The current movie Risen, a cinematic witness to the risen Christ, depicts a fictional Clavius, a Roman soldier, a tribune, walking into the life of Jesus. The movie is obviously made by believers and stays true to the story the Gospels tell. Risen reminds us not only of the world’s fascination with Jesus, but the world’s continuing adoration of Jesus. Many of us ask, is Jesus of Nazareth just a teacher? Or was he as Muhammad said, a great prophet, but not the greatest? Or was Jesus the new age mystic, the guy who centers us and illuminates our minds?
Risen gives a different answer. Risen gives the answer that sets the world on fire with the love of God. A violent Roman Tribune walks into the life of Jesus on Friday, the day Jesus died, carrying out Pontius Pilate’s orders, “Make sure he is dead and make sure he is buried and secure. ” Clavius obeys orders. But then Sunday morning the body of Jesus is gone. As one guard declared, “The ropes just exploded.” Clavius is again ordered by Pilate to find the body the disciples stole and get it back in the tomb.
Clavius begins chasing down Jesus’ disciples. He finds Mary Magdalene who can barely articulate the wonder of Jesus, simply saying to Clavius, “You look for the wrong thing.” When Bartholomew, an apostle, intoxicated with joy, speak of Jesus a smile swallows his face. Smiling from ear to ear, Bartholomew declares, “Our only weapon is love.”
Clavius continues relentlessly chasing disciples in order to secure the dead body of Jesus. Upon breaking into the little house where the apostles are meeting Clavius runs right into the Resurrected Jesus sitting at table with his apostles, holes in his hands and a wound in his side. The moment is transformative. Clavius had seen those wounds inflicted. He had sat on his horse and methodically watched Jesus die and then personally supervised Jesus burial in Joseph’s tomb. Clavius now lives with a reality too big for his mind and heart: “I have seen two things I cannot reconcile. A man dead without question: That man lives again.”
Clavius, the Roman man of war, is visibly softened by the disciples affection for him. Jesus at the center of the room radiates out toward Clavius and his world where Clavius has never known “a day without death.” Joy pervades the room creating an otherworldly “lightness of being. “ He sits with Peter the fisherman probing the meaning of all this: Peter simply concludes, “I haven’t every answer; we are astounded to.”
After Jesus suddenly disappears to Galilee Clavius goes deeper desperately wanting to know more. Finally Peter says, “We are followers. We follow God to find out.” They walk to Galilee where fish are caught and Jesus serves breakfast to tired, euphoric apostles and Clavius. Clavius gets some time with Jesus, beginning where all prayer begins, ‘I don’t even know where to begin.”
After Jesus ascends Peter says the apostles are going to Jerusalem to wait on the Spirit Jesus promised. As Peter walks down to the fishing boats he turns and shouts his goodbyes , to Clavius with heavenly affection , “Farewell my brother. God keep you brother.” As Clavius walks away he simply declares to himself, “I believe. My life will never be the same again.” Clavius is visibly changed. Meanwhile, back in Jerusalem, Pontius Pilate upon hearing that Jesus body cannot be found, declares emphatically, “We will never hear from Jesus again.”
But neither did the disciples have all the answers. As Peter said, “We follow God to find out.” Ten days after the Ascension of Jesus, the outrageous fisherman, full of the Spirit, joy and courage, declared to thousands of inquirers what he had found out : “God has made Jesus whom you crucified both Lord of the world and Israel’s Messiah.“