A Gospel Image in the Movies: The Breath of Life

 This past week I was watching a movie with my boys. While there are certainly a few things in a PG-13 movie I wish wasn't in there, it was an overall fun adventure for the boys to enjoy. 

As we were watching, I couldn't help but notice an image of the glorious gospel in the movie. 

Sermon Prep

Let me start by giving a brief backstory:

In preparing this week's sermon, I spent a lot of time thinking through the breath of life as is discussed in Genesis 2:7.

The sermon, and other blogs this week, discussed how Heqet was believed to breathe the breath of life into us. However, it was truly God who breathed the breath of life into us, according to Genesis 2.

This Hebrew word used gives us a picture of someone blowing up an inflatable, or even mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. 

At the cross, Jesus gave his last breath so that we could have eternal life. He breathed life into our spiritually dead bodies.

Understanding the Movie

Now you need a brief backstory of the movie:

In the movie, four high school students are stuck in detention. They come across an old video game console, plug it in, and select characters.

When they click "Start Game" all four of them are pulled into their avatars. Suddenly, they are not just playing the game, but living the game.

They quickly realize that they have three black bars on their wrists. Each time one of them loses a life, that character loses a black bar. If they lose all three of the bars they die--in the game and in real life.  

A Gospel Image

At one point, a character is dying--losing his last life. 

One character begins CPR on the dying victim. Mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. 

As he does, the other players notice one of his black bars are fading while the other player is getting a new black bar.

He gave one of his lives to the other player.

This character was able to breathe the breath of life into the other player. In doing so, he gave a life in order to save a life. 

Conclusion

At the cross, Jesus breathed the breath of life into us. Like the characters described above, Jesus gave his life in order that we might have life.

While I am not encouraging anyone else to go watch this movie--this is by no means a Christian film--I do find it interesting that there is a gospel theme in the movie. 

We see the image of one sacrificing his own life to save another. 

What make's Christ's sacrifice all the more glorious is that his sacrifice was far more dreadful. He did more than just die--he absorbed God's wrath in its fullness. He suffered in a way that no movie can ever portray. He suffered in a way we may never fully understand.

Today, that life is available for you. Will you take it, and submit to Jesus as Lord?