Come Know Christ

Yesterday the Church reminded us of the importance and grace of repentance. Once the prodigal son chose to return to his Father, he was met by his Father with great love. The prodigal son was restored. This is an inspiring story about repentance, but knowing Christ is more than just a story.

The other day I came across a movie trailer about a street preacher of the past. I clicked on the trailer and was immediately shocked by the premise. Like many movies about Jesus, it appeared by the trailer that Jesus just wants people to sit together and sing happy songs about Him. There was no reference to ‘the sacred’ or holiness. I wasn’t surprised. The movie is Protestant, and features the ‘just come and sing about Jesus’ aspect so popular in megachurches today. UGH. Now that I have clicked on that trailer, every other ad I see on my feed is for another Jesus movie. The marketing is amazing.

Brethren, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come; therefore we know that it is the last hour.  They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out, that it might be plain that they all are not of us.  But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all know that I write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and know that no lie is of the truth.  Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ?  This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son.  No one who denies the Son has the Father.  He who confesses the Son has the Father also.  Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you.  If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you will abide in the Son and in the Father.  And this is what he has promised us, eternal life. I write this to you about those who would deceive you; but the anointing which you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that any one should teach you; as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie, just as it has taught you, abide in him. And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming.  If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that every one who does right is born of him. See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are.  The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.  Beloved, we are God’s children now; it does not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.  And every one who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure. Every one who commits sin is guilty of lawlessness; sin is lawlessness.  You know that he appeared to take away sins, and in him there is no sin.  No one who abides in him sins; no one who sins has either seen him or known him.  Little children, let no one deceive you.  He who does right is righteous, as he is righteous.  He who commits sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning.  The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. –

1^st John 2:18-29;3:1-8

Here’s my point today. Just because the movie or TV series is about Jesus, doesn’t mean it is good for us to watch. As I was paying attention to the marketing that has flooded my social media feed, every one of these movies is not about helping us become one with Christ as today’s Epistle from Saint John reminds us. These movies are about getting us to join their Church. Just as we were warned by Christ about false teachers, today’s Epistle from Saint John warns as also about antichrists. Antichrists are those who pretend to show us Christ, but instead lead us astray.

If you want to know Christ, you won’t find Him in a movie. You will find in the Church through the Holy Sacraments. We have been anointed with “The Seal of the Gift of the Holy Spirit” at our baptism. That seal is real and protects us from evil if we allow it to protect us. We know Christ through Holy Communion, not through some movie script.

If you want to know Christ, come into His Presence in the Church. He promised centuries ago that His presence would be in the Temple. Through the grace of Holy Communion, God physical presence is waiting for us in His Church. You can’t find His presence in the movie or TV series.

Worst of all, I have yet to find a movie about Jesus that taught the Orthodox Christian understanding of God. Christ promised the Holy Spirit would come upon the Holy Apostles and guide them into all truth (John 16.13). So long as the Church remains loyal to the Apostles we can trust the Church. It has remained loyal for two thousand years. Why should we trust a movie?

We know many will come to distract us from the truth of Christ. Don’t be fooled ‘just because’ something says it is about Jesus. We already know Christ, and He can be found in the Sacraments of the Church. Avoid the movies and TV series. Read the lives of the Saints. Be inspired by the response of those who lived in communion with God. You will be better off.