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If you know me, you probably know that I love movies. This isn’t a recent development. I have loved films for as long as I can remember. Star Wars filled my childhood and as we rolled into the ‘80s, movie mania for hits like Raiders of the Lost Ark, Die Hard, and Top Gun filled teenagers’ minds. I was hooked.
Over the past year plus, I have gotten into Letterboxd, a way to keep track of what flicks you see, rate and review movies, make unique lists, and so much more (look up “nodunc” on https://letterboxd.com/). My son and I love to talk about why we gave a film a certain rating, check our year-end stats, and read crazy reviews. It is a blast.
Of course, there are many things that go into making a movie great, a five-star flick…dialogue, actors to deliver said dialogue, special effects, and lots more. But at its core, every movie comes down to the story. If the story is written poorly, the film has no shot at being great.
As I sat back and reflected a bit on this super early Easter we are having this year, I thought about the story. The story that God wrote centuries ago. The story that came together so flawlessly. God is the greatest screenwriter, producer, and director all rolled into one. I am not making light of Easter. I am marveling at what God did. Let’s just take a look at God’s story through the lens of film.
The Story
It has to start with the story. The amazing thing about God is that He started the adventure centuries before Jesus was on the scene. However, the story, the prequels, and all the sequels directly have to do with Jesus. He is the central figure for them all, even though He’s not mentioned by name in the prequels.
Look at the Old Testament. Isaiah 7:14, Micah 5:2, Psalm 22:38, Zechariah 9:9 all point to Jesus without mentioning His name specifically. Of course, that’s not all – there are over 300 Old Testament scriptures that foreshadow Jesus. Remarkable! How could God keep it all straight? The only reasonable explanation is because He’s God.
He not only foreshadows Jesus coming time and time again, He makes it so there is a never-ending sequel. A sequel that never stops and never gets old. A sequel that even though the original has left the multiplex, you get to carry it around with you. It is a sequel that if we choose to, we all can watch. But if others reject the viewing, we can still enjoy this installment all on our own.
Getting It Wrong
The other cool thing about this perpetual sequel is you are a part of it. I don’t know if I’d say you’re a starring actor, but hey, you are in the film. God has laid out a script for you to follow and who knows, by the end you may be star material.
Here is the problem that happens with so many of us: we think we’ve got it all figured out. We lay the script aside because, “hey, we got this.” But how often have you got it wrong? How often have you gotten it wrong when watching a movie? How about the first time you watched Sixth Sense? Oh, sure, you know it now, but what about then? Movies thrive on this.
Project Hail Mary keeps a secret that you as a viewer may not see coming. Here is the key: God doesn’t want you to be surprised. He wants you to follow His script. The surprise comes when we don’t follow the director’s lead.
Happy Ending
Most of us are suckers for a happy ending. We want to see the guy get the girl, or even in the case of flicks like La La Land, understanding that they’re better off apart. Basically we want to be able to smile, to laugh, to feel good. Well, God took the bleakest part of the story and turned it into the happiest ending ever developed.
With Easter comes not only a happy ending to Jesus’ story, but a happy ending to the story of everyone who believes in Him. That’s right – not only do you get that perpetual sequel, you get that sequel with a happy ending every time.
Part of the happy ending is knowing the bad guy gets what is coming to him. That is what’s so awesome about this story. Because of Jesus’ death and resurrection, we already know it’s a happy ending (we don’t even have to skip ahead to see if everything will be okay like my mother-in-law does). Even though the movie of our life is still going on, we know that everlasting smile is coming. In the end, the bad guy of this story never wins!
I may not be able to log this real-life flick on Letterboxd, but if I could, it would be a five out of five. I hope as Easter draws near, you have time to reflect on what Christ did and the unbelievable story His Father has brought to life. Until next time…
Thank you, Noah, for always giving me an opportunity to pause and think. Lately I feel like there’s so many plot twists in life, but I know that I can do all things, though Christ who strengthens me!