Saturday 24 April 2010

Gen 6:4 The next Hollywood blockbuster?

Gen 6:4   The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of man and they bore children to them. These were the mighty men who were of old, the men of renown. (ESV)

Ok, lots of unknowns here and theories abound. One is that fallen angels (sons of God - Ps 29:1, Job 1:6, Dan 3:25) mated with women (daughters of men) to produce a race of super-humans (men of renown) called the Nephilim. It sounds like a script for the latest Hollywood gothic CGI spectacular doesn't it? As I said, there are many other possibilities but this one sounds the coolest. There is even an opportunity for a sequel when the Nephilim turn up again in the promised land (Num 13:33).

Seriously though, the bible is full of the most amazing stories that cry out to be made into films or musicals or books. Noah's Arc, Joseph's rise to power, Moses' great escape, David's adultery, not to mention Daniel, Sampson, and others. But one story stands head and shoulders above the rest. How many films have been made about Jesus? I have just ordered "the miracle maker", a stop motion version of the life of Jesus, for my children to watch.  I was looking for creative ways to tell them about Jesus so I showed them a clip and they seemed engaged by it. Of course there is also Mel Gibson's decidedly non-child friendly "The Passion" and the BBC's 1977 "Jesus of Nazareth" directed by Franco Zeffirelli (Pope Paul VI is supposed to have asked him to make a film about Jesus) with the unblinking Robert Powell (he blinks once in the whole film) taking the lead role. (Monty Python's "the Life of Brian" apparently used some of the same stage sets).

There are countless other versions of the story but perhaps the most watched is "the Jesus Film". A video on their web site states in the deep rolling tones of a Hollywood voice over
Every 4 seconds 'it' happens. One more person decides to follow Christ after viewing 'the Jesus film'. Shown in more than 220 countries, translated in to more than 1000 languages, with more than 225 million decisions for Christ and hundreds of thousands of churches planted, and counting.   

It's an amazing story because Jesus is an amazing person:

There is something so pure and frank and noble about Him that to doubt His sincerity would be like doubting the brightness of the sun. Charles Edward Jefferson

Jesus Christ: The meeting place of eternity and time, the blending of deity and humanity, the junction of heaven and earth Anonymous

Even those who have renounced Christianity and attack it, in their inmost being still follow the Christian ideal, for hitherto neither their subtlety nor the ardour of their hearts has been able to create a higher ideal of man and of virtue than the ideal given by Christ of old. Fyodor Dostoyevsky

I know men and I tell you that Jesus Christ is no mere man. Between Him and every other person in the world there is no possible term of comparison. Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne, and I have founded empires. But on what did we rest the creation of our genius? Upon force. Jesus Christ founded His empire upon love; and at this hour millions of men would die for Him. Napoleon

I am an historian, I am not a believer, but I must confess as a historian that this penniless preacher from Nazareth is irrevocably the very center of history. Jesus Christ is easily the most dominant figure in all history. H.G. Wells 

I'm hoping to go and see "Clash of the Titans" in 3D next week. It's a great story that I'm sure is worth the extra dimension. Well the story of Jesus was so big that God told it from four different perspectives in the bible (4G?). He wanted to highlight its importance and bring out as much of its power and brilliance and meaning as possible. One day I'll "blog" it but there is a lot more of the Old Testament to go yet. I'm in no hurry though as the whole bible tells the same story with Jesus' theme tune heard on every page.   

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