Additional Similarities

Hopefully, we’ve been able to convince you that there is some similarity
between Rambo and Jesus. That similarity happens naturally with many
of our “hero” stories because deep down inside, we are working out our
“hard-wired” nature of knowing the true God of the Universe.
• What are the “heroic” aspects of Jesus that seem to show up in
many of our stories?
First
• What additional similarities can you find between the story of
Rambo and the story of Jesus? I think I saved some good ones
for you.
bloodA story about Jesus

Please don’t throw this away. If you’re not going to use it, leave it for
someone else to use.

A study Finding Jesus in

Rambo: First Blood
Introductory Statements
Before we get into the movie, we should lay down a couple of warnings
and ground rules:
• Jesus is the spotless lamb of God, the movie is far from spotless
when it comes to language. (Notably, it is almost never that the
‘good guys’ cuss.)
• Hey, guess what, the Rambo film has violence. Who knew?
• Jesus does not equal Rambo, Rambo does not equal Jesus.
• Watching Rambo without reading the Bible is still just watching
Rambo. Watching Rambo alongside the Bible, is something a
little different.
He came to Holidayland, and Holidayland did
not receive Him
The name of the town that Rambo is picked up in is “Holidayland”,
(scene 3) and under the sign it says “welcome to Hope”, yet there doesn’t
seem to be anything “hopeful” about the scene that John Rambo walks
into.
• Read John 1:1-11
• What things did the sheriff do to let Rambo know that he was
unwelcome in Holidayland?
• What things do people do to show that Jesus is unwelcome in our
towns and cities?
40 days
Jesus was driven out into the desert by the Holy Spirit. Rambo, similarly,
was driven out into the wilderness (scene 8) where he is tempted several
times: to give himself up, to kill unnecessarily, to give up his sense of
honor.
• Read Matthew 4:1-11
• Jesus is tempted by the devil three times. What sort of things
does the devil try to tempt Jesus with?
• Rambo responds “I can’t do that,” when Col. Trautman tells him
to give himself up. Jesus responds “I won’t do that” to Satan’s
temptations. What are we tempted by in the “wilderness” around
us?
By His stripes, we are healed
Interestingly, John Rambo is “baptized” by the guards during his time in
prison. This time is also when many similarities between Jesus and
Rambo appear.
• Read Luke 22-23, and/or Matthew 27
• What happens to Rambo that reminds you of Jesus’ passion
story? (Watch scenes 4-7 if necessary)
• Jesus’ suffering and death paid the price for our sins. Knowing
that He had the power to stop it at any moment, He let it happen.
What would you let someone do to you in order to save a friend?
And was buried, and on the third day…
There appears to be a very clear association with Jesus when Rambo is
“buried” in a tomb – the old mineshaft. The soldiers gloat over his
death, taking pictures. Sheriff Teasle screams “the best man lost, and he
(Trautman) doesn’t like it.” After some time in the tomb, however,
Rambo emerges from the tomb to claim victory.
• Read Acts 2:22-24 and John 20:19-31.
• We talk about Jesus’ resurrection as a “victory” but it doesn’t go
around getting revenge like Rambo does. How is it still a victory?
The Problematic Ending
In the original story of Rambo, which was based on the book “First
Blood”, Rambo ends his own life by committing suicide. While he does
not end his own life in the movie, the end of the movie shows a
seemingly defeated Rambo being marched off to prison. Jesus’ story
“ends” quite differently – both when He leaves this earth forever, and
when our age ends as heaven comes to earth.
• Read Luke 24:36-53 and Revelation 21:1-8.
• What is tragic about the last scene of Rambo? Has Rambo gone
through a transformation by the end of the movie? How is the
tragedy of Rambo like our lives or the lives of non-Christians
sometimes?