The Matrix (religion Connections)

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resurrection he contains a greater power within him. He becomes faster, stronger and the world no longer binds him in its reality. The same Agents who opposed him moments before seemed like child’s play things to him now. Using only one arm to defend himself, no longer dodging bullets, but stopping them in mid air. After exploding Agent Smith from within Neo even holds a glowing radiance from his new power.  Jesus also held a greater power after resurrection. The Bible says, “And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth." that wasn’t there before” (Matthew 28:18). The Bible also says, “And He was transfigured before them; and His face shone like the sun, and His garments became as white as light” (Matthew 17:2) Both of these passages tell us Jesus, like Neo, had become the all powerful being and they not only contained a new power with, but also visibly showed it on the outside. The second prominent event of symbolism comes in the very final scene of the film. The camera zooms out into the sky and Neo flies up into focus and into the camera as it turns to black. This is an ascension, same as Jesus did after his resurrection. It is said in the book of Mark, “So then, when the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God (Mark 16:19). Jesus ascends to Heaven just as Neo ascends into the sky therefore ending the film with the same ending as Jesus’s final moments on earth.

    The Matrix is a movie that clearly has strong ties to Christianity. It takes some of the most tiny details and morphs them into a narrative of purpose. Though average viewers may see the connections of Cypher to Judas or the resurrection of Neo as the resurrection of Jesus, many will miss the meaning behind the simple name of Thomas Anderson and the glow to Neo’s skin as he arises all powerful. These themes take an already complex film that already contains lots of subtext and adds an intriguing connection to things many viewers already know and understand. The Matrix is a film that not only transcends time, but transcends the norms of films by weaving in subtext of faith that so many viewers live their lives by.

Work Cited

"BibleGateway." John 20:24-29 - - Bible Gateway. Biblica Inc., n.d. Web. 30 June 2017.

John. New Testament. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print.

Mark. New Testament. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print.

Mathew. New Testament. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print.

"Matrix and Messiah Movie." Neo/Christ Parallels in The Matrix. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 July 2017.

Wachowski, Lana, and Lilly Wachowski. "The Matrix." The Matrix (1999) - Rotten Tomatoes. Rotten Tomatoes, 13 Mar. 2017. Web. 30 June 2017.

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