The manhunt for the body of Christ is a mystery that lives to this day.
“Risen,” which premiered worldwide this weekend, is directed and co-written by Kevin Reynolds, a 1974 Baylor graduate.
Clavius, a Roman military tribune, played by actor Joseph Fiennes, functions as a skeptical detective trying to find the body of Yeshua, whom many call the King of Kings. Clavius’ doubt about the nature of Christ drives him in his search for the body. After he discovers Yeshua alive, the Roman must grapple with his own disbelief of Christ being God incarnate.
The film calls people to better understand what it means to be a disciple of Christ, and it strengthens the convictions of those who already live in Christian faith.
When Yeshua speaks to his disciples, there seemed to be a new awakening in my own heart as a modern disciple of Christ. I myself was reawakened to remember what it means to not just believe the Word of God, but to “follow” Christ.
The movie is pleasant to watch, with several blade-wielding fight scenes, not a lot of gut-curdling gore and a deeply meaningful ending. The way that this movie shows the point of view from a non-believer was interesting, and it shines light on a new way of approaching the story for Christians, myself included.
According to AFFIRM Films, the movie’s production company, the purpose of films like “Risen” is to spread faith-based and inspirational content across a wide range of genres.
The best part of this movie is the fact that those who are not Christian who view this film are not force-fed the Gospel. They should be able to digest the story of Christ’s ascension in a way that is applicable to an atheist, someone of another faith or even Christ-followers who have fallen from their purpose as Christians.
