Email
Bookmark
Print
Child of Evil
Description:
In the court of Pilate, as Jesus’ flesh is repeatedly torn with the sharp shards of the torturers’ whips, the black-robed being slinks through the crowd carrying an evil-looking child with an aged face.
Symbolism:
God sent his Son, Jesus, to become a member of the human race and to bear the penalty of death and damnation in humanity’s stead. During Jesus’ time on earth, the Tempter continually sought to dissuade Jesus from going through with his Father’s plan. Jesus had that choice. When he was tortured, and even when he hung on the cross, Jesus could have called on heaven’s angels to rescue him.
In the movie, when the Tempter sees Jesus submitting to the torturer’s whip, he parades in front of Jesus, carrying a child. Gibson’s imagery likely refers to the verse in Genesis where God speaks of the enmity that would exist between the Evil Serpent’s offspring and the Messiah – who was the offspring of a human woman (Gen. 3:15). The evil child likely represents an Anti-Christ.
Jesus would have understood the threat. If Jesus willingly died as the Christ (the Messiah) the Evil One would give birth to Anti-Christ(s) – humans who would be filled with evil, and who would fight against the advance of Christ’s kingdom on earth. It is as though the Tempter mocked, “Why bother with the suffering, Jesus? If you go through with it, I’m going to increase the intensity of the fight. Things will get worse. I will come against you with everything I’ve got!”
But Jesus didn’t waver in his resolve. He knew that his death and resurrection would ensure the Tempter’s defeat. Though the battle between good and evil would continue for a time – the victory would be secured.
The Script:
So the Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, “Cursed are you above all the livestock and all the wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life. And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”
Every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.
Related Reading: Mel Gibson's viewpoint on the Child