“Jesus is alive and well and living in the radical spiritual fervor of a growing number of young Americans who have proclaimed an extraordinary religious revolution in his name.”
-TIME Magazine, 1971
JESUS REVOLUTION is a story about a spiritual awakening in America; perhaps the largest and most influential spiritual awakening in our nation’s history. The “Jesus Movement” led to Christian Contemporary Music and breathed new life into the Christian Church in America. Thousands upon thousands have put their faith in Jesus as a result of this historical movement, and as a Christian, I am forever grateful for the lasting effect this had all the way up through my childhood and early adulthood.
Jesus Revolution itself is one of the best faith-based films I have seen production-wise. It features a lot of very strong acting performances, some gorgeous cinematography, a moving score, and a-rockin’ soundtrack. The Erwin brothers have always been a cut above other Christian filmmakers in that aspect, and this is among the best they have done. Kelsey Grammer leads the pack in this dynamic cast, and he shows off his acting chops that dominated the Primetime Emmys for two and a half decades. The 27-year-old Joel Courtney also delivers a powerful performance here as the young Greg Laurie. Those two, along with the charismatic Jonathan Roumie and the surprising drama from Kimberly Williams-Paisley, really bring this story to life.
Jesus Revolution: A Compelling Story
Jesus Revolution: A Compelling Story As for the story, I found it very compelling. I grew up a few years after this movement and had only heard about it and seen bits and pieces of it in videos and in the Erwin brothers’ 2021 documentary THE JESUS MUSIC, so it was nice to see it dramatized here to learn more about it. I have my own bias on the methods from a Reformed Baptist perspective, so from here on out you can keep that in mind.
Although I feel Jesus Revolution is something that MOSTLY only Christians will watch, I couldn’t help but be disappointed in the lack of Gospel in this film. They got butts in seats to watch this, so why not slip in a Gospel presentation for those who need to hear it? There was no word on what Jesus did to earn our salvation, no mention of repentance of sin, and no depiction of what a regenerated life looks like. That bothered me a little.
It’s a little funny that this comes out at the time of the Asbury revival, which has also been criticized for its emotionalism and lack of explicit Gospel of Jesus Christ. My only hope is that this film (along with the revival I mentioned) sparks more conversation and questions that genuine believers can help others with.
God uses broken people to bring others into His family, so I’m not going to say it’s a bad thing at all. I would just want to challenge anyone who watches this and has questions to contact your local church or maybe even your Christian friends about what it all means. This is not me proselytizing, I just think everyone should fully understand something before completely dismissing it.
Quotes that stick with you
There were two quotes in Jesus Revolution that really stuck out to me:
“God says you don’t have to run anymore.”
A lot of us our running from something… something that can make us better if we would just commit to it. Whether it be in our relationships with spouses, kids, etc., not giving our all at our jobs, not making the effort to get healthy, or committing to a Christ-centered life. WE DON’T HAVE TO RUN. Step outside your comfort zone, and I promise you won’t regret it.
“You say that you are looking for the truth, but I think you are really just looking for an excuse to be unhappy.”
Man, that one hits home for me. I think a lot of people (me especially) don’t think they deserve happiness and will constantly fight against it. Here is a news flash: NONE OF US DESERVE HAPPINESS. I think deep down most people know that, and that’s why they fight it when it’s there. We are all broken in some way or another. That brokenness is usually as a result of others who came before us, and we end up repeating the same pattern.
We often do things that hurt others while only thinking of ourselves. We know it’s wrong, so we know we don’t deserve to be happy. But that shouldn’t stop us from taking the good things that life gives us and holding on to them. As a believer especially, we should accept those blessings with open arms. If I was slacking on my job, and my boss offered me a raise, do you think I would turn it down? Would you? Stop making excuses, and look for the blessings in your life. I promise you they are there if you will just look.
Check out the Jesus Revolution trailer here
