“E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial Comes To Show Us the Way!”

 Lessons From the Outer Limits: Bonding with A Being From Another World – Part #5

 By Richard Allen – December 1, 2025

There is no Sci-Fi movie that mirrors parts of the Gospel better than Stephen Spielberg’s: “E.T. The Extra Terrestrial!” This 1982 box office success earning $797,307,407.00 “world-wide” in its first run. Over the years, this ugly – but loveable three-foot-tall Space Alien – worked his way into the hearts of many die hard Sci-Fi buffs, becoming an instant classic in the process. Compared to box office revenues, Spielberg’s production costs were a mere $10,500,000.00 – making it a huge money maker on a global scale. Whether we knew it then, or have learned since, part of the reason for this movie’s “allure” is that it embodies timeless themes that resonate within the human heart: E.T. was a kind, gracious creature with healing powers, who connected with “children” and showed us all a better way to live!  In fact, the whole movie could be summed up in E.T.’s final words to Elliott as he left for his home in the heavens: “Be Good, I’ll be right here,” as he pointed to Elliott’s head.  Let me go so far as to say that “E.T. came to earth in order to show us the way – to Be Good, to Love and Care for others!”

I am in no way claiming that E.T. – neither the character nor the movie – was proclaiming the Gospel or Salvation. But to the unbelieving world, he was a gentle creature, sensitive to the hurts and feelings of others – who connected with “little children,” of whom we are told “the Kingdom of God belongs” (Matthew 19:14).  In spite of the lack of threat from E.T. or his basic goodness, the dastardly government wanted to capture and experiment on him! It would appear that Steven Spielberg intended for his audience to “spiritually” respond to this movie.  The picture above invites a direct comparison to Michelangelo’s painting of creation, with the “hand of God touching man.”  Only the movie’s marketing picture shows not God, but the hand of E.T., touching Elliott!  E.T. is another of those Gospel Reflections that permeate the hearts of men of every culture.  Here’s how Beliefnet, a Catholic website, describes the movie in its online article, “Gospel Parallels in E.T.”

“Melissa Mathison (writer) and Steven Spielberg (director), did not set out to create something theological. Rather, they tapped into stories and myths present in many cultures about incarnations. Scriptural parallels are obvious, however, and add supernatural significance to the filmmakers' E.T. creation.” [ https://www.beliefnet.com/faiths/catholic/2002/03/gospel-parallels-in-e-t.aspx ]

The movie starts out introducing this “being from another world,” who after landing, is only able to find lodging in a garden shed – not much better than a ‘stable.’  His presence is eventually discovered by a young boy named Elliott, who lived in a “fatherless home” with his family. After luring him with Reese’s Pieces, Elliott receives E.T. into his home, hiding him in his room. His busy mom is clueless for most of the film, but E.T. is adored by the children in Elliott’s house. Much of the plot in E.T. is focused on his “desire to go home.” And while E.T. loved Elliott and other living things, he knew that he belonged somewhere else, and longed to go there. When we consider Jesus Christ, the “God-Man” who was “made in every respect like His brethren” and “could be touched with our human infirmities" (Hebrews 2:17; 4:15-16), it’s easy to downplay Jesus’ deity. Scripture tells us that He had to Himself, condescending to even dwell with us:

^“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore, God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:5-11).

E.T. mirrors a pseudo-Christ in multiple ways. We learn that even though E.T. is not bound by the physical laws of this world, he still avoids and hides from his government pursuers. Jesus was also able to overrule the physical laws on earth, yet mostly subjected Himself to the powers that would ultimately “scourge and crucify Him.” E.T. could also make objects levitate and fly to the amazement of his siblings!  E.T. is also able to “heal with a touch,” just as Christ demonstrated during His earthly ministry. After Elliott cuts his finger on a saw blade, E.T. shows his deep connection to him by bonding with him and assuming his hurts and infirmities (Matthew 8:17). This connection of mind and spirit was such, that when Elliott and his family are gone to work and school for the day, E.T.’s discovery and consumption of beer puts E.T. in front of the Television, watching John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara in “The Quiet Man.” And when E.T. views the romantic scene where Wayne finally kisses O’Hara – the result is an inebriated Elliott releasing all the frogs destined to be “dissected” and kissing a young girl, significantly taller than he!  Even though Elliott gets into trouble, the scene is cinematic magic. The Gospels repeatedly show Christ – not bound by the physical laws of nature, “walking on the sea, turning water into excellent wine, feeding thousands of people with pieces of bread and a few fish – and healing all kinds of diseases” (Matthew 4:23).

The strong connection that Elliott forms with E.T. and other living things (including a wilted geranium that E.T. restores to life) – drives the plot, but never explains why E.T.'s health begins to deteriorate. As the bad guys from the government finally finds E.T. and Elliott, realizing that both are sick – quarantine both – which escalates bothe E.T.'s and Elliott's physical decline. They are both dying without any real explanation. When E.T. does finally expire, Elliott is released from the strong connection and is restored to life as a healthy ten-year-old boy.  But as E.T.’s family from the other world approaches, E.T. himself “resurrects” back to life. Elliott is first aware that “E.T. is no longer dead, but alive” when he notices his geranium come back to life! And even though E.T. is alive once again, “he must return to his heavenly home” from where he had come. In a powerful climax to the movie, E.T. prepares to leave this world, returning to his family – but not before giving a sad and hurting Elliott clear instructions. Elliott didn’t want him to leave, but E.T. had to go. 

Sadly, there is a darker side to E.T. The Extra Terrestrial, a side while not openly presented, is still there in living color! E.T. is a False Gospel, promoted by a progressive entertainment industry in our culture. As much as we might marvel that writer Melissa Mathison and director Steven Spielberg captured many parts of the Christian Gospel, they did so – not to promote the truth of Jesus Christ, but to “divert attention” away from the real Christ. This is also the same resulting delusion on which we reflected with “The Day The Earth Stood Still,” the first blog in this series. So it turns out that two things are going on at the same time: 1.) Men reveal that even while “dead in sin,”  we still have some knowledge of God, “therefore we are without excuse.” But 2.) We pervert that knowledge of God, often making it into something that is untrue, even if it contains many features that are true! A little bit of error mixed in with a Biblical Truth, makes it an untruth. Here’s what Paul said to the Church in Galatia:

“You were running well; who hindered you from obeying the truth?  This persuasion did not come from Him who calls you.  A little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough” (Galatians 5:7-9).

Don’t get me wrong, E.T. is a False and Destructive message – Not because it’s a scary Sci-Fi movie with blood and guts, no, its real danger lies in its seemingly “kind and positive” images – with loads of love and fun for all. To be blunt, E.T. is just like other “False Religions” at their worst!  Truth, justice or the Holiness of God are nowhere to be found. As a movie, “moral relativism” abounds in E.T.  The only group that appears to have any rules or standards are the unnamed “bad guys” from the government. It’s like living in a mirrored world, “everything that’s considered good is false, and everything that is bad is promoted as true! This phenomenon is standard fare with the “woke progressive activists” who are currently destroying our culture from within. The “pseudo-Messiah” from the movie E.T. calls upon no one to “repent and turn from sin.” No, E.T. only asks that we “be kind and accepting” of one another.  The biggest deception of E.T. is that “love and kindness will triumph in the end.” 

In many ways, Steven Spielberg has created his own “Pantheon of the Gods,” much as the Roman Empire had at the time Jesus, the real Messiah, walked the earth. Rome practiced a form of “inclusion,” called syncretism, that was “inclusive” in the worst sense:  As they conquered each kingdom or nation around them, they incorporated their gods into the “Pantheon” to be just one more option.  Spielberg has made movies promoting, or at least paying homage to: Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism and several movies like “E.T. and Close Encounters” that acknowledge the “gods from outer space.”  But if all these deities are honored as gods, then “none of them are gods!” Jesus is not just “one more member of the god-guild,” No, He is exclusively the “Lord of Lords and only Wise and Omnipotent God in Heaven!  It was for standing for the “exclusivity” of Jesus and His Gospel that the early Church ran afoul of Rome and her desire to include Christianity as “just another religion” from their conquered lands. At its core, E.T. is just another religion of “works righteousness.”  And even if we could “Be Good” as E.T. instructed, our works of righteousness could never save us. Scripture teaches that:

“All of us have become like someone who is ‘unclean.’ All the good things we do are like dirty rags to you. All of us are like leaves that have dried up. Our sins sweep us away like the wind” (Isaiah 64:6).

My prayer, as we look at the movies and influence of our culture is, that “we all with unveiled face may behold the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ alone!” (2 Corinthians 3:18). And by seeing that image, we’ll be transformed into God’s New Creation!

Soli Deo Gloria!