Omar Sharif's Saint Peter - Special Features DVD

Omar Sharif Saint Peter DVD

Imperium: St. Peter is a powerful biopic of the life of Peter chronicling his life after Jesus' death on the cross. This 2005 Italian made-for-tv film starring Omar Sharif gives a compelling look at a fascinating man from New Testament. Being the most well-known disciple, many people know about Peter and His devotion to Christ. But not many people realize the incredible ministry he created after Jesus' resurrection and ascension into heaven. While we know about his life with Jesus, we don't often realize the impacting role he had in helping lead the church and helping spark a religion that is still in existence 2,000 years later.

The Disciple Peter, would later become Cephas, underwent a name change when Jesus called him to be a disciple and spent time with Him, training him to lead the people and evangelize once Jesus' time on earth was through. After spending three years with Jesus, Peter began to finally understand everything. He chose to take on the monumental task of bringing Jesus to the world once Jesus had moved on from this earth. He, along with the other disciples, received the holy spirit at Pentecost and began speaking to the world about Jesus' saving power. He continued his ministry at any cost, eventually presumably becoming martyred down for his beliefs. Because of his incredible work in following the Great Commission and preaching the Gospel, Peter has now become a vital figure in the Catholic church as Saint Peter. Imperium: St. Peter helps bring clarity to his life bringing new insights into the life of an incredible biblical figure.

Behind the Scenes

Imperium: St. Peter originally premiered on television in Italy in 2005 and starred Omar Sharif as the title character, St. Peter. It was originally released under the title of San Pietro, but eventually came to other countries as St. Peter. It is a part of the Imperium series, which is a collection of 5 British-Italian movies featuring key events and character in Roman Empirical History. Other films in the series include Pompeii, Nero, and Augustus.

The Story of Saint Peter

The story of Peter begins in the four gospels where we can see him being called by Jesus to leave his fishing life and pursue a higher calling. It's a fascinating divine orchestration that this simple man leading a simple life of a fisherman would be called by the son of God to lead a revolution that would forever change the face of the planet. And so over the next 3 years, Peter, his brother Andrew, and the 10 other disciples would follow Jesus, learning about His teachings and learning about the new covenant He was bringing to the world. Jesus promised them life and life to the fullest. He showed them a way out of the broken and crippled world and gave the disciples a chance to follow Him.

All of the disciples would help Him and learn more from Him and 11 of them (the odd one out being Judas Iscariot) would go on to spread His message post-ascension. Peter was usually known as the stubborn one of the group, having some unique and occasionally impractical ideas about how things should be done. One famous event between Peter and Jesus is when Jesus asked Peter three times if he truly loved Him, every time Peter saying he did love him, like a friend.

While Peter did have a few incidents in which Jesus had to call him out on, Peter would go on to become the leader in the group. And when Jesus ascended into the heaven, He left them with one mission; to go into all the world and make disciples of all nations. And that they did. Shortly after, Pentecost occurred, in which the Holy Spirit came down upon the disciples and they found themselves able to speak in languages they never had before known. Because of this incredible gift from God, they were able to go on and preach the word to anyone and everyone. With newly rekindled fire, they continued spreading the gospel and the good news of Jesus. Peter was always an active leader in the church, traveling across the known world to spread Jesus' message. Working with other disciples, he was able to bring Jesus to many different people groups, planting churches and beginning ministries wherever he could.

Peter continued to do his life's work and grow his ministry for over 30 years. While we don't know for sure how or when he died, Christian tradition typically holds that he was martyred under the brutal reign of Nero Augustus Caesar. It is also normally believed that he was crucified upside down, so as to set himself apart from Jesus. He didn't want to be crucified the same way as Jesus, so as to be put on the same plane as Him. Even with his dying breath, he wanted to worship God and give Him the glory by always remembering that Jesus was far greater than he could ever be. And so, Peter eventually died, but he left an incredible mark on the world at large. Jesus gave him the message, and Peter helped to deliver it, forever changing the course of history.

Conclusion

Imperium: St. Peter is an excellent addition to the Italian produced Imperium series and gives a fascinating look at the life of an important and influential Biblical character. One of the fathers of the early church, Peter helped to bring the message of Jesus to the world, taking what he had learned in his 3 years with Jesus and spreading the good news to the masses. Peter helped start churches and communicate the message of a powerful God to a city, a nation, and eventually the entire world. And it all began with the 12 disciples, and the one who would lead them forward in the difficult days following Christ's ascension; Saint Peter. If you are interested in learning more about St. Peter or care to learn more about all biblical history in general, this is a fascinating film spotlighting a fascinating slice of history early on in the New Testament.