The Jesus Film Project Releases 2,000th Translation: ‘We Praise God for What He’s Done’
By Movieguide® Staff
The Jesus Film Project recently released their 2,000th translation of their gospel movie, JESUS, about the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.
The most recent translation is in Zo, a language spoken by 65,000 people worldwide, including immigrant communities across the U.S.
The language of Zo originates in Myanmar, whose primary religion is Buddhism. However, due to the persecution of other religions, native Zo speakers are scattered worldwide.
In a new press release, Cru revealed that The Jesus Film Project held screenings in Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas; Atlanta, Georgia; and Fort Wayne, Indiana, for local Zo communities.
“Being able to release ‘JESUS’ in Zo is the payoff of years of innovation and dedication,” Josh Newell, executive director of Jesus Film Project, said. “The most dignified thing that we can do is share the story of Jesus in a way that people can understand, and in a way that doesn’t need any translation. We’re excited for what the future holds as we continue to translate this life-changing story.”
In a recent announcement on YouTube, Josh Newell, the executive director of Jesus Film, and his wife, Holly, celebrated the milestone.
“We believe that lives are changed when people have an opportunity to hear about Jesus. So this milestone—the ‘JESUS’ film in 2,000 languages—isn’t just a number. It represents what God has done in the lives of people around the world, as they’ve had the chance to hear about Jesus in their own language,” Holly Newell said.
“It’s a celebration of all that God has done over 40 years. It’s also a celebration of a coming day when no one will have to learn a second language to hear Jesus say, ‘I love you,'” Josh added.
The original JESUS movie debuted in 1979 and has now been watched by over 10 million people of all different nationalities and tongues.
The renowned, award winning, Jewish filmmaker, John Heyman, was producing a visual translation of the Bible as several movies called the Genesis Project with Dr. Ted Baehr’s input and teamed up with Ted’s friend Bill Bright to edit out the JESUS FILM for theatrical distribution. Ted’s friend Barry Reardon, EVP of Distribution at Warner Bros. agreed to distribute it which saved Warner’s bottom line in 1979 and 1980. The Annual Faith & Values Awards Gala has honored The JESUS FILM several times, including when it achieved 1000 translations. Ted even got the pleasure of showing the movie to a remote Hmong tribe near the peak of the highest mountain on the border of Laos and Thailand. Ted notes, “The JESUS movie has led many people to Jesus Christ and has been accompanied by many miracles. I am grateful to have been able to have several connections with it over many years.
“We praise God for what He’s done through 2,000 translations of JESUS. Above all we look on with excitement at God’s boundless message and what He’ll do moving forward,” the Jesus Film Project website reads.
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Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.
What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.
You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.
Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.
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