So you want to watch The Chosen, but aren’t sure if it’s legit?
That was the main question that I had when I first saw The Chosen advertised on my Facebook News Feed. (If you haven’t heard of The Chosen, it’s a multi-season series about the life of Jesus. The first season was released in 2019.) I had scrolled by the video clip a few times, thinking, “Do I really need to see another Jesus show? How much chewing and spitting am I going to have to do in this one? I’m too tired to have my radar on the whole time.” And I was proud of myself — the first few times — for being an adult, chopping vegetables for dinner, and resisting the temptation to pause and watch yet another video clip.
Curiosity finally got the better of me, though, as I scrolled by the ad for what seemed like the 50th time (gosh, Facebook is persistent!). The featured clip was one of Jesus and the disciples walking along a road and being approached by a leper. After healing the leper, Jesus asks one of the disciples for a tunic to give to him. What captured my attention was what Jesus said after the healed man put on the tunic: “Green is definitely your color. Not too shabby.” The healed man and Jesus share a laugh and hug. Is that…humor? From Jesus? Normally you could expect a serene smile, the somber glimmer eternal wisdom…but humor?! I’d like to get to know this Jesus.If Jesus was fully human, is it possible He was also funny? The creators of The Chosen seem to think so. Click To Tweet
If you have a basic familiarity with apologetics, you’ve likely heard it said that one of the most beneficial qualities an apologist could possess is winsomeness (which makes women perfect candidates for apologetics, btw. Check out Hillary’s blog on that topic.). It’s not a word that I have the best concept of, given that I rarely (more like never) use it. And yet here it is, embodied in this portrayal of Jesus of Nazareth.
Now, suppose I were visiting you, my Mama Bear friend, and we were sitting on the porch – hopefully in rocking chairs and sipping on sweet tea (or perhaps a pumpkin spice latte, now that autumn is here), while our children play outside. What are the main things about The Chosen I would want to squeeze into the conversation before someone hits someone else with a shovel in the sandbox?
***Warning, spoiler alert!***
1) Is it biblical?
Let’s tackle the most important question first by taking a look at the statement that appears at the beginning of the series:
“The Chosen is based on the true stories of the gospels of Jesus Christ. Some locations and timelines have been combined or condensed. Backstories and some characters or dialogue have been added. However, all biblical and historical content and artistic imagination are designed to support the truth and intention of the Scriptures. Viewers are encouraged to read the gospels. The original names, locations, and phrases have been transliterated into English for anything spoken.”1The Chosen Global Livestream: Episode One
Note how they emphasize that viewers should read the Gospels for themselves! I was immediately encouraged by that. Another thing I truly appreciated was that the director addressed some concerns viewers had and made a short (11-minute) video titled, “Can you trust The Chosen?,” where he reiterates that The Chosen is a narrative, not a documentary; it is not a replacement for Scripture. Nevertheless, they know they have an obligation to take the show seriously. So, what’s a narrative, and what’s a documentary?
narrative: a story or account of events, experiences, or the like, whether true or fictitious
documentary: based on or re-creating an actual event, era, life story, etc., that purports to be factually accurate and contains no fictional elements
Given that The Chosen will consist of multiple seasons, it makes sense that, in order to help viewers relate to the various characters, backstories need to be developed. Take Simon’s (Peter’s) wife. She’s not directly mentioned in the Bible; rather, we learn that Simon has a mother-in-law (Matthew 8:14). In The Chosen, his wife has a name (Eden), a personality, and a realistic relationship with Simon. Throughout the episodes, we even get to know some of the Pharisees, which helped me consider them as actual people rather than a nebulous cluster acting in unison. The producers of The Chosen seem to take the Bible seriously and it shows in each episode. Click To Tweet
A few things did stand out that made me go back to the Gospels for a review. Perhaps the most unexpected event was that, at the end of Jesus’ nighttime meeting with Nicodemus, He invited Nicodemus to follow Him (to travel with Him). While that invitation was not recorded in the Gospels, it was also not denied, so I wouldn’t charge the show with being inaccurate, just taking some liberty with the narrative. Additionally, I noticed that John was already in prison by the time Nicodemus met with Jesus (see John 3), so this is an example of the timeline modifications mentioned in the disclaimer statement. Nothing stood out as a blatant misrepresentation, though; I thoroughly enjoyed The Chosen as a biblical narrative and would not hesitate to recommend it to others.
2) Is it appropriate for children to watch?
My first impulse is to exclaim, “Absolutely!” Yet I would encourage you to watch each episode first, before watching it with your children. After all, you know them best and will be aware of what they are able to pick up on, and it will also allow you to think about any questions you might want to ask them afterward. My main reason for saying this is that there are a few scenes containing mature themes, especially in Episode 1. And of course, the show is set in Roman-occupied Israel. But overall, they do an excellent job of conveying a sense of oppression without portraying violence.
With regard to certain scenes in Episode 1, those you may want to be aware of are: Mary Magdalene’s struggle with demon possession; a flashback in which we see a Roman soldier pushing Mary down (about to assault her, though the assault is not shown); Mary standing at the precipice of a cliff, contemplating suicide; and Mary begging for a drink in a tavern.
3) What’s the best episode?
Ooh, this is a hard one. I tend to have scenes from various episodes that I like to watch over and over. But if I had to choose, it would be Episode 7, “Invitations,” primarily because Matthew is my favorite character. From the time you first encounter Matthew in the series, you will notice that something’s different about him. Interestingly, he is portrayed as having Asperger’s Syndrome, and he speaks bluntly and honestly. I suppose what draws me most to him is that he is genuine, and he watches Jesus carefully as if he were analyzing Him. By the time Jesus calls Matthew to follow Him, Matthew doesn’t hesitate; he immediately leaves the tax collector booth and walks over to Jesus. If only we could all be like Matthew and drop everything to follow and obey Jesus without excuse!
Other powerful and touching scenes include the healing of the leper (Episode 6) that I mentioned earlier, the night meeting between Jesus and Nicodemus (Episode 7), the healing of Peter’s mother-in-law (Episode 8), and the conversation between Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well (Episode 8). On second thought, I really can’t narrow the best scenes down to a handful; just watch all of the episodes!It's hard to narrow down my favorite The Chosen episodes. Just watch them all! Click To Tweet
4) How can I watch it?
You can watch Season 1 (eight episodes) by downloading The Chosen app (available on both iOS and Android). What I love about the app is that I can not only watch the episodes on my phone, but I can also easily cast them to the TV. All you have to do is touch the “Send to TV” option under the episode and select your device (Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, etc.). The app also offers multiple language options for audio and subtitles. The episodes are available on YouTube as well, although you have to fast forward through some introductory commentary (unless you want to watch it, of course!).
And perhaps best of all, the episodes are free to watch (can I get an amen?)! They have an interesting setup, in which viewers can watch it for free thanks to donations made by others, who have paid it forward. You are encouraged to pay it forward as well, but I certainly did not feel pressured to do so. The series is crowdfunded (and has grown to become the largest crowdfunded entertainment project of all time2“Story about life of Jesus emerges as largest crowdfunded entertainment project in history”), and it’s people like you and me, rather than Hollywood producers, who are helping to fund the creation of future seasons.
5) My biggest takeaway?
When I started watching The Chosen, I was grateful that it was free, and I was not planning to make a donation. By the time I had finished watching Season 1, I eagerly wanted to be part of funding the next season. “Now this is worth supporting,” I thought. Have you seen those memes that advertise a product that’s so awesome, that all you can say is, “Take my money!”? Well, that pretty much sums up my response to The Chosen.
Is this series perfect? Of course not; no show is. But I have to say this is the best “Jesus” show I have seen. They have managed to deliver an endearing portrayal of Jesus’ humanity (from being silly and playing with children, to joking with the disciples and dancing at a wedding) without diminishing His divinity. The Chosen does an exceptional job of highlighting the relatability of the characters and showing how they could see Jesus as a beloved friend, not just someone to revere.
Have you watched The Chosen yet? If you haven’t, I hope these thoughts have encouraged you to at least check out the first episode.
(And fun fact, the title of this blog can be sung to the tune of “Do You Want to Build a Snowman?” because #girlmom …)
Robin helps out with tech-related tasks and reads articles for the Audio Apologetics Blog-Cast. She has a master’s degree in Geospatial Intelligence and works part-time as a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) specialist, but her favorite job is being a wife/mom/homemaker. In her free time, she loves studying apologetics, reading classic literature, and birdwatching.
Yes! Yes! Yes!! I LOVE The Chosen!! I can’t say enough good things about it. Like you, I watched it for free. Then I purchased two copies of season one to help fund season 2! If you watch behind the scenes clips and updates by Dallas Jenkins (the creator and producer) you will see that he has a true heart for the Lord and a genuine desire to bring glory to Jesus. We need to pray for him and the cast and crew that they are protected from Satan’s schemes. I’m pretty sure Satan is not happy with this project. I absolutely can’t wait until season two comes out! (They just started filming it!)
A word of caution that this is an interfaith production with input from all faiths, including the LDS church. The LDS church having both endorsed and supported this series.
Dallas is a born again Christian. He does not get input from the LDS. That statement is false.
This is an apologetics blog? Why didn’t you look up the producer’s view on other faiths such as Mormonism and JW? He thinks we all serve the same Christ.
I thought maybe he was a universalist, which may be true, but in actuality he’s just a shrewd businessman. The Mormons are letting him use their expanse recreation of Jerusalem
He’s also a liberal. Just wait, time will make this plain.
Jenn & John…The LDS church has NOT endorsed the series. Jenkins gets zero input from the LDS church. He is an outspoken evangelical who’s attended or worked at conservative Bible churches and school his entire life. And the notion that Jenkins is a liberal is hilarious, he’s actually very publicly a pro-life libertarian conservative.
For someone who seems to care about truth, why would you say multiple things that are blatantly false?
Thought this was an interesting opposing perspective…wisdom has two sides. https://conservativebaptist.substack.com/p/chosen
check out what The Berean Call says about it. https://www.thebereancall.org/content/chosen-fiction
Right on The Berean Call. The Bible is our standard!!
Dallas Jenkins has a video discussing this interfaith production team that covers this. (I don’t have time to find it, sorry.) The content of The Chosen ends with Dallas. LDS just helps with distribution.
Jenn — the distributors are members of the LDS church, I believe, but they do not speak into the content of the scripts (which cannot be said of traditional Hollywood projects, if you are familiar with their practices). The project has attracted attention and affection from a lot of groups and denominations outside of traditional ‘evangelical’ circles. I think it speaks to the winsomeness that this writer describes. I encourage you to examine the testimonies of the three writers. They do have a team of consultants that evaluate their scripts (an evangelical scholar, a Messianic Jew, and a Catholic priest), but they do not necessarily incorporate any of their suggestions. That being said, it’s always good to be cautious. You didn’t say if you yourself have seen the series? I’m curious to know.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1E-gFGKVWw&t=38s
Can you trust The Chosen?
In case you didn’t know, Dallas is the son of Jerry Jenkins of “Left Behind” fame (plus about 100 other books).
Thank you for writing about this show. I wasn’t aware of it. I’m so glad I’m one of your email subscribers! I can’t wait to share about The Chosen and make time to watch it.
Thank you!! I clicked on this post nervously, afraid it would bring light to things I missed- but your synopsis was parallel to mine! I so enjoyed their portrayal of Jesus, his humor, his relationships, etc!
honestly, this show made me more connected to Jesus. now i dunno if He did have a sense of humor but, it does make sense. He was 100% human and 100% God at the same time sooo. super grateful to God for this show and i thank the cast and crew for puttin their heart, mind and soul into this ya know?
calling James & John “sons of thunder” is in the Gospels. That shows Jesus’s sense of humor. They were loud, sometimes obnoxious & overly eager to jump into situations without thinking. Yes, Jesus absolutely had a sense of humor.
Honestly Matthew 17:17 allows me to believe in the humour possibility.
Let me bring another perspective to this. Fictionalizing the New Testament is NOT a good idea. Consider this: Have you ever gone to a movie that was “based on actual events” and then found out that only about 10 percent of the movie was true and the rest was made up to make for a better movie? Then have you ever had trouble remembering for sure what was the true part and what was the made up part? Over the years I’ve been in several Bible studies where people brought up the events in the Left Behind Series (Jerry Jenkins) as if they were biblical fact. But the Left Behind series is not true–it’s fiction. This is the danger of fictionalizing the Bible. We live in a time when story is a huge part of how we understand reality–think about how much “story” we consume with television and movies. When our stories are inaccurate, our understanding of truth is inaccurate. Jerry was just speculating about how things might happen. Maybe Jerry was correct, maybe he wasn’t. The Left Behind series is fiction about events that haven’t happened yet. However Dallas Jenkins is bringing speculation to events that have happened and are recorded in HOLY Scripture. Which is more memorable–the two or three verses where Jesus tells the disciples to let the children come to him or the exquisitely beautiful hour-long account of Jesus interacting with the children in episode 3 of The Chosen? Does the fictional idea of Peter being a gambler (episode 1) affect how a viewer understands the real Peter of Scripture? Can our brains really sort out the true from the speculative? What if the actual truth is that Peter was an upright, godly businessman who would never dream of gambling? Does it make a difference which characterization is true? Once seen, can you ever unsee the fiction of Matthew being so fastidious (episode 1) or Nicodemus experiencing political pressure (episode 1)? The biblical accounts are not just narrative that can be added to or fleshed out or manipulated in order to make a better story. They are Scripture–God-breathed. Almighty God chose which details to include and which to leave out. It’s very, very dangerous for us to start tinkering with Scripture–even when we have the best motives. Scripture is Scripture. It doesn’t need to be enhanced. Jesus doesn’t need to be enhanced or made more human. This kind of speculation is dangerous.
“Left Behind” was not a version of the Life of Jesus. And of course we need more films about the life of Jeus. Not everyone is good at reading, whether it be the Bible or any other book. To reach The Many, we need all media. This fictionalized version, based on facts in the Gospels (and letters) of the New Testament is Beautiful. I studied Biblical History at Yale from a pastor who was an archaeologist (in Israel), and he spoke/read Greek, Latin & Aramaic. He would read a section from Mark in Greek, then translate it into English. The Beatitudes in English says “Jesus had compassion upon the people.”
But in literal Greek, the verb that was translated as “had compassion” is the verb used (in Greek) to describe a Stallion protecting his herd, pawing the ground with fury. So Jesus was Protective, Furious & like a stallion. Did you ever get that in your church/Bible study? Probably not. So we need MORE, ot fewer, stories which explain Who Jesus was and is. I cannot stress this enough.
I was a teacher, including my last 7 years working with teens/adults/children who had “special needs,” “different brains” (like Asberger’s, bipolar etc.) These people all learned in different ways.
Movies spoke to them ALL much more easily than the written word.
This series is a Godsend.
Thank you for this response. Spot on. We CAN TRUST God and that He has given us enough in His Word. I beleive, that if you are well informed of the biblical scripture you can see where a story or movie is “off” and simply take it as a movie to enjoy. To base my life on the mobie The Chosen would be plain wrong and would not result in a strong foundation that withstands the storms of life. Only and only the Word of God does this.
Discernment is not knowing the difference between right and wrong. It is knowing the difference between right and almost right.” [Charles H. Spurgeon]
Any movie about Jesus adds to scripture…
Here is a recent video review of The Chosen. As Jenkins’ theology comes more to the forefront in his show it’s going to become more clear that this is not the Gospel. As the video review says, this if a fan-fiction story of a fictional Jesus.
https://youtu.be/v3G4kWWTyEM
This is an apologetics blog? Why didn’t you look up the producer’s view on other faiths such as Mormonism and JW? He thinks we all serve the same Christ.
I thought maybe he was a universalist, which may be true, but in actuality he’s just a shrewd businessman. The Mormons are letting him use their expanse recreation of Jerusalem
He’s also a liberal. Just wait, time will make this plain.
John, yes, I did see where Dallas said that the LDS church worships the same Jesus as evangelicals. I’m currently reading the Mama Bear Apologetics book. One thing that is stressed in the book is opinion versus fact. Jenkins did say that we serve the same Jesus as the LDS Jesus. No, we do not. Vid Angel is a Mormon company and that is another fact that we know. My concern is that some who watch the Chosen series may not be Christians and eventually may want to join the Mormon church which would not be good.
“He’s a born again Christian”. Really?
There’s no such thing as a born again Christian who denies the deity of Christ. how can anyone say the JW cult is Christian? There are many Antichrists and Dallas is one of them.
Oh John. There is always one that likes to try and discredit the great work of getting the word out there. This is you! You work for satin why???? You will never get anything from satin. You will however get eternal life from Jesus who was the word from the beginning. Just enjoy the show. It is great.
I would caution anyone who watches The Chosen. I see a lot of statements in this artical that are Dallas Jenkins but are honestly not what is really going on. If you say you are an appoligist btw you claim knowledge of the scriptures in such a way as to refute false teaching and yet you have wholesale embraced a show uncritically that claim “hey. We are a TV in one breath but now at this point (season 2) “we have the authentic Jesus but by episode 5 season denied Jesus is fully God all the time, in that, instead of speaking what the Father tells him (like scripture says over and over again as Jesus is the Word of God) unrehersed and without the help of Matthew. God forbid it looks like Jesus walks and talks as if he has constant “God Goggles” on. Yet the Word of God states Jesus is God and was in constant communion with the Father speaking ONLY what the Father wanted Him to speak. Not only that but scriptural references to the Old testiment are very off in thier interpretation and presentation. Moses arguing with Joshua, The place and instance where David and his men got the bread to eat from the temple. I admit it. I too wanted to overlook the glaring inconsistencies because I love the characters. So many scenes are touching and powerful. But by season 2 things feel strange and forced. I had to ask myself can I just dismiss Jesus practicing for a sermon. A sermon which actually was just a gathering of people that Jesus saw who gathered with his deciples and He sat down and taught not on a stage. Is he not the Word of God made flesh? Is he not Emmanuel “God with us” or do I embrace modelism which is the idea He slipped in and out of divinity. He he was so human he needed the advice of Matthew to get it right? What does that say about the divinity of scripture as a whole? What does that open in the minds of viewers who already think the Bible was a man creation not inspiration of the Holy Spirit. I wrestle with all of this. Is the just a TV series? Is this a story of the Deciples because anytime and I mean ANYTIME you bring the image of our Savior to bare you are delusional if it is just a TV show. That seems like a convenient out to excuse taking license with scripture when someone has legitimate questions about our Lord and Savior. You know no matter what is said by the very nature and Characters of this production it will be scrutinized and should be. Otherwise this is another Jesus and should be on no Christians TV.
I say this because appoligists should care.
I was one of those at the filming of the “Sermon on the Mount” who was so so in love with this series. It is going in an unhealthy direction now. Which makes me pray very hard for Dallas Jenkins to coarse correct. I believe Jesus is, was and always will be fully God all the time and He was also fully in the form of man without sin. Why is that important to me? My salvation depends on who God says He is. He says He is the Word. If He does not know what to say without the help of flesh or practicing ways of appealing to an audience then who is he? Definately not the authentic Jesus. Jesus spoke only what His Father told him to speak because He was in the Father. He is God. At 12 years old he taught in the temple sitting with the teachers of the law and they were amazed at his teaching. In fact scripture repeatedly says he not only taught but people were amazed because He taught as one with authority because He is the authority. He is the author of every Word he taught.
I agree! I loved The Chosen right up until the last 4 episodes of Season 2. Even though I hate historical fiction, especially where the Bible is concerned, I thought that the series could be a great evangelistic tool. I even bought DVDs of Season 1 and gave them to all of my friends. But, halfway through Season 2, they began to stray too far from Scripture. It disturbed me even more that many of my Christian friends were not disturbed by it. If they don’t get their act together in Season 3, then I will no longer encourage my friends and family to watch it.
Agreed. Season 1 pushed the limits of creative interpretation for our family, but we enjoyed it and talked through some of those liberties with our kids. However, they lost me on episode 1 of the next season altogether.
I would love to hear an update from MBA since the release of season 2. I believe they horribly portray Jesus and his disciples. The disciples are ALWAYS bickering and being resentful towards each other, which I don’t believe Jesus would allow to go on. At one point, they even nearly get into a physical fight. The producer also portrays Jesus as being almost neglectful to the disciples and antagonistic in the way he commands they follow him, but he never teaches or informs them on anything and keeps them in the dark. His healings are set up outside the cities in almost a “kissing booth” style setup in which people stand in line for hours at a booth built by the disciples waiting for their healings. Meanwhile the disciples are sitting at a camp nearby waiting for their “shift” to start helping Jesus. Jesus has to formulate NAR practice his Sermon on the Mount and run it by Matthew for editing and content approval. And then Jesus has the disciples go into the city to post fliers and advertise his sermon while he hangs back and rehearses. They set up a stage, and the women decide the best color for Jesus to wear while he teaches! So, so many things are horribly presented all throughout season 2. I’m so disappointed.
Who is the guy who is riding the horse that carries a sword in episode seven and eight I believe. He’s looking on at the feeding of 5000 and also looking out at the sea as the disciples are battling the storm.
I would highly recommend the recent 3-part podcast series by Michelle Lesley and and Amy Spreeman at A Word Fitly Spoken where they go into more detail about The Chosen following Season 2 and more interviews with Dallas Jenkins. https://awordfitlyspoken.life/podcast/a-review-of-the-chosen-part-1/
They provide a thoughtful and balanced review of the series, interviews with Jenkins, and devotionals that are a spinoff of the show. Most importantly, they compare everything to scripture, and evaluate whether the gospel is actually being presented. God has already given us everything we need in through His word – a series to “understand Jesus better” is not the answer and should be approached with caution.
Let us also remember to bear with one another in love as we respond in comments. Our concern should be for helping each other discern truth and spurring one another on to be faithful in sharing the gospel.
Revelation 22:18-19 – For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: (Read More…)
Proverbs 30:5-6 – Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. (Read More…)
Deuteronomy 4:2 – Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.
Deuteronomy 12:32 – What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it.
Revelation 22:18 – For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:
Revelation 22:19 – And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
Matthew 24:24 – For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
Deuteronomy 13:1-10 – If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder, (Read More…)
Galatians 1:6-9 – I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: (Read More…)
2 Timothy 3:16 – All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
Matthew 5:18 – For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
Topics and verses are auto-generated from user searches. If a verse or topic does not belong, please contact us. Some scripture references/categories courtesy of Open Bible .info under CC BY 3.0
I was told there were Jehovah witnesses working in and on the chosen. Is that true? Please email me if U know.
Stumbled across this blog post, thank you MamaBear and interesting comments as well. I was handed a copy of Season 1 late last year 92021) from a friend who said, “I’m not going to say anything – just watch the pilot episode first, then watch the series.” Took me a few days but got through all eight (nine w/ pilot) and then i went and ordered my own copy. The Season 1 extended Blu-Ray has conversations, commentary, and interesting discussions, to that was neat. Then I went into holiday mode and sort of forgot about it. Last week Season 2 arrived in my mailbox (thank you Santa…) and again took me a few days to watch all 8 episodes, however this season blu-ray didn’t have all the cool extras or episode commentaries. That’s ok since so much is covered online. It is a narrative and I didn’t feel preached to, or surmonized while watching the series – those usually happen in rare conversations picked up with others and just like the previous comments above, everyone has their own opinion/take on it. I’m a fan for personal reasons, the quality of film making, script, music, editing, the amazing way it’s produced outside of the Hollywood system, and the effect it’s had on my own personal journey. Kudos to the creators, Dallas Jenkins and VidAngel Studios, for producing something that makes people think, debate, and discuss. It certainly is more than just popcorn-chewing, take-your-mind-off-reality, escapism entertainment. Time will tell if this will have the lasting effect or influence such as movies/sesries like Casablanca, The Red Violin, Star Wars (ep. IV-VI), Breaking Bad, Braveheart, Forrest Gump, and a few others. Thank you for allowing me to share my two cents in this discussion and happy viewing for others who may still be undecided. Take a chance, at least watch Season 1… Safe travels! Todd
I will say that I watched the show up until the Nicodemus scene that you wrote about finding nothing wrong but I respectfully disagree. Please hear me out.
I do feel that the character and attitude of Jesus was definitely misrepresented in this scene. Although the invitation to Nicodemus to follow Jesus wasn’t in the gospel of John, the Character of Jesus Christ should continue to stay the same regardless of having an artistic license which by in the beginning of what you wrote we agree on. With that being said, in that scene, Jesus invites Nicodemus to follow Him, and then Nicodemus begins to gives excuses why he can’t follow Him, followed by Dallas Jenkins Jesus telling him that it’s ok and that he understands and then concludes the conversation by telling him to take his time and think about it.
Back to the question, “Is this biblical”?
Let’s look at when Jesus told others to follow Him in sections of Luke 9:57-62.
“Then He said to another, “Follow Me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God.”
And another also said, “Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house.” But Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.””
Luke 9:59-62
There is also the parable of the Great supper. This is a great misrepresentation of Jesus Christ with also the consideration that people that don’t know the Scriptures can make this their hill to stand on without the realization that the urgency of needing to come to the Savior is emphasized constantly in the Scripture.
I feel that it is irresponsible to put the gold star on the show with this article especially not seeing that very important discrepancy of just that scene.
Note* I do have other problems with the show but this is one I by far make considerable reservations on.
Please reply with any objections and/or comments on this. Thank you.
It is so sad to see so many of you arguing about this show. I am a Catholic, and many of my fellow Catholics believe the rest of you non Catholics aren’t real Christians. How does that make you feel? Probably not very good. Probably angry. Probably insulted and heretical. But o don’t feel that way. Christ is something different to everyone. He’s something just a little different to everyone in each denomination. No one truly knows who he was, but his messages are what matter. His love for humanity is what matters. And you’re taking away from that by judging everyone who disagrees with you in some way or another (something Christ himself commanded that we don’t do, by the way).
This show brought me back to the Lord. I was a lost soul full of hate for God. I hated myself. But something about this show and Christ’s message reeled me back into my lost faith. That in and of itself is a miracle.
The show has several different denominations of Christianity working together to bring the message of Christ to our minds and hearts. That in and of itself is another miracle. Don’t take away from that because you disagree with how others interpret the word of God. Celebrate in the fact that this show is about the the greatest man that ever lived. We should be welcoming anyone and everyone to be followers of Christ, regardless of how they dress for the occasion.
I agree about The Chosen.It is Beautiful. And we all Do see Jesus in different ways. My husband, back when he was a highly intellectual atheist (skipped 2 grades, admitted into an Ivy league university early, was “the finest student I ever had” his Dean told me when we met many years later) went to live in various places all over the world (with some scholarship money, some donations from family & some money he made along the way) He lived six months in Afghanistan with a tribe of horse traders. 2 years all over India. Throughout the Middle East, studying anthropology. When we met, he told me “I will Never believe in your Jesus.” I said, “he isn’t My Jesus, He’s for everybody.” 3 months later, he became a believer–he said because I didn’t push him, I discussed cultural anthropology with him, I was bright, not closed-minded. 36 years later, we a still together (married 35). And we have close friends who are atheists/agnostics who love discussing religion with us. I spent years as a street preacher. Years studying Bible in places like Yale, UVA, CU/Boulder & in various churches (African Baptist, Southern Baptist, Catholic mass, Presbyterian, Methodist–my grandfather converted from violently anti-religious acrobat in a circus to devout Methodist horse-back circuit riding minister) and in all those churches/universities, people saw Jesus differently. And dressed differently. And acted differently.
“Think about it” is Not saying “Oh it doesn’t matter if you believe.” It means THINK.
Christians need to think and to allow others to think/ponder/study before just jumping onto the religious bandwagon. Far far far too many so-called “Christians” are actually people who want to be in a crowd of others like them, who dress the same, who vote the same, who talk the same, who behave the same. This isn’t thoughtful Christianity–like C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkein, Phoebe of Cenchreae Christianity. It’s a club.
This review is shocking to me coming from an apologist. I have been leery of the series from the start and started doing some digging. This is nothing more than entertainment. They claim that though there are many different religions, we all have the same Jesus in common. This is not true. I believe it also leads people to idolize a human over Jesus. I have watched scenes and trailers before I even started researching it and something just did not sit well with my spirit. Take the time to do your own research and not just take things as they are presented, especially when it comes to the life and gospel of Jesus Christ.
I thought Jesus healed all their desease? Matthews Asbergers just to tough for your faked Jesus? How could you do this to my Lord and savior of the world? What were you thinking making up stories about the SON OF GOD!