My Thoughts on the Movie ‘The Young Messiah’

March 16, 2016 | ziononth | 2 Comments | Pastor's Blog

Let’s start here: many of you are probably wondering where source material could come from about the early life of Jesus, when there is not much we know about his childhood. The movie opens with a disclaimer that says the movie is an imaginative look at a year in the life of Jesus as a young boy. The movie is based on the novel Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt by Anne Rice.

What follows is a peek into Jesus’ life as He leaves Egypt and travels to Nazareth. The main point of the movie is envisioning Jesus trying to put some of the pieces together about who He is and why He garners the attention that He does.

Here’s the deal: the movie is clearly a work of fiction and does not try to portray itself as foolproof this is how it happened. It simply imagines a year in the early life of Jesus. Theologically, I can neither confirm nor deny the accuracy of the movie because we don’t know. A quote from annerice.com states: Rice’s concluding Author’s Note traces the book’s genesis to her return to Catholicism in 1993, her voracious reading — a mountain of New Testament scholarship, the Apocrypha, the ancient texts of Philo and Josephus — and her passionate search for Jesus of the Gospels.

There was a lot to like in the movie. I think it was produced with reverence, yet not shying away from some of the grim realities of life 2000 years ago. Sean Bean is the only marquee name in the movie, but I’m always glad to see well-known actors who are willing to be cast in movies of faith. I would recommend it if you do not go looking for an excuse to cry blasphemy. Remember, it is fiction.

What I liked about the movie:

(1) It did not keep Jesus in a protected bubble.

The movie is rated PG-13 because it does not shy away from Jesus seeing the horrors of life around Him. He routinely interacts with morally-challenged Romans, sees mass crucifixions, soldiers killing insurrectionists, and people that want to kill Him. It challenges us to think about the humanity of Jesus and how, even as a child, He was tasked with keeping Himself sinless and pure. It also challenges us to think about how Jesus used His divinity and was tasked with controlling it for the greater glory to come. It reminds us all of adolescence and the struggle we had in adapting to the world around us.

(2) Jesus wasn’t born with all the answers.

Ok, so He was. Maybe. I don’t know. The movie reminded me of the inquisitive minds of my kids and how they ask lots and lots of questions. Jesus never stops asking questions: about His birth, background, why He can do things that no one else can, why they have to hide so much, and on and on and on. Jesus is portrayed from a very human perspective, needing to learn as we do. It seems to come from the perspective, that Jesus was granted no special favors in knowledge when He took on human flesh. His wisdom at such a young age came from His constant observations and questions. And, I did like the scene where Joseph finds Jesus alone praying to our Heavenly Father and they have a nice talk about it.

(3) Satan

No, not a fan of Satan, but the guy they got to portray Satan was just a bit creepy. Satan is an active part of the movie, whispering in people’s ears, being his namesake (The Accuser), and the scene where Jesus and Satan have a chat is one of the most chilling and encouraging scenes of the movie.

(4) The struggle and devotion of those surrounding Jesus.

How do you chastise the Son of God? How do you have stern talks with the Savior of the World? These and other issues surround Jesus. Those closest to Him experience hurt at His expense, feel jealousy, wrestle with boundaries in how they must protect Him, and agonize over what they should and shouldn’t tell Him. As you watch the movie, and you know the story, you wonder how they ever let Jesus out of their sight, even for a few minutes.

—————-

I’m glad to see more and more movies about Jesus and Christianity and the Bible coming out, and I’m glad to see some big-name actors and actresses taking roles in them. My hope, as I said in my review of Risen, is that all of those in the movie believe in the cause. I really hope that Sean Bean, who plays a Roman soldier, is a Christian and not just in the movie to give it star power.

All that being said, The Young Messiah is fiction. If you are willing to accept that from the beginning, it gives us a snapshot of the possibilities. Nothing is out of the realm of reality in comparison to Scripture, but we must remember the movie cannot confirm much about the early life of Jesus either. It dreams of the Jesus that is very knowable and likable, searching for identity. I think all of us can benefit from believing that Jesus was as relatable as this child portrays. May it be pleasing in the sight of God. Amen.