The second commandment given by God says, “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments” (Exodus 20:4-6). This commandment prohibits making idols or images to represent God for the purpose of worshipping them. However, there are differing views among Christians on whether portraying Jesus in movies violates this commandment.
Some Christians believe that any visual portrayal of Jesus in movies or art is prohibited by the second commandment. Their view is that Jesus is the incarnation of God in human form, so visually depicting Him inevitably leads to creating an image of God. Since God is infinite and transcendent, it is impossible to accurately portray His full divine nature in an artistic medium. Any attempt to portray Jesus runs the risk of limiting Him to the actor or artist’s own imagination and interpretation. This position holds that it is best to avoid portraying Christ at all in order to prevent misrepresenting God or worshipping a false image.
However, many other Christians believe portraying Jesus in film or art can be acceptable, so long as it is not done for purposes of worship. They point out that God prohibited idolatry, not art itself. As long as the portrayal is not being treated as an object of worship or a magical idol, it does not necessarily violate the commandment. Jesus lived on earth in human form, so it is not wrong to artistically represent His human appearance and actions described in Scripture, just as other biblical figures are depicted in art. The important distinction is between creating representations for teaching and artistic purposes versus creating idols meant to be worshipped or magical talismans.
Those who find portraying Christ acceptable under certain conditions make several key points. First, they say the Bible does not prohibit making artistic representations of real people or historical events, but rather the worship of those images. For example, God instructed artists to make decorations involving “likenesses of creatures” for the tabernacle (Exodus 26:1), showing He permitted figurative art so long as it was not worshipped. Second, they point out that God chose for His Son to become incarnate and take on a human face and body. Jesus’ human appearance and actions are described and celebrated in the Gospels without indicating portraying Him is forbidden. Third, they argue that when done appropriately portrayals of Jesus in movies can instruct people and direct worship to the real Jesus. Just as words and stained glass windows can teach about Jesus without becoming idols, respectful artistic portrayals can teach without necessarily being idolized. Lastly, they note that no portrayal could ever fully capture Jesus’ divine nature or replace a relationship with the living Christ. So long as the portrayal is not worshipped or assumed to be a complete representation of Jesus’ full identity, it does not necessarily violate the commandment.
Overall, there are good-faith arguments on both sides of this issue. For some Christians, it is safest to avoid portraying Jesus at all in order to steer clear of potential idolatry concerns. Others believe Jesus can be appropriately portrayed in art and film for artistic, teaching, or worship purposes, so long as the portrayal is not worshipped or presented as a complete embodiment of Jesus. Both sides would condemn using images of Jesus in a magical or idolatrous way. Discernment, wisdom, and a spirit of grace are needed to think through how this commandment applies to representing Christ in various contexts and cultures. The key principles are keeping the worship of God central, not falsely representing His full divine nature, and avoiding any images meant to be worshipped or used magically, as these would violate the biblical prohibition against idolatry.
Moving beyond the issue of whether portraying Jesus is permitted at all, Christians also discuss what makes for faithful versus problematic portrayals of Christ. Those who approve of respectfully depicting Jesus emphasize the need for discernment. For instance, they remind us that Jesus was Jewish, Middle Eastern, and a 1st century man, so portrayals should reflect this as opposed to a European Renaissance-era look. They encourage humility, avoiding pretense that any image could encapsulate Jesus’ divine glory. Portrayals focusing on Jesus’ teaching, healing, and mercy can instruct helpfully, while those emphasizing miraculous powers risk turning Him into a magic talisman. Any portrayal of Jesus should direct people to worship the true Jesus revealed in Scripture, not the actor or artwork itself. Approaches that become focal points for devotion themselves, encourage magical thinking, or significantly deviate from the Bible’s presentation could cross the line into violating the command against images.
Scripture gives some examples of faithfully using images for teaching without idolatry. For example, God commanded images of cherubim to be made over the ark of the covenant, not as idols, but as a visible reminder of spiritual realities (Exodus 25:18-22). In addition, Old Testament tabernacle decorations depicted almond blossoms and fruits to symbolize God’s provision and blessings (Exodus 25:33-34). Jesus Himself referenced the bronze serpent from the time of Moses, which had been used by God for healing but later became an idol (John 3:14). He condemned using it as an idol while endorsing its original God-ordained symbolic purpose. These cases demonstrate that images can be acceptable for instructional purposes when created prayerfully and used appropriately. However, the ever-present temptation toward idolatry means caution is needed.
Historical evidence demonstrates that well-intentioned artistic portrayals of Jesus have at times devolved into problematic practices over time. The iconoclastic controversies in the Byzantine empire revolved around debates over using images of Jesus. Some of the original concerns included people praying to the images themselves and ascribing supernatural power to the mere paintings. In time, reforms addressed these issues and established that icon images were to be venerated but not worshipped themselves. This complex history illustrates the wisdom of keeping safeguards to prevent well-meant portrayals from becoming idols.
When evaluating modern portrayals of Jesus in film, discernment is needed. Some portrayals align better than others with how the Gospels present Jesus, but no portrayal is without flaws. As long as a portrayal is not idolized, worshipped, or assumed to fully encapsulate the glory of the Son of God, it may fall within acceptable limits. However, worship scenes in films always risk encouraging idolatry of a human form. Actors themselves tend to avoid viewing their role as encapsulating Jesus fully. Wise perspective should be maintained by all involved. With prudence, portrayals of Jesus on film can instruct people about Him without necessarily violating prohibitions against images as idols and talismans. But wisdom advises careful vigilance because of how easily artistic representations can take on idolatrous significance over time.
In determining the advisability of a portrayal of Jesus, key questions to consider include:
– Does it add to or detract from the scriptural teachings about Jesus?
– Is the portrayal worshipful toward the real Jesus, or does it encourage idolizing the image itself?
– Does it depict Jesus’ humanity in a respectful way, or does it seem to falsely imply perfect knowledge of divine mysteries?
– Does it signify miraculous power residing in the image itself as a magical object?
– Does it point people to encounter the risen Christ through faith and Scripture, or solely experience Him incarnate through this limited portrayal?
– Does it stay rooted in the biblical account or take inappropriate artistic license?
– If used in worship contexts, does it direct thoughts, prayers, and praise toward God incarnate or encourage revering the visual image itself?
– Does it encourage submission to Jesus’ Lordship and teachings, or more superficial reverence?
– Is adequate discernment exercised by clergy and laypeople to prevent practices from devolving into treating portrayals as idols over time?
These kinds of questions can help assess if a portrayal appropriately and faithfully reflects specific aspects of Jesus for artistic and instructive purposes, or if it begins to usurp the rightful place of the Son of God in worship. Prayerful and thoughtful use of drama, art, and film portrayals of Jesus can enrich understanding about Him. But vigilance is always required. Due to humanity’s innate tendency toward idolatry, faithful adherence to the second commandment requires carefully ensuring that reverent portrayals never become misused as objects of worship themselves. With wisdom and discernment by clergy, artists, and laypeople, depicting Jesus can be kept within appropriate bounds that avoid ultimate worship of anything other than God Himself.
The evangelist Luke states that “many have undertaken to compile a narrative” about Jesus (Luke 1:1). The quest to convey His significance through the arts is laudable in motive. However, the risks of misrepresentation and idolatry are ever-present. Disagreements among Christians about portraying Jesus indicate these are thorny issues requiring careful reflection and guidance of the Holy Spirit. Perhaps the healthiest approach is one of liberty along with accountability within community. The body of Christ needs all believers to walk together in unity while extending grace to those with differing views on what best honors God. Since no artistic representation of Jesus is without flaws, humility is needed along with thoughtfulness. Images both instruct and run the risk of distorting truth at times. So they require both freedom and accountability to preserve Christ-centered worship and teaching.
Ultimately, the second commandment was given by a God who desires truth and wisdom to flourish among His people. Its prohibition of idolatry upholds the true worship of the one true God and the honor due His name. How exactly portrayals of Jesus fit within this commandment will likely continue being assessed by Christians of good faith with different conclusions. Through prayer and humble seeking of the Holy Spirit’s wisdom, Jesus can be faithfully followed even in the debatable areas of His artistic depiction. Where the purpose is to glorify Christ and instruct people about Him through creative gifts, and caution is exercised against idolatry, portrayals of Jesus may avoid violating the commandment. But where the focus shifts to human artistry and imagination portraying Christ in untrue ways or encouraging idolatrous practices, the risks of transgression increase. Across all differences of opinion, upholding the worship of the triune God and the testimony of Scripture should remain the chief aim. The body of Christ must continually help each other apply His commands faithfully while extending grace in areas of disagreement. Above all, the living Christ who surpasses any artistic representation of Himself should remain the focus and recipient of worship.