Killing Jesus: A Fair and Balanced Review of the Movie
Bill O'Reilly's book, Killing Jesus, was reviewed in Spiritual Perspectives on November 10, 2013. The movie premiered on the National Geographic Channel (earning its highest viewership ever) on Sunday evening, March 29th (repeated on Fox News April 3rd and April 5th, 2015). Expectations were not high in light of comments that O'Reilly made in advance. He said that it was being shown from a historical perspective rather than a Biblical one. For example, he said, the word Christ is not used in the movie because He was not called that until years later. First of all, this allegation contradicts what Matthew records Peter saying. When Jesus asked His disciples Who He was, Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God" (16:16). Bill knows this passage because it was misused later on. Second, Christ (Greek) is the equivalent of Messiah (Hebrew), which was used several times. Apparently, O'Reilly does not know that both words mean "the anointed one."
Strengths
The production did have some strengths. One that was impressive was that the wise men did not show up at the manger but rather in Bethlehem when the child was almost two. Another was that the actor who played Jesus looked the part, although he is a Muslim. His portrayal of Jesus was to make Him appear strong. He points to the Pharisees and calls them a generation of vipers. Not every portrayal of Jesus does that. He also overthrows the tables of the moneychangers in the temple. The movie emphasized the brutality of the Roman Empire, but it was not excessive. The spear in the side at the end of the movie was memorable. When the story stuck to the gospel accounts, it could be quite effective.
Problems
However, problems of varying degrees surface throughout. Prior to Herod realizing he had been duped and sending soldiers to kill those two years of age and younger, Joseph says that Jesus is drawing too much attention (the wise men) and that they needed to leave. Mary protests, but he answers, "I know what I feel." The Bible does not say his decision was based on a feeling; he was warned by an angel of the Lord in a dream to flee into Egypt (Matt. 2:13).
As an adult, Jesus meets Elizabeth, which is problematic, since she was old and advanced in years when she gave birth to John (Luke 1:7). She would have needed to be considerably older than portrayed in the movie in order to still be around 30 years later.
John is actually immersing people in the Jordan River, which is better than an older movie, in which people wade out into the Jordan for John to pour some water over their heads. But he is not preaching about the kingdom of heaven. He says things such as, "May the Lord bless you and give you grace. May these waters wash away your sins. May the Lord shine light upon her, for the new dawn is here. May this water cleanse your soul. Your new birth awaits."
When Jesus begins to approach John, along with others in the crowd, John looks at Him and says, "Here is the Lamb of God." Okay, but Jesus responds, "How could you know Me?" John does not give any answer provided in the Scriptures. Instead, he replies, "How could I not?" Hmm. Then John begins to talk to Him about the work He will be doing, and Jesus looks confused! John persists, but Jesus answers, "I am just a carpenter," which implies He does not Himself know that He is the Son of God. John suggests that He go into the desert to sort things out, although it is the Holy Spirit who leads Jesus into the desert (Matt. 4:1). Afterward, Jesus seems to understand His mission.
A Jumbling of Events
Shortly thereafter Jesus is helping Simon repair his boat. After not catching any fish, Jesus suggests they pray, which they do, after which the fish show up en masse. Jesus promises to make him a fisher of men (Luke 5:1-11). Peter then introduces Jesus to James and John (this is out if sequence), and Jesus says, "Follow Me." They are uncertain; Jesus says to them: "Look into your heart, and you will know God wills it."
Following this event, Jesus is standing in front of a wall and making statements that are found in the Sermon of the Mount. Many are just walking away, and no one is paying much attention. A woman comes to Jesus; her son has demons. The lad is inside a house, and foaming at the mouth. Jesus touches him, and the boy appears to die. Someone goes out to the crowd and reports his death. Shortly thereafter, Jesus comes out and presents the healed youth to the crowd. Obviously, this is intended as a miracle; is the reason to explain to the viewer why people afterward listened to Jesus? If so, the strategy was successful (both in actuality and in the movie).
One might properly ask, "What person did Jesus heal here?" Part of the details seem to fit the incident after Jesus met with Moses and Elijah on the Mount of Transfiguration (a son had epilepsy and foamed at the mouth—Mark 9:20), and part of it echoes what happened when Jesus healed Jairus' daughter (Mark 5:21-23, 38-43). Apparently, elements of these two separate events were combined into one miracle.
Next is Jesus' conversation with Nicodemus, which (in the Bible) had occurred much earlier. Jesus says, "I'm not a zealot. I come only to bring word of God's love and to say that you must be born again." The water and the spirit are absent from the brief discussion.
Bigger Problems
When Jesus hears that John the Baptizer had been put to death, He becomes indignant and proclaims, "Now I feel I am not come to bring peace but a sword." One problem with this juxtaposition is that Jesus said those words before John's death—not afterward (Matt. 10:34; 14:12-13). Another is that it leaves the impression that Jesus is about to raise a rebellion.
On another occasion Jesus again says, "Look into your hearts, and you will know this," which amounts to subjectivism, which characterize false religion—but not Christianity. Christians do not operate on the basis of what they feel in their hearts. God gives people evidence upon which to build a system of theology. On the Day of Pentecost, Peter did not say that their hearts would confirm the resurrection. He gave Scriptures that prophesied of the event and further affirmed that they were all eyewitnesses.
One evening Jesus has a conversation with His disciples. Simon acknowledges that Jesus is the anointed one, the Son of God. Then Jesus says, "From now on I will call you Peter," and he looks a little confused. Another disciple says, "It means rock." Then Jesus quickly adds, "On this rock I'll build My church" as though the rock is Peter instead of the truth that Jesus is the Son of God. The viewer might overlook the subtlety of this scene, but it resurfaces at the end of the movie, where Peter professes, "I will be your rock of faith." O'Reilly is Catholic, and this clearly makes the case for Peter being the first pope—although the word is not mentioned.
Although the gist of the story of the adulterous woman is told, some details were changed. In the movie, she was brought into the temple and judged. They were taking her out to stone her when Jesus intercepted them. She was thrown into a shallow pit where they would stone her. Jesus jumps in and joins her. He saves her in the way recorded in the Bible, but He does not stoop to write on the ground.
Jesus is really humanized in one scene where He prays to be able to control His anger and frustration. While it is true that we do not know the content of all of the Lord's prayers, nothing indicates Jesus prayed for self-control. Another questionable inclusion is that the disciples seem to know that Jesus will be beaten. Although He had informed them, they could not accept the fact. Jesus also states the two greatest commandments but in reverse order from the way He did so in the Scriptures.
Judas
In the movie Judas becomes a disciple after hearing Jesus describe the destruction of the temple. He says to the Lord, "I share your anger." Is this supposed to explain why, perhaps, Judas was later disappointed with Jesus—because Rome had not yet been challenged? Neither sentiment is found in the Bible.
Judas is sought out by the Sanhedrin instead of the other way around. He makes arrangements for the betrayal with Malchus, the servant of the high priest. After the betrayal, Judas walks around aimlessly. He comes upon a shepherd boy and offers him the 30 pieces of silver for his rope. The lad is leading a goat, which the other goats will follow to their deaths. The shepherd does not want to make the trade, but Judas convinces him, pointing out he can buy a horse for himself. Later, the youth rides by and sees Judas hanging from a tree.
It's a nice story with a touch of irony in it, but it never happened. Judas took the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and confessed that he had betrayed innocent blood. They answered, "What is that to us? You see to it!" At that point Judas threw the money down in the temple and went out and hanged himself (Matt. 27:3-5). However, when he hanged himself, he fell "headlong" and "burst open in the middle" (Acts 1:18).
Jesus' Arrest, Crucifixion, and Resurrection
In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus only prays for deliverance once (instead of three times) before the soldiers arrive. Only a few soldiers are with Jesus. Peter is shown striking Malchus, but Jesus neither tells him to put away his sword nor heals Malchus' ear.
Although the movie shows Jesus being scourged and sent to Herod, the conversation between Jesus and Pilate is brief, and part of their private dialogue is in a public setting. Above the cross are the letters I.N.R.I., which stand for Jesus (there's no J in the Greek alphabet), of Nazareth (N), King (R for rex) of the Jews (again, beginning with I). Were only initials placed above His head? John says it was written in three languages (Hebrew Latin, and Greek). Perhaps there was more than just initials.
A complete oddity was that all of these people (who are clamoring for Jesus' crucifixion and mocking Him as He went outside the city) have suddenly lost interest in the proceedings. Only about two dozen people are standing around the cross. Half are with Jesus and half are around the crosses of the two thieves, which appear to be quite a distance away. O'Reilly had previously insisted that no one could have heard Jesus say, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." Only the soldier nailing I.N.R.I. hears it. But both thieves are so far away that Jesus would have needed a megaphone to tell the one, "…today you will be with Me in Paradise" (Luke 23:43). Obviously, Jesus does not appear between the two thieves in this movie.
Mary, the Lord's mother, and John are standing before the cross, but omitted is Jesus saying to John, "Behold, your mother!" and to Mary, "Behold your son!" (John 19:26-27). When Jesus' body is wrapped in a shroud, it is one piece—without a separate one for His head (John 20:7). Three days after the burial, no soldiers are guarding the tomb, and no angel is inside the tomb. Jesus makes no appearances; those at the tomb just smile, even chuckle, knowing that He is raised up.
It ends with Peter praying for fish and the original miracle being repeated, whereupon he looks up into heaven and says, "Yes, I am Simon, or called by you, 'Peter,' the rock of your faith, and I will be your fisher of men." Jesus is not on the shore with food prepared. One wonders why, if people are going to produce the story of Jesus, they don't make it their aim to get the events they choose to include correct. Perhaps one day, someone really will try for accuracy.