A.D The Bible continues

I’ve started watching A.D The Bible continues. I’m sure the show took much creative liberties. But it definitely stirred things in me that I’ve not felt before, reading the Bible all these years.

In the first 2 episodes, which were centered around the disciples’ response to Jesus’ crucifixion and ascension, it struck me anew just how terrified the disciples were. Especially after Jesus’ death, they were fearful for their own lives – not to mention the state of confusion, hopelessness and grief they were in. Claims that they would have stolen Jesus’ body could not be more incredulous. How could anyone even believe that?

In painting the broader picture that sometimes in not immediately obvious from the Bible if one does not have a too fertile imagination, the show is causing me to spend a little more time thinking about the physical context when I read the Bible now.

The show needs a villain, or should I say villains. Any sympathy that I had for Pilate was completely decimated by the show. I don’t know much about Pilate’s life, aside from what is in the Bible; and I’ve often sympathized with the spineless coward. He was a victim of the wicked mob.

But how the show filled in the blanks about his character, political agenda and role after Jesus’ death to cover up His resurrection, made me think that my sympathy was misplaced. He was evil, and deserved to be remembered as the one whom Jesus suffered under every time the church recites the Apostle’s creed.

Last but not least, well, I’ve been dragging my feet to watch the last 2-3 episodes. Mainly because it is so violent (disclaimer: my threshold is pretty low) and it’s causing a real heaviness when I watch it. The last time I watched an episode, I could not bear to finish it in one sitting because it was just too much. Sure, part of it might have been for visual effects and viewership. But there is more than an ounce of truth in all that violence during that time, isn’t there?

All the flogging, beating, throwing into prison, persecution and killing that are recorded in the Bible. It’s not just a word on a page. Blood splattered, flesh split, bones broke, many crucified, people died – horribly. It was violent, terribly and horribly violent.

Jesus said, “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword”. (Matt 10:34) I often forget that the peace that God came to offer between Him and mankind, does not always translate to there being peace on earth.

I need to offer a word of caution to myself, to be careful and not let the visual images from the show sink too deeply and unhelpfully color how I read the Bible in the future. But may God help me and everyone watching the show, know Him better, love Him more and know the costs that were paid for us to have the Gospel today.