I grew up listening to the story of GomBurZa but I never thought that there’s more to know about these three Filipino martyrs than meets the eye. Recently, I watched the movie GomBurZa as which is now available on Netflix. I was just shocked at what I learned.

As I immersed myself in the movie, I couldn’t shake the feeling of how vastly different life is now compared to the era depicted. In today’s Philippines, we enjoy freedoms our ancestors could only dream of. Before I could notice it, my wife started crying at the end of the movie. The movie is just a sobering reminder of how much suffering is created when people forget about the worth of a human being.

While there have been numerous movie reviews circulating, I wish to offer a different perspective in this blog—a reflection from a Christian standpoint. Specifically, I aim to share five poignant spiritual lessons gleaned from the Gomburza movie.

Plot Summary of Gomburza Movie

Before we proceed to the lessons, let me just give you a quick summary of this movie. GomBurza stands for Mariano Gomez, Jose Burgos, and Jacinto Zamora. They were the three priests who were wrongly accused of starting a mutiny in Cavite in 1872.

The narrative unfurls with the fervor of Padre Pedro Pelaez’s vision for a church liberated from colonial shackles. But fate dealt a cruel blow with Padre Pelaez’s untimely demise, leaving the torchbearer of reform to be carried forward by the indomitable spirit of Padre Burgos. Together with Padre Gomez, they ignited a flame of enlightenment among students, intellectuals, and the middle class—a flame that would not be extinguished even in the darkest of times.

As hope bloomed under the tenure of Governor-General Carlos Maria dela Torre, so did the aspirations of a nation yearning for autonomy and dignity. But the winds of change soon turned tempestuous with the ascent of Governor-General Rafael Izquierdo—a man whose iron will seek to crush the burgeoning spirit of nationalism underfoot. In the chaos of rebellion and repression, the execution of our three martyred priests stood as a grim testament to the price of defiance.

Yet, their sacrifice was not in vain. For from the ashes of oppression rose the phoenix of resilience, inspiring generations to come, including our respected national hero, Jose Rizal. Through his pen, he immortalized the legacy of GomBurZa in the pages of “El Filibusterismo,” ensuring that their memory would endure through the annals of time.

Lesson no. 1: Freedom is Precious

GomBurZa was executed on February 17, 1872, in Luneta or Bagumbayan in the Tagalog dialect. A death that happened 150 years ago may not mean so much to us today. However, all of our heroes died for the freedom we enjoy today. Because we didn’t suffer just to have the freedom that we have, it is so easy to take it for granted.

In the movie, the struggle for freedom permeates every frame. From the clamor for ecclesiastical autonomy to the aspiration for national sovereignty, we witness the innate human yearning for liberation.

For us Christians, we are not truly free if we are still under the bondage of sin. We may not be trapped in a prisoned or no one might be limiting our movement, but we live in a world captive by Satan.

However, did you know that this world is captive by the Devil? Notice what the Bible tells us:

We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one. (1 John 5:19)

But there is hope. For those who believe in the Messiah, true freedom is found in His sacrifice. We read:

Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage (Galatians 5:1).

Lesson no. 2: False Religion oppresses people

Sadly, religion was one of the primary tools the Spanish government used to control the Filipinos. With the wrong application of what the Bible says, false religion has often been wielded as a tool to manipulate and oppress. In the Gomburza movie, we witness the exploitation of religious fervor to justify political tyranny and social injustice.

What’s more, the worst and most wicked people were not the common townsmen, but rather the people who stood behind the altar. The wicked people were not the ones who were wearing common clothes, but rather, those who wore priestly garments as we see in the Gomburza movie.

If religious deception happened in the past, it truly is still happening today and even in the future. Why? Revelation 12:9 tells us:

So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him (Revelation 12:9).

As you can see, the world is deceived. So, we should not be surprised how religious leaders and authorities pervert the Word of God just to serve their agenda.

This echoes Christ’s warnings about false prophets who come disguised as sheep but are inwardly ravenous wolves. We read in Matthew 7:15:

¹⁵ “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves (Matthew 7:15). 

As Christians, we are called to discern the spirits and uphold the truth of Christ, guarding against the allure of deceptive doctrines that lead astray. The Bible tells us:

​¹ Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world (1 John 4:1).

Lesson no. 3: True Justice from God

As I watched GomBurza, my heart just went out to the three priests. They were innocent. They were simply used as part of the show — to show the Filipino masses that even if you are priests and have Spanish blood in you, you’ll still be persecuted if you defy the government.

Sadly, no matter how much the priests tried to defend themselves, to explain that they were innocent, and to prove that they were doing nothing wrong, they were still executed in a gruesome manner.

Injustice and corruption still permeate to this day. It’s a fact of life. Thankfully, when God sends back His Son here on earth, justice will finally be served. Yes, we may not attain justice in this life, but I can assure you, that God is fair. He sees what you’re going through.

We read:

¹⁷ Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. ¹⁸ If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. ¹⁹ Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord (Romans 12:17-19).

Let God fight your battle. Let Him be your judge. Let Him bring you justice. Appeal to His mercy, love, and grace. As Christians, we find solace in knowing that God is the righteous judge who will one day bring every deed to light and render justice according to His perfect wisdom and mercy (Romans 12:19).

Lesson 4: God created us all equal

The moment you believe that your race is superior to others, that’s the time when you will justify injustice and persecution. In truth, there are no different races. We are all part of the human race. We are created by One God. We are all His creation.

We read:

²⁷ So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them (Genesis 1:27).

In the Gomburza movie, it is sad how people treat others simply because they are not of the same heritage. It’s sad to see how people will simply base your worth on your ethnicity, appearance, and social status.

As Christians, we are called to treat people with love, respect, and dignity. Don’t believe the life that respect is earned. Respect is given to all people no matter who they are. God plays no favoritism (Romans 2:11). Jesus Christ (Yahshua) didn’t die for a select people. He died for all humanity!

The inherent dignity and equality of all humanity are central themes in “Gomburza movie 2023.” Regardless of social status or ethnicity, every individual is created in the image of God, endowed with inherent worth and value. The martyrdom of GomBurZa serves as a stark reminder of the sanctity of human life and the divine mandate to love our neighbors as ourselves.

We must remember, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28).

Lesson no. 5: Divided we fall

The Spanish colonized the Philippines for more than 300 years. How did they do it? They successfully divided the Filipinos. They pit every Filipino against each other. They used divide-and-conquer tactics. To top it all, they used religion to keep the people at bay.

As a result, if you look into Philippine History, our country was marked with division and betrayal. Some of the most prominent heroes of the Philippines were killed because of betrayal. Gregorio del Pillar was betrayed. Antonio Luna was betrayed. Think about Andres Bonifacio, Jose Rizal, Diego Silang, and others.

In the Gomburza movie, we also witnessed how Fillinos betrayed their fellow Filipinos just to obtain the favor of the Spanish leaders. That’s just how life works. Thus, it should not be surprising that even to this day, betrayals are part of the Filipino culture.

But for us, Christians, we are to strive for unity. We read:

¹⁰ Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment (1 Corinthians 1:10).

Maybe, we should expect that betrayals are truly common. Even our Master and Savior who lived a perfect life was betrayed by His own disciple, Judas Iscariot. Not only that, but all except one deserted their Master, which can also be considered a betrayal.

Yet, in all these, we must imitate Christ’s love and forgiveness. We must also say the following words to the people who might betray us:

Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do” (Luke 23:34).

Bonus point: All Things Work Together for Good

Before I end this blog, there’s one more lesson I want to share with you. It is found in Romans 8:28:

²⁸ And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

Although the death of the three priests were tragic, it has actually ignited the patriotistic and nationalistic hearts of the Filipinos. Their death served as the fuel to the emerging fire that would eventually lead to bigger rebellion against the oppressive rulers.

Because of Gomburza, the Filipinos understood that there’s no future living in the hands of the Spaniards. They realized that they will forever be considered as a second-class citizen, always lower than the Spanish unless they do something.

In the same way, as Christians, sometimes, the tragedy in our lives are actually the stepping stones for us to reach a greater height of spiritual development. The greatest spiritual lessons are found in our biggest trials. In fact, one of the reasons that the Philippines is the only Christian country in Asia is because of the huge influence of the Spaniards.

Thus, you should never waste your pain. Use it. Learn from it. Grow through it. Remember, that whatever happens in your life, God can always use them for your ultimate good!

Learn the Spiritual Lessons from Gomburza Movie

These are just some of the most powerful spiritual lessons we can learn from the movie, Gomburza. I highly recommend that you watch the film. It would be worth your time. Of course, the director might have taken creative liberty to add more drama to the movie. However, I can still say that it effectively portrays the essence of the story of Gomburza.

How about you? Have you watched the movie? Let me know the lessons that you learned from the movie in the comment section. I’d love to hear from you.

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