At one point, tears of sorrow well up in Lucifer’s eyes as he forces himself to remember the glory of God’s presence in the throne room. (It’s actually a very cool sequence, as far as the photography and composition.) In the New Testament, the gospels of Luke, Mark and Matthew have passages that refer to Jesus' stay in the wilderness. The film has layer after layer. We see their body after they have landed, and their leg is graphically bent in an unnatural direction, they have bloody gashes all over their body, and the person appears to have suffered brain damage: they are staring blankly into space and repeating nonsensical syllables repeatedly until the person dies. 7:30 Breakfast. ), So many scenes like that one capture the mini-trials of the dry season — how it’s often the little things, the small thorns of daily routines and petty problems of logistics that drive us mad when we’re going through spiritual deserts. Batman v Superman and the limits of super powers, The digital damnation of Terrence Malick’s Knight of Cups, Man of Steel and the tiredness of Christ figures, The Little Things and Looking for Evidence, Five Films to Help You Observe Lent at Home. The more “official” the scenes in such films, the more distant their depictions of Jesus tend to be. Jesus having refused each temptation, Satan then departed and Jesus returned to Galilee to begin his ministry. This is what the desert seasons are like. At one point in the film, Yeshua attempts to soothe the mother with comforting phrases, but he fails to truly meet her suffering. When Jesus died on the Cross and descended into Hell, He experienced a separation from the Father as Jesus took on the sins of the world; and He experienced this ultimate separation on our behalf so that we wouldn’t have to. ^ par. 7:30 Breakfast. In the beginning was the Word, yes, but the Word became flesh and dwelled among us. But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. The indie art-house audience will likely find the film too spiritual, too biblical… weather springtime Hurricane Harvey Snow God Sending Rain. And behold, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace the queen of the Ethiopians, who had charge of all her treasury, and had come to Jerusalem to worship, 28 was returning. The Christian evangelical subculture will likely find the film too esoteric, too extra-biblical, and too challenging to their preconceived notions of Christ. And, in an epilogue, he takes up his cross. It is a very realistic and intense scene, though it does have redemptive value in relation to the story. A superstar actor, not always celebrated in terms of his depth, playing both Christ and the Devil, and wandering around a desert having conversations with himself about the meaning of faith...? Anyone who has any strong emotions about their parents or children — whether positive or negative — will not walk away from this movie unscathed. The temptation of Christ is a biblical narrative detailed in the gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke. Theology & The Church, Moses was on Mount Sinai for 40 days and 40 nights (Exodus 24:18). SIGN 6: FULLNESS COMING TO THE CHURCH. On his way out of the wilderness, he struggles with the Devil, also played by McGregor, over the fate of an ordinary family in crisis, setting for himself a dramatic test with distinctly human conflicts. 5/11/16 disclaimer about my notes below: I saw an early version of this film in Feb. 2015. I recently [in Feb. 2015] had a very rare, one-time, “in-the-right-place-at-the-right-time” opportunity to see the new Ewan McGregor film, Last Days in the Desert (#lastdaysinthedesert, @LastDesert), in which McGregor plays both Jesus and Satan. Josh Larsen is editor of Think Christian. Last Days in the Desert was written and directed by Rodrigo Garcia and stars Ewan McGregor (Star Wars Prequels) as Yeshua (Jesus). Last week I took the train from Philadelphia to New York to see Last Days in the Desert, a new film written and directed by Rodrigo Garcia about Jesus' temptation in the wilderness. The four Gospels make it clear that Jesus actually never did any miracles until after His 40 days in the desert when He “returned in the power of the Spirit,” in Luke 4:14. Lucifer is trying to eat away at Yeshua’s resolve to obey and believe in the Father. Verse Concepts. And when you add up all these little parts together, you see one picture in particular dominating them all: the overwhelming emotional response and tenderness that Jesus expresses as the desert family encounters great hardship and tragedy. It’s so easy to relate to when you have endured but pushed through the desert seasons. This is an obvious fulfillment of biblical prophecy—and a clear indication that the Last Days are upon us. The writer/director is talking about Last Days in the Desert, his new film premiering at Sundance next week, which stars Ewan McGregor as Jesus and Satan. Here are some examples of the Bible’s use of the number 40 that stress the theme of testing or judgment: In the Old Testament, when God destroyed the earth with water, He caused it to rain 40 days and 40 nights (Genesis 7:12). Last Days in the Desert is the latest film to give the Bible a heavyweight drama treatment. Fiche technique. He washes a … But Yeshua never affirms those viewpoints that clearly contradict what He would later teach in His ministry. In fact, there are three stirring elements from this film that capture what the “desert season” is like. (Note: To visit Kevin’s personal blog, go here to StabsOfJoy.com. For more info, please visit: goo.gl/mraiVZ. And the gentleness and sincerity of Yeshua gazes quietly back at you — as the film’s powerful ambient desert noise captured on-location in Anza-Borrego rustles and sifts around your ears — and Yeshua says, “I understand. To be clear: “Last Days in the Desert” is not a faith-based film. 43 Bible Verses about Weather In The Last Days ‹ › Most Relevant Verses. I should also add, despite the heavy themes of this film, the marriage relationship between the husband and wife is wonderfully inspiring and beautiful: they’re intensely devoted to each other and self-sacrificing to a fault. I look forward to the seeing the film. Save for the flimsy sandals and ragged robes worn by the handful of other actors who eventually appear alongside McGregor, whose spiritual presence here recalls his version of Obi-Wan Kenobi, there is little else that feels ancient. Last Days in the Desert is not the biblical story alluded to above, but it is set within that story. In the context of these scenes, the graphic nature has a redemptive purpose — though such graphic nudity might make some moviegoers uncomfortable.]. Last Days in the Desert is an immersive spiritual drama about the questing of a holy man to connect with God and be affirmed in his mission. There is a wonderful detail as Yeshua and Satan sit by a fire and the latter instinctively opens his mouth in awe at the sight of a falling star. The film, at the time of this writing, does not yet have a US release date, according to IMDB. At last, he reached Mount Sinai, the mountain of God, Douay-Rheims Bible And he arose, and ate, and drank, and walked in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights, unto the mount of God, Horeb. Quick note for fans of C. S. Lewis and/or U2 before the article begins: When life’s sorrows bring us into shadowlands, we need the joy of Christ to restore our strength. He washes a pair of aching, filthy feet. Award-winning director Rodrigo García (“Blue,” “Mother and Child,” “Nine Lives”) directs and writes, and Emmanuel Lubezki (#chivexp), the Oscar-winning cinematographer behind The Revenant, Birdman and Gravity, is on board, besides many other talented cast and crew members. And, I should add, this is not theologically out of line. Honestly, after seeing this on-screen couple, I felt inspired to be a better husband. It is the first such discovery since the Dead Sea Scrolls were found in 1947 and the early 1950s. The film has many moments like this — moments when you want to point at the screen and say, “Yes! Lokkesmoe admits that Last Days in the Desert is not your typical “Christian” movie. It’s way too open-ended and confusing. Last Days in the Desert. Thanks so much, Kathryn! Last Days in the Desert is an American drama film about the temptation of Christ, directed and written by Rodrigo García. Some folks won’t like hearing such poetic theological-isms come from the mouth of Lucifer, but you might argue that it’s generally consistent (in spirit) with the Bible: Lucifer is called the “angel of light” in the Bible (a deceiving light), and his deceptions are always cloaked with as much beauty, half-truths, and poetry as he can muster. And that’s another thing this movie gets right. Movies, Last Days in the Desert follows Jesus (Ewan McGregor) in an imagined chapter from his forty days of fasting and praying in the desert. The remaining two articles in this series will explain how “the last days” will end and will also tell of the wonderful future ahead for the earth and mankind. It’s not a light-weight movie, in other words. Excellent work and thank you for sharing! 13:00 Lunch. Israel365 News, which describes itself as offering "a fresh and Biblical perspective on the latest news from Israel and the Middle East," explains that the prophet Isaiah speaks repeatedly of deserts blooming in his description of the end of days. Think Christian is a production of ReFrame Ministries. 27 So he arose and went. It’s no wonder that Yeshua tells the boy, at one point, “to love God above all things and love life.” And, for just a few moments — as we see Yeshua’s wonder and joy — and as that stillness lingers on-screen, you feel renewed and replenished as if you had found a stream in the desert too. Satan is in the Bible — this idea of something called Lucifer is only in specific translations, the biggest being the NIV. Jesus is uncertain of himself and of God. The director/writer Rodrigo García said this to Christianity Today: “By choosing Jesus, I know what the end is,” he says. Garcia focuses on Jesus' journey out of the desert toward Jerusalem, adding in an extrabiblical account of Jesus' encounter with a Bedouin family. Alternate title: Wes Anderson's The Passion of the Christ DISCLAIMER: I claim no ownership of the film nor do I accept any profits for exhibiting it. When one of the family members farts unexpectedly, a genuinely funny moment that would make any human being laugh — no matter how mature or “grown-up” you are — Yeshua laughs too, and he laughs loudly. Another way Lucifer does this (i.e. Yeshua, and the son from the family he meets, have gone out to fetch water for the family (Yeshua has begun assisting the family by this point), and when they reach the stream — a joyfully gurgling, shimmering stream that rushes around their dirty, tired feet — a look of such satisfaction and wonder comes on Yeshua’s face (one of McGregor’s finest moments), as the stunning desert panorama stretches behind him, that no dialogue is needed in the script. But … Last Days in the Desert is an immersive spiritual drama about the questing of a holy man to connect with God and be affirmed in his mission. Moses interceded on Israel’s behalf for 40 days and 40 nights (Deuteronomy 9:18, 25). drain our spiritual strength) is by working overtime to convince us that we’re worthless, that we have no spiritual identity in Christ, and that God does not love us. The last days (also referred to as the End Time or the Great Tribulation) is a period of roughly 3 1/2 years or 42 months (Revelation 11:2 - 3) that will shortly come upon the entire earth.It will a time, just before Jesus' Second Coming, when the Beast and the False Prophet will rule the world through their counterfeit version of God's kingdom.. (And great to hear from you!). Day 8: 26 May 6:00 Silent time & morning meditation. In John, chapters 14-17, and in the other Gospels, Jesus explains one of the most important goals of His mission on earth: to heal the wound — the great divorce, as C.S. a film that intentionally checks off detailed theological checklists) there are a few things that fall outside of the parameters of a typical faith-based movie — though some of them fall into theological grey areas that do not negate the essential doctrines of the faith. Although I couldn’t recommend this film to younger viewers (some of its mature content — much like “The Passion of the Christ” — makes it more of an adult-only film), I would recommend this film to any adult Christian in a heartbeat. And that’s what it feels like to be distant from the Father, and you can’t figure out why.”. In Last Days in the Desert, these three become a microcosm for humanity, especially when Satan (also played by McGregor) uses them as pawns. In these moments when Yeshua struggles to hear his Dad’s voice, the film, also — amazingly enough — stops becoming a story about Jesus exclusively; it becomes a story about any person who has ever had a relationship with the Father. Some might feel that this gives Lucifer something close to omniscience (which is not taught in the Bible), but the film makes Lucifer limited, and even flawed in some ways, in his attempts to see the future. Douay-Rheims Bible We will go three days' journey into the wilderness: and we will sacrifice to the Lord our God, as he hath commanded us. And like any relationship, there are ups and downs. Required fields are marked *. Connect with him on Facebook, Twitter and Letterboxd. Introduction: 1. In another scene, we see a man being crucified, and he is very bloody, and we see huge bloody gashes on his back. Last Days in the Desert. He'll never come! Arts & Leisure, Loss, death, and even views of bleak existentialism (represented by the viewpoints of the father that Yeshua meets) and even hints of pantheistic view (This is all on the honor system: simply pre-order Shadowlands, and then send an email to shadowlands2016 (at) gmail (dot) com letting the author (Kevin Ott) know you’ve ordered it, and he will contact you.). That’s exactly what it feels like. Great comment, thanks. I was prepared to dislike it because it doesn’t follow any real scripture, but it sill a very good story. These grey areas, for the most part, deal with more non-essential doctrines. Last Days in the Desert, film complet - Le film suit Jésus et le diable, deux interepretados par McGregor dans l'Odyssée de Jésus dans le désert. But it’s not a bad thing to feel these things in a movie — if you’re in a state of mind that can bear it — especially because these darker elements in the film highlight the inexhaustible love of Jesus and His Father. And the low-visibility harshness of the desert — the fatigue, the disorientation, the merciless heat, the biting air of night — comes through so powerfully in the film (as does the breathless beauty of other-worldly desert landscapes, filmed only using natural light at the Anza-Borrego Desert state park in California), and it reminds you of all the seasons of spiritual exhaustion that ebb and flow with life. English Revised Version We will go three days' journey into the wilderness, and sacrifice to the LORD our God, as he shall command us. I suspect they did it to emphasize the difficulty of Jesus’ 40 days — that it wasn’t just a walk in the park. This is an obvious fulfillment of biblical prophecy—and a clear indication that the Last Days are upon us. Using fiction to contemplate true events and themes is an age-old tradition, even in Christianity. A man has a dream of wolves chasing him. Last Days in the Desert plays as an intimate character study, a short story rather than a biblical or quasi-biblical epic like Noah or Son of God. Culture At Large, Last Days in the Desert follows Jesus (Ewan McGregor) in an imagined chapter from his forty days of fasting and praying in the desert.