NBC’s “AD: The Bible Continues” — Episode 1

Have you been watching NBC’s A.D. The Bible Continues? Are you planning on watching it? I am, and I’m planning on writing about it here each week. Join me! You can catch-up on NBC’s website and Hulu Plus.

We’ll get together here later in the week (I’ll have to watch all mine online on Monday or Tuesday) and try to exchange thoughts, opinions, even questions.

So far two of the twelve episodes have aired; the first on Easter evening and then the second this past Sunday night. The advertisements say that it will be following the book of Acts, chapters 1-10. This should be interesting to see how well that’s done.

First a few general comments before my own about each of the first two episodes:

1) We’re going to have to remember that this is a screenplay. The Holy Spirit did not inspire Saint Luke to write the book of Acts for the big screen, little screen or stage. That means that the writers, directors, and producers are going to have to use some artistic license. I don’t know why Bible movies often have Greek, Roman, or Hebrew characters speaking with British accents; but they often do. I know it’s not “accurate” but I promise not to complain about it anymore. I predict there are going to be a number of things like this that we could point out and complain about; insignificant and inconsequential decisions made by the writers, directors, producers, etc. I’m going to try to look past those things to comment on things I see as more significant.

2) Roma Downey is one of the producers and Roma Downey has a Roman Catholic background. If her 2013 miniseries The Bible gives any hints, watch for Peter to play a major role. More than you non-Catholics are accustomed to seeing (remember, Catholics believe that Peter became the first Pope/Vicar-of-Christ-on-Earth). As a Lutheran pastor, I’m going to try to point out some of those “Catholic” things along the way; not as an attempt to bash anyone, simply because while the Catholic viewers/readers may be familiar with these things, the “Protestants” are not.

Anyway, enough of this rambling. As one of my childhood icons always said “On with the show!”

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Episode 1/The Tomb is Open

CAIAPHAS: I liked how sincere he was, I’ve never thought of him that way before. While I’ve always thought of him as an irreligious hypocrite, A.D. depicts him as someone sincerely concerned about preserving the Jewish faith. While he accuses Jesus of manipulating prophecy, we’d maintain that Jesus understood the prophecies correctly and that it was Caiaphas who misunderstood.

PETER: I’m watching to see if his role increases beyond what is recorded in Acts. In Roma Downey’s Son of God he could make Jesus appear by consecrating bread and wine then breaking the bread (Jesus actually materialized when Peter broke the bread).

PILATE: Arrogant! Proud! Condescending! Just as a Roman should be! I liked how he played Joseph of Arimathea against Caiaphas

MARY: Check other blogs for controversy about how old she is. Most other movies select a younger woman to play this role. In this first episode she is the “leader of the faith”, reminding everyone of Jesus’ promise to rise again.

TWO WORDS OF CAUTION:

1) “The Stone.” I will be nitpicky with the beginning of the resurrection scene. Light was coming from within the tomb, then the angel rolled the stone away. This might be a common misrepresentation of Easter morning; that Jesus rose from the dead but waited (or was He stuck?) in the tomb until the angel opened it for him. He went to Hell and back, He cannot be contained by a large stone. The angel opened the tomb so that we could see its emptiness, not so that Jesus could escape. I’m sure I’ll see how this played out as the second episode opens.

2) “A New Religion.” From interviews I’ve seen online, I’m worried that the Good Friday/Easter event is going to be depicted as the start of a” new religion”. You’ve probably seen or heard this before, the notion that Jesus and His disciples were the founders of Christianity. No they were not! (Well, at least the disciples weren’t.) Christianity—faith in God’s promised Savior—goes back before Adam and Eve stood before God in their fig leaf undies. The Hebrew people were waiting for “Messiah” (in Greek that’s “Christ”). Easter and the history of Acts is not the account of a new idea; it is the fulfillment and spread of what Adam, Eve, Abel, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Moses, Ruth, David and all our other Old Testament brothers and sisters in Christ were waiting for. Keep an eye out for this as A.D. progresses.

Agree with my thoughts? Disagree? I’ll end my comments here in hopes that you’ll chime in on either episode in the comments down below. I’ll try to check back in later and, God-willing, will be back next week.

Episode 1: The Tomb is Open

Episode 2: The Tomb is Empty