For the last several years it has been my custom to watch “Passion of the Christ” on Good Friday. It is a masterpiece in my opinion, an opinion that when it comes to cinema is worth less than Steven Greydanus but probably more than Roger Ebert. I love the film and in particular, I love Jim Caviezel as Jesus.

At first I thought that Caviezel is definitely my favorite Jesus, and he may well be. But to be fair, I thought we should take a look at some of the other Jesuses.

Max portrayed Jesus in The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965). That’s the movie in which Charlton Heston played John the Baptist. I am sorry, but Max’s Jesus is a little creepy. And creepy is not what you want in a Jesus. I wouldn’t leave my kids alone with Max’s Jesus. And what is with that beard? I know it was 1965 and all, but Max’s Jesus is just a little too beatnik for me. However, Max made up for it just 8 years later when he played Fr. Merrin in the Exorcist.

Speaking of Charlton Heston, Claude Heater played Jesus in Ben Hur. Not that anyone would know that because all we ever saw of Claude’s Jesus was the back of his head. That said, he had nice Jesus hair.