Tuesday, April 11, 2006, film begins at 6 p.m.* Panel discussion begins at 8:15 p.m.
Film Series: The Passion of the Christ, The Most Famous Execution (panel discussion will follow the film). Free and open to the public. Location is Sarratt Cinema.
The Passion of The Christ is
a film about the last twelve hours of Jesus of Nazareth's life. The film opens
in the Garden of Olives (Gethsemane) where Jesus has gone to pray after the
Last Supper. Jesus resists Satan's temptations. Betrayed by Judas Iscariot,
Jesus is arrested and taken back to within the city walls of Jerusalem where
the leaders of the Pharisees confront him with accusations of blasphemy and
his trial results in a condemnation to death.
Jesus is brought before Pilate, the Roman Governor of Palestine, who listens
to the accusations leveled at him by the Pharisees. Realizing he is confronting
a political conflict, Pilate defers to King Herod in the matter. Herod returns
Jesus to Pilate who gives the crowd a choice between Jesus and the criminal
Barrabas. The crowd chooses to have Barrabas set free and to condemn Jesus.
Jesus is handed over to the Roman soldiers and flagellated. Unrecognizable now,
he is brought back before Pilate, who presents him to the crowd as if to say
“is this not enough?” It is not. Pilate washes his hands of the entire dilemma,
ordering his men to do as the crowd wishes.
Jesus is presented with the cross and is ordered to carry it through the streets
of Jerusalem all the way up to Golgotha. On Golgotha, Jesus is nailed to the
cross and undergoes his last temptation - the fear that he has been abandoned
by his Father. He overcomes his fear, looks at Mary, his Holy Mother, and makes
the pronouncement which only she can fully understand, “it is accomplished.”
He then dies: “into Thy hands I commend my Spirit.” At the moment of his death,
nature itself overturns. 127 minutes
This event is co-sponsored by Vanderbilt's Interfaith Council and the Office of University Chaplain
Panelists for the evening include: Rabbi Alexis Berk, The Reverend Dr. William Buchanan and The Reverend Dr.Rubel Shelly.
Panel Moderated by The Reverend Mark Forrester.