Lent 2020

Movies portray Jesus’ temptation with the most diversity. The text says that Jesus was led into the wilderness by the Spirit where he fasted and was tempted by the devil. What exactly this looked like is largely left to the Gospel readers’ imaginations.

John the Baptist is one of the most intriguing figures in the Bible. One of the most confusing moments in the Bible is when Jesus asks John to baptize him. I’m not sure I’ve ever completely understood why Jesus allowed John to baptize him.

One of the most challenging parts of Christian faith is to wrestle with the persistent presence of evil and tragedy – even as we know the victory has supposedly been won. Why all the suffering? Why the misery of the impoverished all over the world?

As we begin the second full week of Lent, reflect on the opening chapter of John. “In the beginning was the Word.” We would do well to spend time considering what is implied by this statement. Jesus was there in the beginning with Yahweh.

One of the that many Christians lack is our ability to embrace what God has done in our life–to acknowledge the forgiveness and healing we received from God. The most powerful argument for the existence and love of God is our personal testimony.

It’s hard to miss the many times the people of God are told, “Do not fear.” Jesus often tells his disciples not to be afraid. It’s easier said than done, but I wonder if that’s the message our world needs most today.

A captivating aspect of DeMille’s film is the way that Jesus is shown to be glowing. As the scene moves to Lazarus’ tomb, there is an ethereal, illuminating light encapsulating the figure of Jesus. He is otherworldly compared to the others in the tomb.

Jesus welcomed children to him. A clip from The King of Kings that shows how warmly Jesus embraced children. DeMille takes some creative license showing Jesus fixing a child’s doll, but doesn’t that reinforce the warm and welcoming image of Jesus?

Our prayer throughout Lent is that we would come to know Jesus, to see him emerge from the darkness of our own spiritual blindness. At the heart of our struggle is having to overcome the fact that we think we already know Jesus.