• March 28, 2024

INSPIRING! Isolated People Group React to Hearing About Jesus for the First Time!

In a world in which technology and communication methods are ever-changing and evolving, there’s a fascinating story about a decades-old film that continues to change lives around the globe.

The movie, titled “JESUS,” is “a two-hour feature film based on the Gospel according to Luke,” that was first released in 1979. It has since been taken around the world by The Jesus Film ministry, part of Cru (formerly known as Campus Crusade for Christ).

And, remarkably, the nearly 40-year-old movie has been translated into 1,500 languages, viewed by billions and has specifically led 200 million people across the globe to become Christians — a pretty startling figure. In fact, the movie has been so rabidly translated that it was recognized by The Guinness Book of World Records in 2012 as the “Most Translated Film” in history.

Naturally, the story surrounding the “JESUS” film is remarkable for a plethora of reasons. First, there’s the stunning notion that a decades old movie can still resonate so profoundly. But, beyond that, there are the countless stories of life change that continue to emerge as a result of the movie’s inspiring and transformational content.

Josh Newell, director of marketing and communications for Jesus Film, recently told Faithwire about an incredibly moving story surrounding a Jesus film missions team that went into a rural area of the Andes to share the film with a people group that was so separated from modern culture that its inhabitants literally lived in the rocks.

“They were cliff-dwelling people … (the missionaries) along with a team went up to the rock people and were showing the ‘JESUS’ film on a 16mm set,” he said. “And people were literally crawling out of the rocks and, viscerally, you have this experience that you watch people that shouldn’t be behaving like animals, (they’re) people.”

But because The Jesus Film crew had translated the movie into that people group’s language, the gospel story, which they had likely never heard before, came to life in a deeply profound way.

“As they watched the ‘JESUS’ film and heard Jesus speak in their own language, it was more than movie at that point. It was a visitation of God and of hope into their lives,” Newell explained. “And over the course of the movie you can come see people become erect and stand differently and behave differently, and so life changes happening at a really personal level, but also at a societal level too.”

And that’s just one of the many stories the ministry has seen inside communities across the globe, with Newell explaining that The Jesus Film has conducted deep explorations into the impact the film has on communities in both Africa and India and has found that cultural practices surrounding alcoholism, sexual infidelity and other issues have actually been curbed as a result.

 

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