Easter weekend 2021 has now come and gone. While this Easter was still overshadowed by the effects of a global pandemic, it's meaning is no less significant; with some churches being able to celebrate the holiday physically together for the first time since 2019. During this time, Christians celebrate the events at the core of their faith: the physical resurrection of Jesus, the Christ.
The resurrection of Christ is the central pillar on which everything else sits in the faith. Paul of Tarsus (an author of sections of the New Testament of the Bible) states that If Christ is not raised from the dead then Christians will also not be raised and their faith is worthless; they are above all people to be most pitied.1 Paul claims everything in Christianity rises and falls on whether this resurrection actually occurred; it must, or there is no change from what was.
This theme of death and resurrection is actually a fairly common motif in great stories. Many writers will recognize it as a key turning point in “the hero’s journey” (a common storytelling structure). One of my favorite films to exemplify this theme is the 1999 classic, “The Matrix.” “The Matrix” set benchmarks in the industry for post-production and visual effects and, with those effects, crafted a story that got everyone’s attention at the turn of the millenium. With the recent announcement of a 4th installment starring everyone’s favorite Canadian action-hero, Keanu Reeves, the movie franchise (which ended in 2003) has been drawn back into the spotlight.
The Wachowskis (sibling writers and creators of the Matrix franchise) have often dealt with a hefty handful of philosophical themes in their work. “The Matrix” was no exception, addressing topics ranging from the nature of reality and fate, to the aforementioned motif of death and resurrection. With the recent advent of Easter, I thought it’d be worth a dive into the importance of resurrection and why the concept is so prevalent. Needless to say, I’m going to assume you've seen this movie and are familiar with its plot.
While “The Matrix” is not a “Christian” film in the strict sense, it’s no secret that the Wachowskis drew from many spiritual worldviews, including Christianity, to create their masterpiece. This film has often been cited in the Chistian community as a great allegory for the faith; both in terms of its portrayal of two worlds (i.e., Matrix/Zion and Physical/Spiritual) and of a messianic figure in Neo (Keanu Reeves); whose likeness and journey as a messiah in “The Matrix” mirrors that of Jesus Christ.
In the film, the Matrix (as a place) is little more than a computer simulation meant to keep humans from seeing the truth that they are slaves to AI and only used as a resource for the machines. There is a small resistance of humans who live outside the Matrix and have devoted their lives to spreading the truth to people still trapped inside. Among the resistance is a prophecy about a coming messiah (The One) who will free all of humanity from the machines. Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne), a prominent leader in the resistance, believes Neo to be this messiah.
Morpheus’ description of The One is remarkably similar to the apostle John’s description of Jesus in the New Testament. Observe.
Morpheus:
“When the Matrix was first built, there was a man born inside who had the ability to change whatever he wanted; to remake the Matrix as he saw fit. It was he who freed the first of us; taught us the truth.”
John:
“In the beginning was the Word [Jesus], and the Word was with God and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. . . . In him was life, and that life was the light of men. . . . The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” 2
There are some striking parallels here. In the Christian tradition, Jesus is fully man and fully God; a bridge linking the two worlds together (much like we saw in “Metropolis”). In “The Matrix,” The One is also fully man and fully of the Source (which the later Matrix films explain more deeply). Both messiahs are linked to a place outside the world they’ve come to save. They are born into that world they’ve come to save. They have power to create and reshape that world. They come to mankind freeing whomever they can from darkness and teaching them the truth.
And they both undergo death and resurrection.
Typically in storytelling (for fairly obvious reasons) both the death and resurrection of the hero are metaphorical. The hero must “die” to the old way of living and their old identity. They must surrender who they were in order to fully embrace the hero they are meant to be—bursting forth as a new creation; a new man. It is a necessary part of the hero’s journey if victory is ever to be achieved.
However, in both Jesus’ and Neo’s cases, they experience actual deaths and resurrections. Jesus was physically nailed to a cross and left to die a painful and agonizing death; Neo is violently shot to death in the hallway where the movie began. Both messiahs (for different reasons), must die. But just like in the typical hero’s journey, neither messiah is able to fully fulfill his role until he resurrects. It is impossible. All the claims and promises of peace with God and new life that Jesus made are only possible if he rose from the dead, stepping into that new life himself. Otherwise, his words are worthless. While Neo is touted to be the prophesied One the entire film, he doesn’t actually become that messiah until he inhales and rises from his mortal wound. Then and only then, is he The One.
As humans, we experience the opportunity for this cycle at certain junctions in our lives. There may be a great opportunity waiting for us ahead, but we cannot reach it so long as we cling to the past. Or we may experience fiery times of trial and hardship in our lives that crush us, but that allow us, if we willingly embrace them, the opportunity to rise from the ashes like a phoenix.
These are the two paths that Neo and Jesus embody. Neo wrestles against his identity for the majority of his story, unsure and even unwilling at times to pursue the path of a messiah. But once he lets go of who he was, and willingly embraces the deaths (on multiple levels) that come with the role, he becomes The One. Jesus knew precisely what the path held for him. He knew he would be betrayed and suffer intense pain at the hands of his persecutors. But, for the love of mankind and obedience to his purpose, he willingly embraced the suffering and sacrificed himself for the sake of others.
This is the role of a messiah. While in our own personal battles, our mini deaths and resurrections may indeed grow us in unexpected and victorious ways, it is only the death and resurrection of a messiah that gives us hope as a species for the future, providing a final destination. Resurrection leads to victory. Jesus’ resurrection leads to life itself.
1. 1 Corinthians 15:12-19
2. John 1:1-14
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