Cinematic portrayals of Biblical stories can be a helpful means to encourage our Christian walk. Especially is this the case for me when I watch a movie about the life of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.聽 Of course, not everything in a film will be theologically accurate鈥攂ut no film can accomplish that task.聽 A movie is the director鈥檚 and actors鈥� interpretation of the Gospel events. I have appreciated the following six movies about Jesus. There are sections in each film that touch me deeply and nurture deeper appreciation and love for our Lord.聽 Perhaps one or more of these films will benefit you in the same way.

The Jesus Film 听(G-1977, 117 min.)

Director: Peter Sykes & John Krisch, and Brian Deacon as Jesus. Narrator: Alexander Scourby. The film generally follows the events and words from the Gospel of Luke. Campus Crusade for Christ continues to use the film for evangelistic purposes around the world, having translated it into 1,000 languages to date, thus making it the most translated film in history.聽 (www.jesusfilm.org)

Matthew: The Visual Bible聽聽 (1997, 265 min.)

Director: Regardt Van den Bergh, and Bruce Marchiano as Jesus. The film follows exclusively the order and words [New International Version] of the Gospel of Matthew, scene by scene (with verse references). This approach makes the film convenient for use with Bible studies of Matthew. The portrayal of Jesus by Marchiano is primarily one of joyfulness鈥攎uch smiling and laughter.

The Gospel of John: The Visual Bible (PG-13, 2003, 125 min.)

Director: Philip Saville, with Henry Ian Cusick as Jesus, and narrated by Christopher Plummer. The film follows the events recorded in John鈥檚 Gospel and presents a moving portrayal of Jesus鈥� life. A unique feature is the emphasis given to the post-resurrection appearances of Jesus.

The Miracle Maker: The Story of Jesus (1999, 87 min.)

For children. done in claymation, 3D animation.聽聽 Director: Stanislov Sokolov and Derek Hayes, and Ralph Fiennes as the voice of Jesus. The story is tied together by introducing a twelve-year old Tamar and her father Jairus, who is seeking a cure for her daughter鈥檚 illness, and then her healing by Jesus later in the film聽 (鈥淭amar鈥� is Jairus鈥� daughter raised from the dead by Jesus, Lk 8: 40-56).聽 This film won two awards in 2000: Best Children鈥檚 Film at the Bradford Animation Festival and the John Templeton Foundation Epiphany Prize.

Jesus 听(1999, CBS mini-series, 174 min.).聽

Director: Roger Young, and Jeremy Sitso as Jesus. Initially, I was put off by the 鈥渉umanness鈥� of Jesus in the film. Yet I have since come to appreciate this as a distinctive contribution of the film. The wilderness temptation scene, with special effects, is outstanding鈥攊t offers a credible portrayal of each of the three temptations (I have used that particular scene in class). Of course, not everything in this film is theologically accurate, as mentioned above. In this film, as in the next, Mary, the mother of Jesus, plays a key role.聽 The Roman political context is given much place in the film.

The Passion of the Christ聽 (R-2004, 126 min.)

Director: Mel Gibson, Jim Caviezel as Jesus.聽 Rated 鈥淩鈥� for the scenes of Jesus鈥� brutal scourging by the Roman soldiers. The film focuses on the final week of Jesus鈥� life鈥攖he week of his passion (i.e., suffering) and death and resurrection鈥攚ith several flashbacks to earlier times of his life and ministry. Viewers must read subtitles in English since the languages spoken are Aramaic and Latin. The portrayal of the brutal scourging of Jesus is difficult to view, yet it鈥檚 been my practice to watch this film each year, just prior to Easter Sunday.

For further study of Jesus鈥� life and teachings, see my book, Living Into the Life of Jesus: The Formation of Christian Character (InterVarsity Press, 2012).