode 5)