My dad used to always say, "You'll never get anywhere unless you hold the 'Boss Cards'" referring to the high hand in a poker game. That was one of his ultimate goals in life and any situation; to be the one holding the "Boss Cards".
I saw for the first time and in a movie theatre "Jesus Christ Superstar" at seven years old in 1973 (Oops! 🙊 Outed my age on the Internet again!) and I LOVED it. For years it was my main Biblical knowledge of the life of Jesus (who was apparently a really cool teacher and rock singer). I continued to watch it through the years changing my opinion of it as I changed and grew. But a lot of it is taken right from the Bible and some of it is just a greatly crafted film. I still remain impressed with the scene of the Pharisees meeting to discuss the problem of "what then to do with this Jesus of Nazareth? How do we deal with a carpenter king?" 🎶 (Then We Are Decided)
And the BEST performer in the entire film is Pilate and any scene with him (portrayed by Barry Dennen). The film was up for Best Film at the Academy Awards that year for good reasons. Of course it lost to, ... (wait for it) "The Exorcist"! (And thus we have continued the downward spiral.) This was reflected again when "Beauty and the Beast" lost to ... (wait for it) "Silence of the Lambs", which completely swept every major category at the Oscars that year. (I think we can figure out Hollywood's agenda even without a specific "agenda statement"). 🤨 🤮👿☠
When I watch "Jesus Christ Superstar" now I see how incredibly tame this R-rated film was in 1973. (It NOW holds a G-rating.) The scenes of Herod's court actually got out loud gasps from the packed movie theatre and the scene of Jesus being whipped is the main reason it received its R-rating. Fast forward to Mel Gibson's "Passion of the Christ" film and its whipping scene and the comparison is almost ridiculous. (BTW. The real life whipping of Jesus was much worse than Mel's.)
"his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any human being and his form marred beyond human likeness." (Isaiah 52:14)
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| Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice |
But now I see the massive amount of errors in "Jesus Christ Superstar" and things that are actually contrary to the Bible. I was watching a video of an interview with Tim Rice who wrote all the lyrics and who said he was writing the story "from Judas' Point of View". I was thinking "SO not the POV of Jesus the world needs!"
Jesus (the real one) said that during our particular time in history there would be mass deceptions by people acting like Christians or talking like they know about the Bible but who are really wolves in sheep's clothing hiding among the flock.
People often ask me, "Why do you 'yak on' about Jesus so much?"
Let me state boldly and with clarity that my entire agenda is to make known to you the God of the Bible who is accurately and completely represented in His only Son, Jesus. The difference between me and others is that I DON'T HIDE MY AGENDA and they do.
If someone won't come out and tell you point blank WHAT they believe, what their MOTIVATION is and WHO they think Jesus really is, head for the hills.
Coming back to Dad's "Boss Cards". One line from "Jesus Christ Superstar" has always stuck out to me and even showed up in my prayers. It's from the song in the garden of Gethsemane (where Jesus gets SUPERSTAR whiny), "God, thy will is hard, but You hold every card!" 🎶
I find this hugely comforting, although there was a time when I viewed it angrily as a "rigged deck". But it is true. He doesn't hold just the BOSS cards, He holds EVERY card. In view of that, how can we possibly lose in any situation when God is on our side?
"What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. (Romans 8:31-34)
Truth, with Love,
Always, Laura-Lee
LINK The Pharisees plotting against Jesus -"This Jesus must die" (Jesus Christ Superstar 1973)
LINK Trial Before Pilate (Jesus Christ SuperStar 1973)
FROM THE BOOK:
"Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged. 2 The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head. They clothed him in a purple robe 3 and went up to him again and again, saying, “Hail, king of the Jews!” And they slapped him in the face.
4 Once more Pilate came out and said to the Jews gathered there, “Look, I am bringing him out to you to let you know that I find no basis for a charge against him.” 5 When Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe, Pilate said to them, “Here is the man!”
6 As soon as the chief priests and their officials saw him, they shouted, “Crucify! Crucify!”
But Pilate answered, “You take him and crucify him. As for me, I find no basis for a charge against him.”
7 The Jewish leaders insisted, “We have a law, and according to that law he must die, because he claimed to be the Son of God.”
8 When Pilate heard this, he was even more afraid, 9 and he went back inside the palace. “Where do you come from?” he asked Jesus, but Jesus gave him no answer. 10 “Do you refuse to speak to me?” Pilate said. “Don’t you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?”
11 Jesus answered, “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin.”
12 From then on, Pilate tried to set Jesus free, but the Jewish leaders kept shouting, “If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who claims to be a king opposes Caesar.”
13 When Pilate heard this, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judge’s seat at a place known as the Stone Pavement (which in Aramaic is Gabbatha). 14 It was the day of Preparation of the Passover; it was about noon.
“Here is your king,” Pilate said to the Jews.
15 But they shouted, “Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!”
“Shall I crucify your king?” Pilate asked.
“We have no king but Caesar,” the chief priests answered.
16 Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified."
(John 19:1-16)
READ THE REST OF THE STORY to see its AMAZING ENDING!
LINK John 19 ENTIRE Chapter
LINK John 20 The Empty Tomb
Poems of Inspiration and Hope by Annie Johnson Flint
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