Lent on the Small Screen: Watch Movies Based on All Four Gospels (and Win One, Too!)

The Jesus Film (1979)

If The Gospel According to St. Matthew is the most prestigious Gospel movie, the Jesus Film is unquestionably the most watched. Released as Jesus to a rather lukewarm reception in 1979, it found new life after Campus Crusade’s Bill Bright took it under his wing and formed the Jesus Film Project in 1985. The movie has now been translated into 1,500 languages (and counting) and, according to the film’s backers, has been the catalyst for 200 million people becoming Christian.

While not a word-for-word retelling of the Gospel of Luke, the Jesus Film comes pretty close. And while it does show its age a bit, it’s still a very serviceable and, for many, much-beloved depiction of the life of Christ. You can watch it for free at http://www.jesusfilm.org/watch.html. You can see it on YouTube, as well.