The Story of Jesus and its Influence on Me

There is no denying the fact that the story of Jesus' crucifiction has an impact on anyone who hears it. Everyone reacts differently to the tale. Some think that Jesus was just a man and that his death was a waste. Others think that Jesus was a great prophet but nothing more. Others still tink that he was a hypocrite and a liar. However, I and many others think that Jesus was what he claimed to be; the Son of God.

The first tellings of the story date back thousands of years to Roman times, when the practice of Christianity was in its infancy. The story of jesus was spread even further when the Roman Caesar Theodocious made Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire.

When I was little the story of Jesus was something that I heard about in sunday school. Even the many plays and songs on the subject were just ways to tell the story that I heard so many times. It wasn't until several years after I moved to Louisiana that the story had meaning for me. During a church retreat when I started to think about the crucifiction. It seemed somewhat absurd that a single man died for the entire world. That was, until I realized that I was part of that world Jesus saved. Two-thousand years later his sacrifice was still valid for anyoonw who believed. it was then that the story started to have a meaning for me. To think that Jesus cared enough for the world, even me, to die was a mind boggling thought. Another thought then occured to me; Jesus didn't have to die. he could have started the entire world all over again. But he sacrificed himself anyways.

Over the years, this story has been told and retold in so many ways all across the world. It has been made into movies, plays, books, radio dramas, and so many other things. Most notably in my opinion are Jesus Christ Superstar, by Andrew Lloyd Webber, and the not-too-recent movie, The Passion of the Christ. Both of these retellings are very well known and have recieved many awards. I found watching the play and the movie to be difficult at times. Watching Jesus being beat almost beyond recognition made me realize just how much Jesus suffered. It made it easier to imagine the pain he went through.

There are probably many reasons that Jesus' crucifiction has been told so many times in so many ways. Maybe we as humans just like the story. Or maybe we dont but just see it as something to get over with. I think the reason the tale had been told so often is because it tells the story of someone who loved everyone so much he died for them. Everyone relates to this story because it is for everyone, not just for people who are "religious".