The Passion

by Randy Hurst

Awesome opportunity—really! That’s what The Passion of the Christ gives to people who want to share Jesus with people who don’t know Him. This booklet will give you some ideas to help you have an effective conversation with your friends who have seen the film.

The Passion shows our Lord’s suffering and death in greater detail than any previous film of His life.

The Passion focuses on the final 12 hours of Jesus’ life—His suffering and death. Also in the film are several flashbacks to important events in His life. The final scene is the Resurrection.

Most nonbelievers who view the film are deeply moved by the Lord’s suffering as He bore the sins of the world on the cross. It opens the door to

witness for the first time in the lives of some nonbelievers. If you have already shared your faith with friends, the film can move them closer to a decision to follow Christ.

But a film will not do our witnessing for us! Few people make decisions to receive Christ because of a single presentation of the Gospel.

A very important part of witnessing is timing. God works in nonbelievers’ lives and lets us take part in that work. Because God is at work in people, we must be ready to respond to them when He gives us opportunities.

Both the apostles Peter and Paul taught the early Christians to be effective witnesses by being responsive to nonbelievers. Peter wrote, “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have” (1 Peter 3:15, NIV). And Paul wrote to the Colossians: “Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity. Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person” (Colossians 4:5,6).

Many times the most important part of effective witnessing is listening. After a nonbelieving friend has viewed The Passion, have a conversation.

First ask, “What did you think?” Their response to this simple question will likely reveal how much they understand about Jesus and His saving work. Nonbelievers are in a variety of spiritual conditions. Some are seeking spiritual truth. Others simply don’t care or might even be hostile. We need the Holy Spirit’s wisdom to respond the right way to each person.

Then ask, “How did you feel?” Their answer to this question can give you a sense of how the Holy Spirit is dealing with them.

Let people talk…and listen carefully! The conversation can lead to two even more important questions.

Who and why

The apostle Peter’s preaching in the Book of Acts (see Acts 2:22-36, 3:12-26, 4:8-12, 10:34-43) always basically answers these two questions: Who was Jesus? Why did He give His life?

Being prepared to discuss these same two questions will equip you to share Christ with those who have attended The Passion. They are the two most serious questions a person can consider.

Who was Jesus?*

In recent years, Jesus has received a lot of attention in the media. Cover stories about Jesus have appeared in almost all major national news magazines. Television programs and mini-series have been made about Jesus.

The Passion has been produced with great care to be true to the New Testament record. Other accounts of Christ’s life by secular media almost always present Jesus as just a fictional character. Or, He is shown as a historical person, possibly as a great teacher or even a prophet—but only a man.

Jesus was much more than a teacher and prophet. He was God in human form. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, died for our sins and conquered death by rising again to offer us forgiveness of sin and the gift of everlasting life.

If Jesus Christ was not who He claimed to be, if He is not the crucified and risen Son of God, then as the apostle Paul declared, our faith is useless (1 Corinthians 15:17). Paul wrote, “There is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus”
(1 Timothy 2:5, NIV).

Why did He give His life?

The Jews and the Romans cannot be blamed for Jesus’ death. His life was not taken from Him. He gave it. Jesus said, “The Father loves Me because I give My life, so I can receive it again. No person takes it away from Me, but I give it because I choose to give it. I have the authority to give it, and I have the authority to take it again” (John 10:17,18).

John the Baptist clearly announced why Jesus came to earth when he said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). The reason Jesus gave His life is because each of us has sinned and is separated from God. The punishment for sin is death (see Romans 6:23). The death the Bible is talking about is not just our body dying. It means our spirit, which lives forever, will be in everlasting punishment in hell. Jesus explained that hell is like a “lake of fire,” and that everyone who goes there is separated from God forever and burns in fire that never ends (see Mark 9:47,48; Revelation 20:15).

But God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to pay the penalty for our sins. Jesus was born as a man, but He lived His life without sin. Men lied about Him and judged Him guilty of things He had never done. Then they hanged Him on a cross to die. Jesus never sinned, but He was punished for sin. So death had no power over Him, and He came back to life after three days (see Mark 8:31; 9:31; 14:27,28). Now He gives everlasting life to anyone who receives Him.

Wisdom and grace

Effectively sharing Christ involves more than just saying the right things. When Peter and Paul urged believers to be ready to respond to nonbelievers, both emphasized the way we should communicate.

In Paul’s epistle to the Colossians, he said: “Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity. Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person” (Colossians 4:5,6). Paul stresses two essentials for effective witness—wisdom and grace.

We need wisdom to recognize when someone is ready to make a life decision to receive and follow Christ. Just as we should be prepared to pray with a person to receive Christ at any time, we should be sensitive not to rush them when they are not ready. No one can be forced to receive Christ. It is not enough for a person to understand and confess that Jesus is the risen Son of God. It requires faith in the heart (see Romans 10:9,10).

Viewing The Passion can make a powerful impact in a nonbeliever, and your conversation with them can help lead them even further. But bringing people to a decision to commit their lives to Christ is a work of the Holy Spirit. When we understand that the Holy Spirit is working in people’s minds and hearts, it enables us to be bold and speak about Christ. We can also be patient—trusting His timing rather than trying to push people to a decision. Trusting the Holy Spirit helps us to be neither hesitant nor hasty with people. We are to lead people to Christ—not push them!
It is possible to share the right words but with a wrong attitude. In his first epistle, Peter wrote that when we give people the reason for the hope that is within us we should do it with “gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3:15). Let your eyes, the tone of your voice, and your message communicate God’s love.

The goal

The decision to receive and follow Christ is the most important of a person’s life. We must make sure people understand that decision and the cost of becoming a committed follower of Jesus. Our Lord’s command to us is not simply to lead people to decisions but that we “make disciples”
(Matthew 28:19).

Our goal is not just to lead a person in a sinner’s prayer—but into a personal encounter with the risen Christ that results in becoming His committed follower.

Even if the gospel message has been clearly explained, someone still may not be ready to receive Christ immediately. Encourage that person to read His life in the Gospels, beginning with the Gospel of Mark. Mark, the first Gospel written, is the simplest, shortest and most direct presentation of our Lord’s life. Perhaps you will need to provide your friend with a New Testament or Bible. Give them a version they can understand. As people read God’s inspired Word, the Holy Spirit will help them understand the truth.

The heart and power of the gospel is the story of Jesus. But also tell your story—of the change Jesus has made in your life and what He means to you. It may be helpful to write a paragraph ahead of time to help you organize your thoughts. Have a Christian friend or youth leader read your paragraph and offer suggestions as to how you can share your personal testimony with others. When they sense the peace, hope and joy within you, it can produce the same result as the testimonies of Peter and John, whom nonbelievers recognized as having “been with Jesus” (Acts 4:13).

A plan of action

Most of us know nonbelievers who will attend The Passion of the Christ. While people’s attention is focused on the person of Jesus Christ, we should be ready to respond to their interest and questions. Following is a simple plan of action:

1. Pray for specific people who will attend the film, believing that the Holy Spirit will speak to
    them and move them to a desire and decision to follow Christ.
2. Bring the film into conversation, asking, “What did you think?” and “How did you feel?”
3. Be prepared to talk about who Jesus was and why He gave His life.
4. Be patient, speak with gentleness and respect, pray for wisdom and grace in your relationship,
    and trust the Holy Spirit to work in the person’s life.
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NOTES:

*To nonbelievers with no Christian background, I suggest first focusing on the question, “Who was Jesus?” in a historical context, speaking of Jesus incarnate in human form 2,000 years ago, before progressing to “Who is Jesus?” — the living, resurrected Christ.

All Scripture references from the NASB unless otherwise noted.

Randy Hurst is commissioner of evangelism for the Assemblies of God.

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