The Passion of Christ

This past weekend, my husband and I had the opportunity to travel to Fond du Lac, Wisconsin to see a passion play. We had been invited by our son’s in-laws who, since he married their daughter, have become our friends. Not that we wouldn’t have been friends with them otherwise, it’s just that we probably never would have met them had our kids not gotten married. But, I digress.

Their church, Lighthouse Christian Church, in Fond du Lac has been producing The Promise, for the past 18 years (with a one-year hiatus last season.) I really had no expectations other than to hear some good music and see the life, death, and resurrection of Christ portrayed on the stage. But, it seems, God wanted to show me a few things as I watched this amazing production.

The production, of course, showed various parts of Christ’s life on this earth. One of the scenes told the story from Luke 7:36-50 where Jesus is having dinner with some of the Pharisees. A woman from town, known for her sinfulness, comes to Jesus with her alabaster jar, filled with perfume, and pours it out on him, wiping his feet with her hair and her tears. She is criticized by the Pharisees but Jesus comes to her defense and shows her forgiveness. Remember, this is a musical, so at this point the woman forgiven by Christ sings about her love for Him.

The spotlight was on the singer, but I couldn’t help notice the man playing Jesus as he watched her. Staying true to the character he was playing, he sat and listened to this woman sing with a smile of pride on his face. Maybe I was the only one who noticed it, but right at that moment, it felt like Christ was saying to me “You see his face? That’s how I look when my children do something that honors me. I love watching my kids.”

I am always amazed that God allows me to be used for his glory. But, to imagine that he not only uses me to minister to others but is pleased when I do. . . . wow! I am humbled.

Later in the show there is a scene where Jesus was healing a little girl who had died. As her father handed Jesus this limp, lifeless child Jesus took her, walked away from the crowd surrounding him and lifted her up to God. The look of pain on his face was so real that, once again, I could hear Jesus speaking to me saying, “This is the pain I feel when my children hurt. I hold them, and cry with them. And, I never stop loving them.”

It would be nearly impossible, of course, to go to a passion play and not be moved by the crucifixion of Christ, but this one seemed so much more real to me. Even Mel Gibson’s portrayal of Jesus’ death in The Passion of the Christ didn’t move me as much. I sat there watching as Jesus was beaten, hung on the cross and sneered at and silently prayed, “I’m so sorry Jesus, I’m just so sorry. Thank you for dying for me.”

The greatest part of the show, of course, was when Jesus rose from the dead. The audience broke into applause knowing that indeed the story is true; because of His resurrection, we too can have eternal life. What a great show portraying the amazing gift that God has given us . . . . the gift of knowing Him.