The Chosen is one of my family’s favourite TV shows. We have just seen the entire fourth season in theatres, and it was epic!!! This is a show that I think everyone should see if they want a deeper relationship with Jesus. It has taken us through well known Bible stories and breathed new life into them. Now when we read the Bible it has a deeper meaning as we feel we have a real connection with the writers of the gospel and the characters themselves. This article will not contain any spoilers, just my reasons why you should check out this series, and see it in theatres whenever you get the chance.
What is The Chosen?
The Chosen is an amazing TV series that lovingly takes us on the journey of Jesus’ ministry through the eyes of His disciples. It is the brain child of Dallas Jenkins, a Christian film maker that wanted to tell the story of Jesus from his perspective. He works with an incredible writing team that includes Ryan Swanson and Tyler Thompson. Together they have devised an amazing series that takes Bible stories and brings them to life. The cast is exceptional, and the production value beyond compare. They didn’t rush production of the series, but waited to have the funds available to put out the best production possible.
It is also one of the first productions to be completely crowd funded. Through Angel Studios, they set up a campaign of crowd funding to get the series made. This allowed them to stay true to the story they wanted to tell, as they didn’t have to change the narrative to fit the studio producing it. The pilot episode came out in 2017, with the first season airing in 2019. We then waited (rather impatiently in our household) until 2021 for season 2 to air. Consequently the series took off world wide, allowing for season 3 to come out in 2022/23, season 4 in 2024, and season 5 is already in production!
Where can you watch it?
The amazing thing about The Chosen is that you can watch it on many platforms, and because of the crowdfunding of the show some of them are actually free!
Here is where you can watch it:
- The Chosen TV: https://watch.thechosen.tv/
- Angel Studios: https://www.angel.com › watch
- Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/81622757
- The Chosen Apple TV: https://tv.apple.com/ca/show/the-chosen/umc.cmc.3uvdj53zyopw8voaf9lh2twh
- The Chosen Amazon Prime: https://www.amazon.com/The-Chosen-Season-2/dp/B0C9P24QL3
This is not an exhaustive list, as there are now some TV channel providers that are including The Chosen in their lineups. Check your local listings to see if it’s available in your area.
What makes The Chosen so special?
What makes The Chosen so special is how carefully the Bible characters have been crafted and cast, so you really develop a relationship with them. The acting is first rate all round, and the production value is impeccable. The Bible is the infallible word of God, but it does leave a lot of details out. This is understandable, as it would not be able to be contained in one book otherwise. Dallas and his writing team have used creative license and historical data to flesh out the characters into more detail, making them more relatable. In doing so, they have created a background for those characters that make the Biblical stories come to life! It is obvious that they may not have happened exactly in the way depicted, but it is plausible.
More importantly, the writers have stayed true to the Gospel message and make sure that the important messages are conveyed. Dallas and his team have been very clear that The Chosen is not the Bible. It is meant to bring you back to the Bible so you can experience Jesus and His saving grace for yourself.
The Chosen’s Biblical Consultants
The other thing I find so amazing is the length they go to keep it as historically accurate as possible. The script is reviewed by three Biblical consultants before it is finalized. These consultants include Father David Guffey of Family Theater Productions, Rabbi Jason Sobel of Fusion Global Ministries, and Dr. Doug Huffman of Talbot School of Theology. I love the conversations that Dallas has when he brings these Catholic, Protestant, and Jewish theologians together to discuss the episodes. It’s great to hear what ideas we all have in common, as well as where and why we don’t agree.
Even more impressive is that all three men agree on how relatable this depiction of Jesus’ life and ministry is. I love hearing the perspective of all these men, and the effect it’s having on their lives.
Are different denominations involved?
I’ve heard complaints that The Chosen shouldn’t be trusted because different denominations are involved in the production and distribution of the series. I think this argument is ridiculous. Yes there are many different denominations represented from the production team, actors, crew, and distributors, but that only strengthens the appeal for me. The only ones that have direct involvement in what you see on the screen is Dallas and the writing team. The rest are only helping to produce the show and get it distributed so more people can experience the love of Jesus.
Gen-Z Experiment
A very cool thing that The Chosen team did, was to bring a group of Generation Z people together to watch the 1st season and get their honest reactions. The group didn’t know what they were going to watch, and they came from different religious and non-religious backgrounds. The exciting thing to witness was how profoundly they were all effected by watching it. This is one of the things I love most about this series; that it is changing what people think about who Jesus really is. It is helping them to see what true love really is, and they are turning back to Jesus at a time when culture is trying to pull them away.
My Favourite Scene
There are so many to chose from, but my favourite scene is actually in the very first episode of season 1, where Jesus heals Mary Magdalene. It brings me to tears every time! I think we can all relate to how we have fallen short of what Jesus has wanted for us. To know that He loves us so much that He will forgive us in this way is beyond words. He sacrificed so much for us, and all He wants is our love, obedience, and to introduce others to Him in return. I can’t tell you how many times we rewatched season 1 as we waited for subsequent seasons to become available. This one is a masterpiece.
In Conclusion
There are no valid reasons to not watch The Chosen if you want a closer relationship with Jesus. Yes, it is not word for word from the Bible, but it keeps the Gospel message in the forefront in a vibrant and plausible way. Yes, there are different denominations involved in the production and distribution, but this only enhances its influence. What is most important is that this series is bringing people back to Jesus and the Bible. It shows His great love for humanity and how hard He tried to bring everyone back into the fold.
It is family friendly, and a great resource for Bible Study groups to get heartfelt discussions going. I can’t recommend it enough, and I hope this inspires you to check out The Chosen for yourself.
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