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The Passion of the Christ

A Mel Gibson Film

Joyous Easter 2006

Update: In my life thus far I have been blessed with one vision, and I will share that vision with the world this Easter, 2006, on this page. It has never been published and has only been shared with immediate family and friends to date. Also, when I say vision I mean just that. Not a day dream, not a dream, a wide awake vision just like I was watching a movie. May it be a blessed Easter for you and your loved ones this year.

MY VISION SHARED WITH THE WORLD, EASTER 2006

May, 1985: After lunch one day I went to take a nap. I had just finished eating and went in and sat on my bed, prepared to lay down. I took my shoes off as I sat there and happened to close my eyes briefly, like a slow blink. When I did I noticed something amazing. I saw stars, and black space, just like a scene from a Star Wars movie. It was so odd I immediately opened my eyes right back up. This wasn't the back of my eye lids like you are used to seeing.

I saw thousands of stars. It was unusual and I could not figure it out. I was stunned. I had never seen anything like that. I paused for a second, thinking how odd that was. Curious, to make sure nothing strange was going on, I closed my eyes again. To my amazement, the stars were still there. This time I kept my eyes closed and began looking at the stars. It was like looking at a scene from Star Wars or Star Trek, where you are looking at a bunch of stars against black space. It was as clear as a movie. I kept staring and suddenly the stars started to slide slowly toward me. As they started coming toward me they started picking up speed and within a few moments, they were blazing at me at a tremendous pace and, then, so fast they became a blur. This occurred so quickly I did not have time to open my eyes back up, almost like looking at a car wreck happening, amazed and wondering what would happen next.

Suddenly the stars were gone and I was walking down an aisle in a darkened area like a theater with people on my left and right sides. I kept walking until, in front of me, was Jesus Christ. Here I was, looking into the eyes of my Lord and Savior. He looked like He did in the pictures I've seen. However, there was one huge difference: no artist had ever captured the amount of love I was seeing in His eyes. Pure love radiated from His eyes. It warmed my heart. I couldn't believe it. I was overjoyed and overwhelmed by His presence. He smiled at me and gestured for me to sit down with a sweep of his right arm. I sat down to my left, His right, with the happy people. I was so excited. I knew, at that moment, that I was saved and, for this, was overjoyed.

Once I sat down and settled in among the people with me, I looked back up at Jesus. He was no longer looking at me but, instead, was looking back up the aisle where I had just come from. I looked to see who was next, and there was Lisa, my ex-girlfriend who had broken up with me 2 years earlier. "Oh, my gosh!" I said to myself, "It's Lisa." I looked back to Jesus and He was no longer looking at Lisa but, instead, was looking at me. He was shrugging his shoulders as if telling me he didn't know if Lisa would be saved or not. Immediately I thought "Oh, my gosh, Lisa is not going to make it!"

I turned to see Lisa again but she was gone, replaced by a friend of mine whom I had had a falling out with and was no longer friends with. His name was Tal. Again, I thought, "It's Tal!" When I turned to see the Lord, He was looking at me and shrugging his shoulders.

Then the Lord spoke to me, without moving His lips, just thinking to me and looking at me intently, He said, "you need to help these people."

Immediately, without speaking out loud but thinking, I said, "Lord, these people did a lot of bad things to me. They hurt me..."

As the words came out of my mind the Lord's eyes went to a sheepish look and I saw hurt fill His eyes and I realized He had died for my sins and had forgiven me of my sins, yet I was holding petty anger toward these two people. I felt sudden overwhelming shame. He had nails driven through His hands for me, yet I allowed contempt in my heart for these people whom I once loved so much. And His look changed as quickly as the shame registered in me, but His look went to compassion and forgiveness for my reaction, realizing my shame before it even enveloped me. His look was like "Now you understsand" but pure Love. The love in His eyes at that moment made tears form in my own.

[I am going to locate my original diary with this information as I want to be sure of the exact words the Lord stated about this exact part of it. I typed up the document in 1998 from memory, but still have the original entry in my diary from the day it happened – will clarify in near future. The other version of this from memory is at end of vision.]

The Lord had indeed forgiven me for everything I'd done but I couldn't let go of the little bit Lisa and Tal had done. I told the Lord, "Lord, I am so sorry, I am so wrong. Please forgive me."

The Lord smiled at me with those eyes full of love and said, "Son, you understand, it's alright. Just help them."

I said, "Okay, Lord, I understand." There was another exchange of smiles and, then, He was gone.

Things went back to black with the stars back, ripping away from me at a thousand miles per hour, completely blurred, then, slowly, slowing down until, again, they came to a stop. I stared at them for a few seconds after they stopped, and decided to open my eyes for a second hoping they would still be there as soon as I closed my eyes back. I very quickly opened then closed my eyes and everything was back to normal. This all happened while I was sitting upright, on my bed, with my feet on the floor, as you would do prior to laying down. Except I just happened to blink before I left that position and noticed for the first time in my life that there were stars there. It is now 2006 and I’ve not seen the stars since that day, that moment. They never returned. Maybe by sharing this with the world this Easter Day, 2006, I will see the stars again. But if I don’t I will always feel so humbled and so blessed to have seen what was shown to me that day. When this occurred I had been a Christian for a little over 2 years, having been saved April 10, 1983, baptized May 4, 1983. May these words find you enveloped in Gods Love and filled with Christ Spirit for my Christian brothers and sisters, and for those of other faiths, I feel like God appears to us in ways we can understand. We were all one before the Tower of Babel, and we were scattered on that day. But it was not meant to destroy us – just to slow us down. My belief is that the Father seeks those that worship Him in Spirit and in Truth – no matter what mountain you worship on. This is what Jesus Himself stated to the young woman at the well. So no matter what your beliefs, may God as you understand Him bless you and your family, friends and loved ones richly and abundantly above all that we can think or ask.

In His Name, Shep

Other Version from Memory of Lords reaction

He said to me (mentally also) "Son, I forgave you for everything you've done. Can't you forgive them?" I was so overwhelmed with shame about it that I couldn't believe what I'd said.

Update - August 2006 - saddened to hear the news of Mel Gibson's arrest and tirade.

I have found myself at a loss for words. Proverbs 20:1 covers quite well: "Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise." Original content follows.

Update 4-14-2006: Saw The Passion again today, Good Friday, at our church and enjoyed it as much or more as the first time when I saw it on video.

"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." John 15:13, KJV

"No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends." John 15:13, New Revised Standard

Well I finally did see this movie and really enjoyed it. Even for non-believers, I believe this is a very well done, historically accurate vision of what happened to the man Jesus Christ. I hate sub titles in movies, yet found them enjoyable in this movie. They were easy to read and it was just done really well. I originally created this page as a result of the slinging around of the term "anti-Semitic" as I felt it was unlikely that Mel Gibson would use millions of his own money to produce a film that would be anti-Semitic. For this to have even been suggested clearly showed an albeit not totally unexpected fear from the Jewish community. Having been the targets of as much or more persecution than any other religion, it is understandable that there would be a concern that the Jewish people were portrayed as those that took the life of Christ. Even though it is totally factual, there was still a fear that there would be repercussions from it both being revealed en masse and so creatively and realistically. However, it is sad that some would label Mel Gibson in this fashion solely to discourage people from seeing it. In the end I believe it turned out to boost the films publicity and viewers. Which reminds me of another important verse: "All things work together for the good for them that love God, for those called according to His purpose."

(Following written before movie was released to public)

New Movie Met with Claims of Anti-Semitic Content

I wish to promote this movie and help others realize that if they do not see any other movie this year, they should see this movie. You do not view this movie, you experience it. You will forever be changed by this film if you see it.

The movie is done by Mel Gibson of "Road Warrior" and "Lethal Weapon" fame, his first film. I am deeply disturbed by the calls of some that the film is "anti-Semitic." I am deeply sympathetic with the Jewish people over the suffering they experienced at the hands of Adolph Hitler. Those atrocities can never be changed. We can only learn from them. I was deeply touched as a student by the book "The Diary of Anne Frank."

There are rumors that when the Pope himself viewed this film in a special screening for the Vatican, he uttered the words "It is as it was." Very profound, coming from the Pope.

It must be understood that the Jewish faith takes issue with the sheer claim of Jesus Christ, that He was the Only Begotten Son of God. Jesus claimed to be the Christ, the Messiah, and the Jews of that time took great offense at His claims. Particularly the Jewish leaders of that time. The Jewish people must accept that they were almost entirely responsible for the death of Jesus Christ. That is ok though, as it could not have happened without God allowing it to happen. And, it had to happen to complete Gods perfect plan. It would not matter who killed Jesus Christ, it had to be done to complete the prophecies, the scriptures and Gods Perfect Plan.

The part of this that is deeply disturbing is that there are claims that this amazing film is anti-Semitic. It is absolutely, unequivocally not. It is the fact that respected, informed leaders of the Jewish faith and Israeli nation are claiming that it is anti-Semitic. I equate this to someone calling me a racist. That would be so painful and hurtful to me personally, having striven my entire life not to be prejudice or racist nor to be perceived as such. Being from the southern United States, it has been imperative to me that I be seen as a human being and not a bigot, as some stereotypes of southerners have held. The problem with the Jewish people of faith believing that Jesus Christ is who He claimed to be is that they were responsible for Christ's death. The Jewish faith teaches that there will be a Christ, and that He will come to earth and will be the Savior of the world. To this day they are awaiting His arrival. The problem is that they did not believe it was Jesus Christ, and they were so offended that He claimed He was the Christ that they killed Him. Again though, this could not have happened without God allowing it to happen. It was Gods perfect plan.

I am not sure, but I am beginning to believe that this is being called something as horrible as "anti-Semitic" for two reasons. One, those stating this are concerned that their will be repercussions from individuals who would blame the Jews for Christ's death. Secondly, the purported mistake made by the Jewish people of that time will be clearly demonstrated, and the basis of their faith will be brought into question. They killed the one they've been waiting on for centuries. On the most simplistic level, you could almost equate this with someone telling others about something very stupid you did. You'd like to forget about it, to not have it brought to others attention, to finally live it down. But hopefully you wouldn't try to destroy the person telling the story or make them out to be a monster. This is a feeble comparison, because the importance of the story being told is a matter of life and death, eternal life and eternal death, it is the story of Jesus Christ, and to attack this particular story in such a way speaks volumes about those making these accusations.

And my final message for those that have accused Mel Gibson and/or this movie of being anti-Semitic, are the words that Christ Himself spoke shortly before His Spirit left His body while on the cross:

''Forgive them, Father, for they do not know what they are doing.''

Finally, and appropriately, Jesus had the last words. And those living words and that forgiveness extends to us today, including those who would criticize this film.

Learn more about this amazing film by visiting the web site for it:

The Passion Of The Christ.com

NOTE: March 26, 2004 - This movie inspired a person who murdered his girlfriend to confess when everyone thought she committed suicide! See article and video toward bottom of page below:

For those of you who did not know it, the shortest verse in the Bible is this:

"Jesus wept." (St. John 11:35)

Amazing how even the shortest verse in the Bible speaks volumes.

NOTE: On July 16th I have created a page especially for this phenomenon of murderers hiding their crimes by making it look like a suicide. See that page by clicking this link Murder, Not Suicide or by the button on each page on the left side with the title "Not Suicide!"

A doctor while working for the U.S. Government National Security died as a result of an experiment by fellow agents. His death was covered up and labeled a suicide as a result. Only many years later did the truth come out and the family was informed of this ill-planned experiment by his government co-workers. Dr. Frank Olson died a horrible death and his family suffered for years as a result. See more information about Dr. Olson, his family and the incident that occurred, as well as the continuing work of his son to share his Dads story with the world through a website dedicated to his Dad, on my "Favorite People" page. Very intriguing story.