I forget to post something for Easter so I may as well do it now. Easter is a very special holiday that celebrates the Atonement and Resurrection of our Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ.
Released in 1959, Ben-Hur won multiple awards including Best Picture and Best Actor. There are tons of things that won these awards, and we're going to look at a few in this action Easter film.
Many years ago, a Savior which is Christ the Lord was born. Now we go to a time when Christ is all grown up and is teaching the Gospel to all.
Judah Ben-Hur, a Jewish prince, is living happily with his mother and sister. But when a tile falls from their house and onto the parading governor, his old friend Messala has Judah arrested and put into slavery and his mother and sister put in prison even though he knows it was an accident because Judah refused to side with him on political views. On the way to the galleys, Judah unknowingly encounters Jesus Christ, who gives him water against the soldiers' orders. (More about that later.)
Now it's three years later. For those three years, Judah has been in the galleys of multiple ships and is now going into battle once more. This time it's different. The boat is sunk by the enemy. Judah is able to free himself and other slaves and flee the ship. He also saves Quintus Arrius, a Roman leader, along the way. This leads to Quintus Arrius adopting Judah as a son and thus gives him freedom. Judah takes this opportunity to return home. There he finds Esther, (a woman who was betrothed to him before he was arrested,) her father, and one of their servants. His mother and sister are still in prison. Will Judah Ben-Hur find his family and reunite with them?
Although the film doesn't have a lot of scenes with Jesus Christ Himself, His part in Ben-Hur is very special. On the way to the galleys, the soldiers and the slaves stop for water. While the locals are giving water to the slaves, the leading soldier does not allow Judah to have some. Judah falls on the ground in despair. Then someone gently pours water onto his face and lets him drink. The soldier gets angry saying, "You! I said none for him!" The man who was giving water to Judah stands up and stares at the soldier. This man is Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world. This stirs something special within the soldier. (I would believe this to be the power of the Holy Ghost as well as the power and Spirit of God and Christ.) This causes the soldier to say no more to the Savior, and walks away. Judah finishes drinking the water and touches Christ's hand in gratitude. Judah physically encounters Christ one more time in this film. As Judah watches Christ carry the cross to Calvary, he recognizes Him as the one who gave him water. At the first chance he gets, Judah finds a well, fills a cup with water, and pushes through the crowd to give it to Christ. When Christ takes hold of the cup, He looks up to see Judah. That moment between Them is very Spiritual and dramatic. Although there's no visible facial expression, we can see that Christ is indeed grateful to Judah.
By the end of his journey, Judah Ben-Hur has learned that love and peace is far better than hate and revenge, even though he has been told that hate makes you strong. But from other people, including Christ himself, he's learned otherwise. This connects to his encounter with Jesus because Christ has always taught us to "Love one another as I have loved you." Judah also hears Jesus say, "Father, forgive them. For they know not what they do." Later he tells Esther that "I felt His voice take the sword out of my hand."
Ben-Hur is not only a great story, but a sight and sound. From chariot races to meeting the Savior, Judah Ben-Hur has gone through a ton of stuff. Remember the story of love, miracles, and hope as well as the action that raised your adrenaline levels.
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