Mel Gibson’s Passion movie

Backstory: Herod wants a miracle


image
 Herod

Herod's interview with the prisoner called Jesus of Nazareth can be found in Luke's Gospel. Read it for yourself in Luke 23:6-12.

In Jesus Christ Superstar, Herod sings, "Prove to me that you're no fool – walk across my swimming pool."

One of Jesus' biographers, John (who wrote John's Gospel), claimed that Jesus did so many miracles that you could never write enough books to fit them all in. Jesus had a big reputation for the miraculous, and King Herod was clearly aware of it.

But what Herod was after wasn't really the miraculous. He wanted a magic trick – a power you command. The miracles of Jesus, it seems, were something else entirely. They were about a power that commands you. He always maintained that he was only able to join in with the powerful activity of the God he called "Father".

When a Roman centurion seemed to show extraordinary faith in Jesus' power to heal, he explained his belief in military terms. "It's obvious," he said. "I don't have the power to make 100 men do anything, but I can get them to march in perfect sync to my command, because I am under the authority of the Roman Empire. The power of that entire state is in my voice, as long as I speak for them."

Jesus, it seems, was "under authority," too, and, what's more, the Bible claims the power of the entire cosmos (and beyond) was in his voice whenever he spoke. This is something, it also claims, he's been doing since the beginning of time.

When you look at it that way, John's claim that Jesus did more miracles than you could ever write about seems a little less extravagant, and Herod's request for a trick sounds like asking the person responsible for creating dogs – "Ah, but can you do balloon animals?"

Back to the top
Bookmark this page: del.icio.us Favicon  Digg Favicon  Facebook Favicon  Reddit Favicon  StumbleUpon Favicon  Technorati Favicon

Search rejesus


Advanced Search

About this module

Find out the back story and what happens next in Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ movie. What impact did it have on you?

‘The Passion’, for all its intensity, marks only a few hours in the life Jesus. Each of the flashbacks in the movie are windows onto some of the context, that made the execution of one man an event which continues to shape history.

This module was written by Mark Stafford.

Categories: Creativity, Reviews, Sound & vision,

Module contents

arrow The Passion of the Christ

arrow Backstory: caught in adultery

arrow Backstory: the story of Veronica

arrow Backstory: Herod wants a miracle

arrow Backstory: the last supper

arrow Backstory: the humanity of Jesus

arrow Backstory: Jesus and the Devil

arrow What happened next

Related modules

Categories

arrow Art & image

arrow Articles

arrow Biographical

arrow Downloads

arrow Experiential

arrow How to

arrow Interactive

arrow Interviews

arrow Poetry

arrow Reviews

arrow Seasonal

arrow Sound & vision

Latest Blog posts

Dying to die?

I blogged back in December about my father in law who is very ill. Thanks to a wonderful care home… more

TV Review: The Bible: A History - Jesus (With Gerry Adams)

Gerry Adams’ exploration of Jesus and his teaching was always going to prove controversial, but it was pleasing to see… more

Ash Wednesday - the faith race

Today is Ash Wednesday and many Christians across the world will be attending services and having ash placed on their… more

Life as we know it

Most visitors: 249 on 29/11/2009
Here now: 49
Last comment: 09/03 at 04:21 pm
Total comments: 297

Newsletter

Sign up to keep up to date.

prayer christian auschwitz faith artist timeline text message interaction foodball simon taylor poor quotable pdf christmas office photo amen veronica slum interview jerusalem global warming forgiveness photographer poverty sayings bishop clouds animation quiz mother teresa celtic war course workplace golf friar nun happiness abolitionist mark exercise nature plants poet astrophysicist cross saint freedom theology
© copyright
rejesus 2002 to 2010
Powered by ExpressionEngine
Design by Embody