“But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.” (ESV)

“But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.” (NIV)

For most of us, daily life doesn’t involve regular encounters with violence or death. Unless we’re a first responder, nurse, or an ER doctor, most of the violence we witness happens on a screen. Yet despite that distance, those onscreen images still can carry immense weight. 

The entertainment industry recognizes the power of visual storytelling, which is why it created a ratings system based on elements like blood and realistic violence. Depictions of death and brutality can affect us deeply, even when they are fiction, and that’s true for everyone, not just Christians. Human life is precious. It’s also fragile.

Movies with "R" ratings for gore leave us unsettled, but if we think of them critically, they can actually point us back to the one death that changed everything: when Jesus died on the cross. While screen violence leaves us disturbed, the most gruesome event in human history is the very thing that brings us peace.

Jesus was gruesomely beaten, his skull was pressed with thorns. He was flogged within mere breaths of death. He endured torture and humiliation willingly, knowing He alone could pay a debt we could never cover. Because spiritual brokenness carries the penalty of eternal separation from God, only Christ's flawless sacrifice could satisfy what perfection required. Leviticus 17 reminds us that “the life of the flesh is in the blood,” and throughout Scripture, we see how deeply God values it. Ultimately, no blood is more sacred or powerful than the blood of Jesus.

Jesus allowed his body to be beaten and bruised, and He gave His very life. Jesus paid it all. All to Him we owe. Our hearts and minds were made to worship and to delight in life lived to the fullest, through Christ.

So the next time we choose a movie, and check out the rating, let’s remember the cost that was paid for our lives. Let’s offer a prayer of gratitude to the Lord for choosing to literally, physically, give His blood for our healing, and thank Him for the peace He alone could give.

Written by LeeAnn Randall