Q&A with Bruce Marchiano,
Creative Force behind Jesus…No Greater Love
Q: There are already several “Jesus movies” available, including The Gospel According to Matthew, in which you portrayed Jesus. Why make another one?
A: Several great Jesus films have been produced over the years, and God has used them for his glory. Our vision is to make this new Jesus movie for the next generation, one that will use all the new production techniques and cutting edge technology. This movie will feature breathtaking cinematography and CGI effects that will engage the next generation of audiences. But it’s not just about creating a big budget version of the standard Jesus biopic. We long to reveal the Jesus of Scripture that has rarely, if ever been portrayed on film—passionate, joyful, full of purpose and Kingdom authority, the embodiment of manhood, Almighty God in human flesh. This is the Jesus that the world needs to know. We also want people from all nations and cultures, particularly Jews, to see themselves reflected in this film. Jesus…No Greater Love will be the most authentic film portrayal of Christ’s Jewish nature and the culture of the time. It’s about capturing the heart of Jesus and sharing it with the world through the most engaging and moving means possible—and always, always communicating the Scriptures with integrity. This movie will be as equally intriguing to American teenagers watching it on their iPods as to Indian orphans experiencing the story of Jesus for the first time. For more on this you can read about it on our website www.NewJesusMovie.com.
Q: How will Jesus…No Greater Love be different from other movies about the life of Christ?
A: There have been several good Jesus films, including The Gospel According to Matthew, produced by Christian moviemakers, businesses or mission organizations. The plot and dialogue for many of those films have been pieced together from a collection of snapshots from the different gospels and edited or embellished by a screenwriter. The Jesus of some Hollywood versions speaks words that are not in the Bible. Jesus…No Greater Love will follow the Gospel of John word for word. This is a particular cornerstone of the project because we know that the real power that brings people to salvation is in the word of God, not the clever film-making. Jesus…No Greater Love is not the first word-for-word adaptation of a gospel. But it will be the first to show the human life of Jesus in context with the whole of Scripture. Most Jesus films cover the three year period of ministry. The Passion of the Christ focused on the crucifixion. Jesus…No Greater Love starts at the beginning of time and finds its symbolic end in the last verses of Revelation. This is truly Jesus yesterday, today, and forever. More than that, we will actually be showing the action from Christ’s kingdom perspective based on God’s plan and character as revealed in Scripture. In essence, this is the gospel through the eyes of Jesus.
Q: Why did you choose the gospel of John?
A: John is unique among the gospels in several ways. While the other gospels start with genealogies, the birth of Christ or the ministry of John the Baptist (all very important things), John’s gospel literally begins “in the beginning.” John communicates a multi-level prophetic dynamic that goes beyond a man healing people and speaking in the temple courts and dying on a cross. There are layers of what John is conveying, and that has yet to be seen on film. We’ve seen a man preaching, healing people, dying on a cross and rising from the dead. What we haven’t seen is the dimension of authority, the prophetic significance of what Jesus says and does or the many ways Jesus demonstrates He is I AM.
The bottom line is that this is just what the Lord has led me to do. Shortly after I felt this clear leading, two other “Jesus movies” came out back to back—The Passion of the Christ and another version of the gospel of John. I was bewildered. I asked God, “Why should I do this when others are already doing it?” He led me to a moment toward the end of John where Jesus has just prophesied to Peter about Peter’s own death. Peter points out another disciple (probably John) and says to Jesus, “Lord, what about this man?” Jesus says to Peter, “If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you? Follow Me!” I decided not to worry about what others were doing or had done. God has demonstrated to me that this is the purpose for my life right now. Above all, I want to be obedient to His call.
You know the story. You know the ending. Now know the heart of the Man.
You can become a part of the movement to reach the next generation. Donations can be made at www.NewJesusMovie.com
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