Jesus (1999) Review

 

At the end of the 90’s there was a Jesus film starring Jeremy Sisto as Jesus, Gary Oldman as Pontius Pilate, and Debra Messing as the Catholic hybrid of Mary Magadlene who had seven demons (Luke 8:2) and another Mary the Harlot. This film had the seal of the Pope’s approval, which is the first red flag in the bonus features of the DVD. The errors in this film as so astounding, I shall say quickly the good aspects are Jermey Sisto is a good Jesus in respect to acting, and Gary Oldman is amazing as Pilate, his charisma for villians is unmatchrd, though Pilate in real life became a Christian… 

The first thing to address is dreams Jesus has of The Crusades, The Burning of Joan of Arc, and World War I. While it is not impossible Jesus knew these events would transpire, He is God and knows all things (John 1:1-14),it is a oddly used. It is shown twice, the second time by Satan to discourage Jesus from His mission. Interesting the movie never show visions of the good that will come from Jesus’ salvic plan, only these negative highlights. 

The next thing is Jesus doesn’t know who He is fully, and Joseph tells Him, “you are not just a carpenter.” Which dovetails into a major fiction in this film worthy of Dan Brown’s DaVinci Code, with Jesus wondering if he can marry Mary, Martha’s and Lazarus’ Sister. While this fiction is explored to supposably claim even Jesus was tempted to marry, “He was tempted in every way, though He did not sin” (Hebrews 4:15), my biggest issue isn’t that Mary falls in love with Him, its Jesus wants to marry her and realizes he can’t, that is wrong, Jesus knew He was since childhood, “Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Festival of the Passover. When he was twelve years old, they went up to the festival, according to the custom. And He answered, “Why did you have to look for Me? Did you not know that I had to be in My Father’s house?”.” (Luke 2:41-42, 49). He would never entertain a romantic relationship because He flooded the planet over angels having sex with humans (Genesis 6:4-12) so God incarnate would not then so what He punishes the fallen angels for, and He was here on a mission (Mark 1:38, John 3:16, John 19 thru John 20) to save us, and that consumed all His time: preaching, preparing for calvary, and the events of Calvary to His Ascension. 

Then when Joseph dies in the movie, which I admit makes sense to cover, Jesus stands in Joseph’s tomb and asks The Father to raise Joseph from the dead with anger and then weeps. Later Jesus is mad at God The Father for not raising Joseph, and when Mary mentions His Heavenly Father Jesus says “I had a father, he was my father.” This sentence is said like mad teenager, but is very demonic in that is posits that Jesus the Son in the Trinity is mad at the Father in the Trinity, which is insane! They are One (John 10:30, John 17:1-40), and Jesus says, “Jesus gave them this answer: “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does,” (John 5:19-20) and in Gethsemane He says, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me—nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” (Luke 22:42). This erroneous fiction that The Son of God gets mad at God The Father is devilish; Jesus was in perfect harmony with the Father, obeying Him in all things. 

Next is creme de la cray of errors and demonic idea presented in the film when Jesus goes into Wilderness for Forty Days and Forty Nights and Satan appears as a dark haired women in scarlet who says, “Empty yourself of the Father, remove the protection around you, only in this way, can we challenge each other.” Jesus the obeys Satan and empties himself of the Father, and the female Satan draws close to him and turns into Wall Street modern suite wearing man. This is so demonically false, Jesus never emptied Himself of the Father, in contrast He says The Father is in Him and He in the Father, ,“After saying all these things, Jesus looked up to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son so he can give glory back to you.  For you have given him authority over everyone. He gives eternal life to each one you have given him. And this is the way to have eternal life—to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth. I brought glory to you here on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. Now, Father, bring me into the glory we shared before the world began. “I have revealed you[a] to the ones you gave me from this world. They were always yours. You gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything I have is a gift from you, for I have passed on to them the message you gave me. They accepted it and know that I came from you, and they believe you sent me.

9 “My prayer is not for the world, but for those you have given me, because they belong to you. All who are mine belong to you, and you have given them to me, so they bring me glory. Now I am departing from the world; they are staying in this world, but I am coming to you. Holy Father, you have given me your name; now protect them by the power of your name so that they will be united just as we are. During my time here, I protected them by the power of the name you gave me. I guarded them so that not one was lost, except the one headed for destruction, as the Scriptures foretold. “Now I am coming to you. I told them many things while I was with them in this world so they would be filled with my joy. I have given them your word. And the world hates them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. I’m not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one. They do not belong to this world any more than I do. Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth. Just as you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world. And I give myself as a holy sacrifice for them so they can be made holy by your truth.

“I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message.  I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me. “I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one. I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me. Father, I want these whom you have given me to be with me where I am. Then they can see all the glory you gave me because you loved me even before the world began!

“O righteous Father, the world doesn’t know you, but I do; and these disciples know you sent me. I have revealed you to them, and I will continue to do so. Then your love for me will be in them, and I will be in them.,” (John 17), “, Philip says to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us”. Jesus says to him, “Am I with you all for so long a time, and you have not known Me, Philip?— the one having seen Me has seen the Father. How is it you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? I am not speaking the words which I am saying to you[d] from Myself, but the Father abiding in Me is doing His works,” (John 14:8-10) and “I and the Father are One.” (John 10:30). Jesus cannot empty himself of The Father or Holy Spirit, They Are One God in Three Persons! The fact this movie added this falsehood and demonic doctrine is astounding and satanic! 

Another equally insane scene in this movie is when Satan tempts Jesus again in Gethsemane, at the end of it Jesus says to Satan, “I forgive you,” and Satan says, “I don’t want your forgiveness.” Jesus does not forgive satan! Satan was judged by Jesus (Ezekiel 28:11-19, verse 11 says Son of Man which is one of Jesus titles see Matthew 9:6), Hell was prepared for Satan, “Then he will also say to those on the left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels!” (Matthew 25:31),Peter says angels cannot be spared, “For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them in chains of darkness to be held for judgment,” (2 Peter 2:4), Paul says we will judge angels like Satan, “Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life!” (1 Corinthians 6:3), and Satan is destined for the lake of fire, “Therefore rejoice, you heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you! He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short,” (Revelation 12:12), and “And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.” (Revelation 20:10). Jesus will not forgive Satan, to add that to a movie is Satanic! And shows the spirit of this movie and the Catholic Church since it is Papally Approved! 

There is also this fictional Livio, spy of Cesar who befriends Pontius Pilate and has this insatiable desire to destroy Christ, he beats Jesus and throws tantrums, puts on a play to mock Jesus and his “render unto Cesar,” scene, and when Jesus says, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do,” (Luke 23:34) Livio replies  “we know exactly what we are doing Jesus.” A line not found un the gospels and meant to undermine Jesus’ beautiful words of forgiveness to those mocking and killing Him.  

It is such a shame, Jeremey Sisto is a great Jesus in respects to acting, Gary Oldman is a legend, and Debra Messing does a great job, as do most of the apostles, especially Peter, John, and Thomas, even Mary The Mother is nice balance, not too Queen of Heavenish which was suprising. Though there is a fictional scene where Jesus offends Mary, when a women who says to Jesus “blessed is the breasts that nursed you,” (you gotta read about how many relic vials of Mary’s breast milk they had in Middle Ages lol) and Jesus skirts around it and Mary Magdalene points out how Jesus hurt Mother Mary with his retort, which is so stupid, Jesus did not sin! (1 Peter 2:22, Hebrews 4:15, 2 Corinthians 5:21). 

In conclusion, I cannot recommend this film. The serpents of error and wildly inaccurate and demonic ideas posited in scenes make it worthy of burning, but since it is digital, delete it, or if you have DVD of it, smash it safely and throw it away. Amen.