Jesus of Nazareth, 1977 miniseries

 Jesus of Nazareth, 1977

“This is the king of Israel who will take away the sin of the world.”

“A stable, I thought my brothers were mistaken. But now I see the justice of it, there could be no other place.”

“Before kingdoms change, men must change."

“This is your hour Judas, the hour of shadows."

“Now it begins, it all begins.”

-Jesus of Nazareth, 1977

The most impressive aspect of Jesus of Nazareth is not its scale. This 1977 miniseries is remarkable because of its simplicity. It is a simplicity born out of a grand idea to be sure. Though, whether it be coincidental or intentional, this six hour journey through the life of Christ is the quintessential example of a medium reflecting the inner reality of its primary subject. The smallest of places, housing the mightiest of kings. The television does not deprive us of spectacle in this instance. It eloquently calls to mind the true sacrifice that was made to save us from our sins
Jesus came to earth to set all free. The lowest of the low were redeemed by the highest of the high. Amazingly this dichotomy was not reflected in his arrival on earth. God sent his only son to us as an equal in everything but sin. That is the most striking accomplishment of this miniseries, its desire to be authentically realistic. In other words, the series Is intensely human in its approach to structure and story, without losing sight of Jesus' divinity.
Jesus of Nazareth finds majesty and wonder in simplicity, seemingly with ease. It does it so well that It's difficult not to classify this miniseries as documentary in style. Perhaps that was the intent. Either way, Jesus of Nazareth is a tremendous achievement on many levels. Driving home the point, in such a naturalistic way, that we as the redeemed are not worthy of God's love. Yet, God came to save us nonetheless.
As you probably have surmised, naturalism is the prevailing sentiment here. As a miniseries, Jesus of Nazareth so expertly layers the human with the divine that you rarely know where one begins and the other ends. Illustrating both of Jesus's natures to their fullest extent. In other words this series beautifully expounds on a theological truth. Jesus is at once, fully human and fully divine, with neither aspect dominating the other.

"Get thee behind me Satan."

-Matthew 16:23, KJV

One of the more filmic explorations of this duality in Jesus of Nazareth comes as an outgrowth of the Sermon on the Mount, and the teaching . In truth, it is such a simple film technique, to juxtapose two related sequences together that here it almost goes unnoticed. The instigating phrase, "lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” A temptation, The apostle Peter trying to convince Jesus not to face his crucifixion, which directly sets in motion Jesus’ mission, to deliver “us from evil”. Built off of his human fears of death, and the knowledge of his divine purpose, Jesus' two natures are brought to bear on this occasion. As he does in the garden of Gethsemane before his trial, Jesus controls his human frailty to align himself with the6 will of his Father. All of this nuance is conveyed through performance and staging, brought to mind simply by putting one particular scene after another.
In the Bible, The Sermon on the Mount and the confrontation between Jesus and Peter are separated by more than seven chapters. Though series director Franco Zeffirelli places them side-by-side. To lead us smoothly into the final chapter of Jesus's redemptive work. The juxtaposition also offers us an insightfully engaging question. Was Jesus referring to his confrontation with Peter when he gave us the concluding lines of the Our Father? This sequence holds a bounty in its visual depth. Though, I think, I will leave those many treasures for you to unearth
I assure you, this is no magic trick. It is visual storytelling at its most economic and simple. Making Jesus of Nazareth the perfect opportunity to learn. The series is a masterfully crafted, yet naturalistically unassuming portrait of the Gospels. This mastery however, does not preclude anybody. It passionately beckons the uninitiated Into a deeper appreciation of film technique and style. In the most humble of ways, Jesus of Nazareth invites everybody to engage with the joy and art of visual storytelling

"Just leave me alone, why did you bring him here, to me?"

"No, no. I'd like to tell you a story."

-Jesus Nazareth, 1977

This enthusiasm for the visual art of storytelling is no more evident than in Zeffirelli's staging of The Practical Son. Warranting a master level film course on its own, this iconic parable of redemption becomes the theological heart of the series. With a simple placement of the camera here or look of the eyes there, film and theology are in perfect concert. However, I will let you discover the beauty of that concert on your own. Right now, it suffices to say that this sequence is a meaningful weaving of image, character and theme. An interplay driven not by the sinners in the room, but the apostles standing outside of it. More precisely, the man who first proclaims Jesus as God.

"Forgive me Master. I'm just a stupid man."

-Jesus of Nazareth, 1977

The preceding scenes grant Peter primacy of place in our minds. What is the phrase? “So the first shall be last, and the last first”(Matthew 20:16, KJV). Peter is our representative in this miniseries, for good or ill, human weakness is on full display through him. He is our barometer, our realization that we are nothing without the love of God. Director Franco Zeffirelli and his team offer us a glimpse into the authentic wonder inherent in the greatest miracle of human history, our redemption. Jesus of Nazareth masterfully reminds us that God's love is not contingent on our perfection. Instead, His love is magnified in our weakness. He is our strength, our strong tower in the storm. As it is said, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." (Philippians 4:13, NKJV)

Happy Good Friday

Rated G

I found Jesus of Nazareth, 1977 to be deeply meaningful, richly insightful and visually striking. I hope in some way you do too.

Jesus of Nazareth 1977 is available to purchase on any digital video streaming service. It is also available physically on DVD and Blu-ray disc.