Speaking the ‘JESUS’ Film for Easter

Dozens of Karamojong warrior shepherds gather around a screen to see the JESUS film in their native tongue in northeastern Uganda. [Image by IMB]

Even cultures that don’t know Jesus know Easter is a big deal.

“People basically understand – even if they’re in other countries and they don’t know much about Christianity – most people understand at some level that when Easter and Christmas roll around, that’s got something to do with Christianity; that’s got something to do with Jesus,” said Tom Terry, head of Global Broadcast Strategy for the Jesus Film Project. “So we want to take advantage of that mentality to be able to present them the story of Christ during those times of the year.”

That’s why TWR (also known as Trans World Radio) is collaborating with Jesus Film Project again this Easter to present the audio version of JESUS film to specific people groups and languages.

Since the filmed retelling of the Gospel of Luke was created in 1979, JESUS has been translated into more than 2,100 languages and resulted in more than 600 million decisions for Christ, according to data from Jesus Film Project. About 11% of those who see it come to faith in Christ, Terry said.

The film is shown on television as well is on big screens in community settings. But in some places, those options aren’t available, Terry said. That’s where radio comes in.

“Some people think radio is dead, but actually radio is very much alive all the way around the world, where people can hear the story of Jesus as a result of a radio broadcast,” he said.  

The audio version, known as The Story of Jesus, brings its own element to the storytelling, said Ralf Stores, director of Global Media Services for TWR.

“There are different senses that are engaged when you’re engaging in an audio that you don’t necessarily get in a video, because the video attempts to do it for you,” he said.

The Story of Jesus was developed in 1997 and now is available in more than 400 languages. This release, which will be aired in the weeks before and after Easter, will be heard in 11 languages in nine countries. Because of the sensitivity of places involved, Jesus Film Project asked that they not be named. They’ll be heard either in the entire 90 minutes or in 30- or 15-minute segments, Stores said.

Stores encourages believers to pray for the success of this season’s release.

“I think the prayer would be, number one, that the broadcasts go out unhindered, that everything go according to plan,” he said. “That people not only listen but engage with the content and follow up if they do have questions. That God would lead them to either through the broadcast itself receive Jesus or that if they had questions afterward that they would not hesitate to hit the contact number. … I would pray for a harvest.”

The goal is straightforward. “The criteria for getting JESUS on television or radio is really very simple,” Terry said. “The vision for JESUS film is to get Jesus to everyone everywhere.”

Jesus Film Project is a ministry of Cru (formerly Campus Crusade for Christ).