Randall Peltzer visits a Chinatown antique store looking for a Christmas gift for his son. Randall finds a small, furry creature called a mogwai that the shop owner, Mr. Wing, does not want to sell to him.
Mr. Wing's grandson decides to make a side alley deal with Randall. After selling Randall the mogwai, he gives Randall three important rules.
Look Mister, there are some rules that you've got to follow.
3 Important And Simple Rules
Randall was told the following rules on how to care for Gizmo, the adorable and very kind Mogwai.
Avoid bright lights since it hurts his eyes. You must avoid sunlight or it will kill him.
Don't give them water and never give him a bath.
and don't feed them after midnight.
Rules Are Broken
A short time late, Billy has his friend Pete over. Pete accidentally knocks over a glass with water in it.
The water gets on Gizmo who starts to scream and convulse as hair balls pop off of him. These hair balls turn into other Mogwai.
Soon the new Mogwai trick Billy into feeding them after midnight.
Breaking this rules turns the Mogwai in to Gremlins, who start causing havoc and mayhem.
The Gremlins bring about death and destruction to the town of Kingston Falls
Several people are killed and others injured by the Gremlins.
1 Important And Simple Rule
In Genesis 2:15-17 we read, "The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, 'You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.'"
There it is. One important and simple rule, do not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
That seems rather simple. Adam could eat from every tree. EVERY tree, but one.
In verse 18, we see the only time in the Creation account that God says something is not good. "Then the Lord God said, 'It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.'"
God proceeds to create livestock, all the animals of the fields and the birds for Adam. But none are suitable.
God eventually takes part of Adam's own body and creates Eve.
The 1 Rule Is Broken
We have no idea how long after Eve is created that the Serpent comes to her.
Nonetheless, the Serpent comes to Eve and says, "Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?"
This is a lie. God allowed eating of EVERY true but one.
In the next few verses we see Eve eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and give Adam some of the fruit as well.
The fall of humanity and the entrance of sin and death into the world happened simultaneously.
God brought about justice and punishment to the Serpent, Eve, and Adam.
The Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and above all beasts of the field; on your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life. I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”
To the woman he said, “I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children. Your desire shall be contrary to your husband, but he shall rule over you.”
And to Adam he said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” ~Genesis 3:14-19
Redemption
Since that time, billions of people have been born and have died. But thankful the promise in verse 15 was fulfilled in Jesus Christ.
Jesus was born of a virgin, His mother Mary. So He was "her offspring" and He did bruise Satan. And Satan bruised Jesus' heel when Jesus was nailed to the cross.
1 Corinthians 15:55-57 declares, "'Death is swallowed up in victory.' 'O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?' The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."
So, just as in the end of Gremlins, when the sun destroyed the evil Spike, the S-O-N destroyed sin.
Movie Rating and Review
The Motion Picture Association gave this movie a rating of PG because of violence.
Gremlins was theatrically released on June 8, 1984 by Warner Bros. with a PG rating. There was heavy criticism for some of its more violent scenes. In response to this and to similar complaints about Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Steven Spielberg suggested that the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) alter its rating system, which it did within two months of the film's release, creating a new PG-13 rating.
As a Christian, there certainly portions of this movie that are the opposite of Philippians 4:8 where Paul tells us, "Finally, brothers [and sisters], whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things."
I am aware that some of my fellow believers may not watch this film in its entirety. Hopefully, the scene and quote used in this devotional post allows someone to hear a non-believer make reference to this movie or quote and you, my fellow believer, can then use this devotional to bring in the Biblical truth this devotional shares.
Movie Information
Release Date: June 8, 1984
Starring: Zach Galligan, Phoebe Cates, Hoyt Axton, Polly Holliday, and Frances Lee McCain
Genre: Comedy Horror
Audience: 13+
MPA Rating: PG
Runtime: 106 minutes
Distributor: Warner Bros. and Amblin Entertainment
ReelDevotionals.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. If you purchase through these links, I may earn a small commission but it will not cost you any additional money.
This is a fan site and is in no way associated with any of the companies that produced or distributed the movies. The views are mine and mine alone. Unless you count comments or a guest post. But you get the idea.
Scroll to top
7 Reasons Jesus Would Use Films Today To Share His Message And We Should Too
