the chosen jesus movie review

‘The Chosen’ is the Jesus TV show your very Catholic aunt keeps telling you to watch. And you should.

“Get used to different.” That’s the tagline for “The Chosen,” a show from Angel Studios that is unorthodox in many ways. The first-ever multi-season TV series about the life of Christ, it is entirely crowdfunded. It is also free to watch in The Chosen App, which doesn’t require viewers to fork over their email addresses or pay any fees. Just come and see.

For months, two of my aunts had been urging me to watch “The Chosen.” And if I’m being honest, even though their texts were effusive in their praise for the series, I could not help but think, o h, a Bible show . I pictured the sort of show we watched in my C.C.D. days and didn’t put it high on my priority list.

The show’s most important feature is that it portrays the characters as human—especially Jesus.

I finally gave the show a chance this past Easter when Season 2 premiered. From the very first episode, I was floored. I watched the entire first season in a matter of days. I wanted more. I wanted to watch and see and be with Jesus. The acting is excellent, the visuals stunning, the artistry superb, and it pays careful attention to historic details and Jewish culture. But perhaps the show’s most important feature is that it portrays the characters as human, especially Jesus. Many previous attempts to depict Christ on the screen have focused on his divinity, but what I appreciate about “The Chosen” is that its creators acknowledge that we can never fully grasp his divinity. But Jesus’s humanity? Yes, that we can understand. And that is what this show captures so well.

The church needs this show. The faithful need this show. It sounds strange to say, but in all the books, podcasts, homilies, catechesis and education I have encountered that have formed my faith, it never occurred to me that the apostles had full lives with families, jobs, commitments and challenges, just like I do—and that Jesus disrupts all of that when he arrives. They were faithful Jews (and I’ve learned so much about the Jewish faith by watching the show!) awaiting a Messiah. And following Jesus required real sacrifice and faith. But like any decision made by a human being, it involved questioning, doubt, faith and trust.

I pictured the sort of show we watched in my C.C.D. days and didn’t put it high on my priority list.

One of my favorite episodes is when Simon Peter follows Jesus after the miracle of the fish (Season 1, Episode 4). His brother Andrew had been telling him about Jesus, whom Andrew had heard about from John the Baptist, but Simon was skeptical. He had a family to support and mountains of debt. But with a simple, gentle invitation to trust him, to “let down his net,” Jesus converts Simon. The mercy, love and tenderness of Jesus is palpable.

How can an actor attempt to capture an accurate representation of Jesus? This is what I asked Jonathan Roumie, the actor who plays Jesus on “The Chosen.”

Hailing from New York City and born to an Irish mother and Egyptian father, Mr. Roumie was baptized in the Greek Orthodox Church. When his family moved from the city to the suburbs, they could not find a home in a new Orthodox community, and so they transitioned to attending Roman Catholic churches, where he was confirmed.

I asked Mr. Roumie how his own faith has been changed by the experience of playing Jesus. He said that it has made his relationship with Christ more intimate and has “allowed a proximity that was beyond what was prior.” The producers of “The Chosen” invent certain events to flesh out the fullness of Christ’s humanity, Mr. Roumie explained, and that can be challenging for some, but has also brought a deeper closeness to Christ for many fans.

I watched the entire first season in a matter of days. I wanted more. I wanted to watch and see and be with Jesus.

The show doesn’t shy away from the challenges that Christ presented to first-century Jews (and continues to present to modern viewers). It instead presents their relationships with Jesus as ones of seeking, of trying to understand and failing to do so often. This points to the need for the sacrament of confession, Mr. Roumie suggested. “It’s ‘once saved, always saved,’” he said. “But it’s not ‘once saved, never sinful again.’” As human beings of faith, he explained, the struggle is ongoing, but Christ’s compassion is infinite.

Mr. Roumie emphasized that even though he plays Jesus, he can really only relate to the other characters: Simon being stubborn; Matthew putting his own needs first sometimes; Mary Magdalene’s healing and conversion; Thomas’s doubts. This was what struck me watching the show, too. The apostles are relatable. They were people, too. As we spoke, Mr. Roumie also cited the scene with Simon Peter on his knees by the boat. “I’ve had that conversation with God,” he said, “not feeling worthy.”

“The Chosen” takes its time telling the stories of the Gospels, which necessitates taking some creative license. But the creators of the show hope that by seeing the parables lived out and connecting to them more closely, viewers will be inspired to pick up their Bibles. For me, the show has reinforced how Jesus’s ministry was not something that developed overnight with perfectly faithful followers; rather, it took time to grow and develop. He called people one by one, and not all at once, but when they were ready.

‘The Chosen' presents the apostles’ relationships with Jesus as ones of seeking, of trying to understand and failing to do so often.

One example of this creative license is an episode in the first season that depicts Jesus with young children. The way the creators envision it, the children are Jesus’s first students. In a way, he tests out his ministry with them. This episode also shows him cloaking his divinity, as Mr. Roumie puts it, and suffering the mundanity of humanity in the form of bugs, scrapes, finding food, making a fire and being tired after a long day.

People have been “reluctant to believe it’s more than a melodramatic platitude-driven story about Jesus and His followers,” Mr. Roumie said, “where he’s just a stone statue who talks in King James language that divorces people from their own lives and reality.” But when they do, sometimes by accident, encounter the show, a number of fans have experienced profound reminders of how much they are loved by God.

Mr. Roumie gave an example of when the team was filming the Sermon on the Mount scene (an upcoming episode in Season 2) in Texas. It was the middle of February and 20 degrees. Three thousand Covid-tested extras, all people who invested in the show, had brought their own costumes and found their own travel to participate in the iconic scene. One 12-year-old girl approached the director, Dallas Jenkins, and explained that a year ago she was going to take her own life. But someone sent her the show, and by the end of the first episode, she decided not to go through with it. “That a TV show could impact her enough to change her mind … is unfathomable. God is working very obviously and clearly to use this show as a way to heal people,” Mr. Roumie said.

“Jesus of Nazareth” has not achieved the iconic status of the great biblical epics (photo: Alamy)

Although I initially put off my aunts’ suggestions that I watch “The Chosen,” I have now become the person recommending the show to everyone I know. As I read the daily Gospel, I can picture James and John, sons of Zebedee, asking for seats at the right hand of God and not understanding what their requests mean. I appreciate how tense forming community would be for Jews like Simon and Andrew, who had had their exorbitant taxes collected by Matthew, now someone they are supposed to work with and love. I resonate with Mary Magdalene who bravely leaves her old ways behind but still needs to be reminded of God’s love for her.

More than ever, I see the apostles as people like me. That is such a different understanding than the too-holy-to-touch view I sometimes previously espoused.

But, I guess I need to get used to different—because Jesus changes everything.

Season 2 of ‘The Chosen’ has a few more episodes that are scheduled to be released by the end of the summer. The rest of the seasons are still in funding stages.

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The Chosen ’s plot may be mostly familiar, with the story of Jesus Christ being, if not the greatest story ever told, certainly one of the best known. The model, however, is new. Following in the footsteps of sci-fi and fantasy shows like Doctor Who and Game of Thrones showing certain episodes in theaters via Fathom events, The Chosen started with a Christmas special that included a concert, continued with the premiere and finale for season three, another Christmas special, and for season four, released every episode in theaters, in groups of two and three, staggered across several weeks. Thus far, this has been the only way to see them, though one or more streaming homes seem sure to be announced eventually, once all the episodes finish their runs in theaters, churches, and even prisons.

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Take it from a Christian and a critic: The Chosen is as well made and entertaining as many network dramas. But its relative invisibility to secular audiences is no surprise.

Jesus preaching to a crowd in 'The Chosen'

Updated at 10:05 a.m. ET on June 28, 2021.

Have you heard about the hit Jesus TV show? The one that launched with a more than $10 million crowdfunding drive? And that streams for free from its own app, where the view counter has surpassed 194 million as of this writing? And that is honestly much better than I expected?

By the standards of independent media, The Chosen is a success. On Easter Sunday, 750,000 people tuned in to live-stream the Season 2 premiere; for comparison, the first episode of HBO’s Mare of Easttown attracted 1 million viewers that same month. Yet The Chosen —which presents the life of Jesus Christ and his disciples as a multi-season drama with imaginative character backstories and interpersonal conflicts—has been a largely underground phenomenon. Until its appearance on NBC’s Peacock earlier this year, The Chosen wasn’t on a major cable network or TV streaming service. Most mainstream publications have not reviewed it, though scattered reports mention its crowdfunding drives (in sum, the largest ever for a media project). You could pay close attention to the television industry and not know The Chosen exists. That’s because the show’s success so far has arrived not in spite of its insularity, but because of it.

Even many Christians are skeptical of faith-based entertainment. The Chosen ’s showrunner, Dallas Jenkins, when I spoke with him recently, compared the people who spread the word about his show to the story of Christ’s disciple Philip telling his friend Nathanael that the messiah is from the backwater town of Nazareth. (“Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael famously replied.) So can a biblical series made by a production company from the founders of VidAngel—a service that allowed viewers to filter out nudity, profanity, and graphic violence from TV and movies, then was sold after a multimillion-dollar copyright-infringement lawsuit —actually be worth watching?

Take it from a critic and a Christian with an aversion to Christian entertainment: The show is good. I’d stop short of calling The Chosen a prestige drama, but it looks and feels downright secular. Despite a wonky accent here and there, the acting is as strong as you’d see on a mainstream network series such as Friday Night Lights or This Is Us . A tracking shot lasting more than 13 minutes opened one recent episode—a typical technique for a filmmaker to flex their skills. The storytelling even inspired me to comply with the show’s promotional hashtag and (ugh) #BingeJesus.

The Chosen has caught on with Christians in part because of scarcity. Faith-based streaming services such as PureFlix overflow with solemn dramatizations of Bible stories, though finding one with much depth or entertainment value is rare. Meanwhile, subversive Hollywood takes such as Noah or The Last Temptation of Christ turn off Christians who prize the authority of scripture. The more straightforward 2004 movie The Passion of the Christ was by far the highest-grossing Christian film of all time, and the last one to make a dent in secular pop culture. Yet it was hyper-focused on the last few hours of Jesus’s life, and its fixation on the gory details of his crucifixion was no one’s idea of fun.

The Chosen ’s Jonathan Roumie plays Jesus as someone you’d actually like to hang out with, projecting divine gravity accented with easygoing warmth. He cracks jokes; he dances at parties. “What The Chosen has done well is give us kind of a robust portrait of a highly relatable Jesus that moves beyond some of the holier-than-thou, untouchable, unapproachable portraits of Jesus in the past,” says Terence Berry, the COO of the Wedgwood Circle, an investment group that finances faith-based media. (A Wedgwood member backed Silence —Martin Scorsese’s sparse and serious 2016 movie starring Andrew Garfield, Adam Driver, and Liam Neeson as 17th-century Jesuit missionaries.)

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Rather than merely reciting Jesus’s greatest hits, Jenkins and his writers linger with characters in their daily lives—marital and professional conflicts, financial struggles, campfire gatherings. When the audience sees climactic moments from the Gospels, such as Jesus’s miraculous healing of a leper, the events register as disruptions of the status quo.

Although The Chosen stays faithful to the broad trajectory of the Christian Bible, it also creates some speculative backstories. Scripture mentions Jesus exorcising a demon from Mary Magdalene as almost a passing detail; The Chosen centers it in a tale that explains her subsequent devotion to Christ. Jews who collected taxes for Rome were considered traitors, so the show’s writers depict Matthew the tax collector as on the autism spectrum, reasoning that a social outcast might gravitate toward a profitable but thankless job. The account of Jesus turning water into wine at a wedding might be well known, but in the show, the miracle also saves the bride’s working-class parents from embarrassing the groom’s wealthy father.

The goal, Jenkins told me, was to come up with plausible scenarios that still jibe with the holy book. “We’re not trying to contradict the Bible,” he said. “We’re just trying to build a show around the Bible and tell stories that we think are compelling.” As a viewer who grew up attending church and has made studying scripture a central part of my adult life, I’ve found this approach consistently rewarding. Watching The Chosen is no substitute for reading the Bible—a disclaimer at the start of Season 1 even says “viewers are encouraged to read the Gospel.” But by putting another layer of human perspective between its viewers and its source material, The Chosen performs some of the functions of a good Bible teacher, providing cultural context for ancient events and probing viewers to empathize with the characters.

Some viewers are less enthusiastic. “Every day, I’m told that I’m blaspheming or that I’m a heretic or that I’m violating the Bible,” Jenkins said. But the show’s success suggests that there’s a market for faith-based content that takes creative liberties while maintaining a reverence for scripture. Christianity’s foundational claims naturally center on Jesus: Was he just a singularly wise man or the son of God? What did he accomplish by dying on the cross? Did he actually rise from the dead? Christians who take a literal view of the Bible’s events surely appreciate that The Chosen aligns with their beliefs on these questions. The Chosen does not offer natural explanations for Christ’s miracles, present him as a misunderstood martyr , or imply that he was gay or married . Although the show is still seasons away from the crucifixion, Jesus is already hinting that he is on Earth for a greater purpose—an allusion to his future death as a sacrifice for human sin. As long as Jenkins maintains orthodoxy on key points such as these, the show’s fan base seems likely to give him leeway to color around the margins of his Bible.

The Chosen , whose first season aired in 2019, is now raising money for its third season of a planned seven. Its popularity with a preexisting Christian audience is assured. But it hasn’t appeared to connect with many of the nonreligious. A tension between outreach and insularity has long persisted within the faith-based entertainment industry. Typically, biblical stories don’t permeate the secular mainstream without a star such as Charlton Heston or Mel Gibson attached, and modern American culture has never been less Christian than it is now . Yet Christian musical artists of all genres have been selling out arenas for decades, including Amy Grant, Lecrae , and NEEDTOBREATHE. Theaters see a steady flow of Christian films both confrontational ( God’s Not Dead ) and inspirational ( Heaven Is for Real ) . Left Behind , the rapture-themed book series co-created by Jenkins’s father, Jerry, sold more than 80 million copies . The religious-media ecosystem encompasses cartoons, video games, and talk shows. Historically, it is also largely self-contained. “There was a creation of an entire subculture that produced its own versions of things and its own stations, and really was talking to itself,” says Michael Wear, who ran faith outreach for President Barack Obama’s reelection campaign and worked as a consultant for TV projects such as The Bible . “And now I think this next generation of Christian communicators [is] trying to break out of that.”

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Jenkins doesn’t seem that concerned about whether non-Christians see his series. Besides Season 1 of The Chosen getting added to Peacock this spring, the show already streams on YouTube and Facebook, making it more and more accessible for the nonreligious. But the slew of faith-based cable networks that have begun syndicating the show within the past year—BYUtv, the Trinity Broadcasting Network, UPtv—more accurately reflect its promotional efforts. Jenkins acknowledges that most of the feedback he gets is from the Christians whom the show is heavily marketed to, and specialized trailers are designed to appeal to various denominations. His focus remains making episodes for his dedicated patrons, who are in some cases literally invested, thanks to the equity-crowdfunding provision of the JOBS Act , which allows financial backers to own a stake in the projects they support. The Chosen could pursue a production deal with Netflix, where executives are hungry for target-marketed programming and offer creative freedom, Wear says. Or it could follow the established web-series-to-legacy-cable path of shows such as Broad City and High Maintenance , says Craig Detweiler, the president of the Wedgwood Circle . Yet Jenkins’s hesitation to do this so far is easy to understand: The financial and creative autonomy of a self-funded hit, where all your production costs are paid for up front, is tremendous.

Jenkins can live outside the traditional media landscape by exclusively serving his existing fans—just like the writers and live-streamers on platforms such as Substack and Patreon do. Berry, from the Wedgwood Circle, points out that The Wingfeather Saga , a series of youth fantasy novels by the Christian musician Andrew Peterson, is now being adapted into a cartoon TV series after a $5 million equity-crowdfunding drive through The Chosen ’s production company, Angel Studios. As much as he’s eager to see whether The Chosen can cross over to secular viewers, he’s equally if not more curious about whether its crowdfunded success can be repeated by other faith-based programs.

What’s happened with The Chosen represents what Mark Sayers, the senior leader of Red Church in Melbourne and a co-host of the Christian podcast This Cultural Moment , says is a shift toward a more “networked culture.” Today, a show doesn’t have to reach Breaking Bad levels of ubiquity to make an impact; it simply has to reach specific communities through personal connections. The Chosen will expand its footprint not by reaching secular audiences, but by finding Christians in every city with reliable internet. “People in Australia are watching,” Sayers says. “There’s huge Christian markets who speak English in places like Nigeria and beyond.”

This might sound counterintuitive: Evangelicalism is theoretically premised on spreading the “good news” about Jesus to as many nonbelievers as possible. Sayers thinks that The Chosen could be effective for starting spiritual conversations with skeptical friends, and I’m sure that some Christians have used the show that way. Still, for the most part, the series seems to be finding its fans among the converted. A secular audience might not have heard of The Chosen , simply because it was never who the show was trying to speak to. If The Chosen represents the next phase of Christian television, that future might include crisp production and nuanced storytelling. But it also seems familiarly destined to remain lodged within one of popular media’s oldest echo chambers.

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Jesus Christ, Streaming Star

“The Chosen,” a TV series about the life of Jesus, pulls off a crowd-funded miracle: a hit with a Christian fan base that is breaking into the mainstream.

By Ruth Graham

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MIDLOTHIAN, Texas — In the biblical account of the miracle of the loaves and fishes, Jesus uses two fish and five loaves of bread to feed a large crowd. The small amount of food supernaturally multiplies to satisfy 5,000 people who have gathered to hear him speak near the Sea of Galilee.

Re-enacting that scene for television could be viewed as a miracle of its own: 9,000 extras gathered over the course of three days at a Salvation Army camp south of Dallas this summer. They were not paid actors, but devotees of the television show they were making. Many of them had traveled from across the country to stand in the Texas heat, a reward for giving up to $1,000 each to fund the show.

“The Chosen,” a surprise hit television series, is billed as the first multi-season show about the life of Jesus — and one of the biggest crowd-funded media projects ever produced . The show’s third season will begin streaming online in mid-December.

Conceived by a little-known creator, featuring no major stars and funded primarily, at first, through small contributions without the support of a Hollywood studio, the series began on an obscure proprietary app and is now given away for free. Its I.P. is 2,000 years old. But despite the long odds, the faith-based drama series has become a bona fide phenomenon in many parts of Christian culture, attracting a fervent ecumenical fandom while remaining almost invisible to others.

Globally, 108 million people have watched at least part of one episode of “The Chosen,” according to an analysis prepared at its producers’ behest by Sandy Padula, an independent consultant. The show now also streams on platforms including Peacock, Amazon Prime Video, and, as of last week, Netflix. Producers recently announced that the third season of the show would also be available on a new “The Chosen” app.

The first two episodes of the show’s third season premiered together in theaters on Nov. 18, and brought in more than $8 million, coming in third at the weekend box office behind mainstream movies that screened in more theaters. A limited-run theatrical release of a Christmas special last year was extended weeks beyond its planned run and topped $13.5 million in ticket sales — a fraction of the box office for mainstream Hollywood films, but a record for Fathom Events, a large distributor that specializes in special events and short-run screenings.

The show first appeared in 2019, but it wasn’t until the coronavirus pandemic that it found its audience. The first two seasons are eight episodes each.

When Felicia Maize’s large evangelical church in the suburbs of Dallas temporarily closed down in March 2020, friends texted her and her family to urge them to tune in.

“This Jesus blinks his eyes,” Mrs. Maize recalled one friend telling her. He wasn’t some stiff and remote character from an old painting; he was relatable, like a best friend, she said. A few episodes in, they were hooked. The show spread among their friend group by word of mouth, and “sustained everyone,” she said. “We binged Jesus.”

Mrs. Maize had come to the Texas set with her husband and two sons, who stood in the baking afternoon sun waiting to be summoned to the cameras. “We’re not lukewarm!” she said cheerfully, a reference to the Book of Revelation ’s warning against tepid faith, and a description of their burning fandom.

Part of the camp was an Instagram-friendly playground, where extras spent their downtime posing with life-size cutouts of cast members and browsing at a large gift shop. Other areas were transformed into first-century Galilee, including a replica of the seaside city of Capernaum, where the Gospels describe Jesus attending synagogue and healing people.

The series is based on the four Gospels, which follow Jesus from his birth in a stable to his resurrection after being crucified by the Roman Empire. But the show’s creator and director, Dallas Jenkins, an evangelical Christian, has fleshed out elaborate new back stories and personalities for the people around his central character.

The Jesus of “The Chosen” is serene, charismatic and intimate — something like a roving therapist. In the world of “The Chosen,” Mary Magdalene is an alcoholic and a victim of sexual assault. Matthew, the tax-collector disciple, is portrayed as on the autism spectrum, and the disciple Little James has a physical disability expressed as a limp. (The actor who plays Little James, Jordan Walker Ross, has scoliosis and mild cerebral palsy.)

Mr. Jenkins’s tactic of expanding the characters around Jesus means there’s enough material to fill out a planned seven seasons, and enough new story lines to warrant fears of “spoilers” in one of the most well-known narratives in human history. The show includes complex relationships, suspense, political intrigue, and charged emotional moments.

Ryan Swanson and Tyler Thompson, who write with Mr. Jenkins, list influences including “Game of Thrones,” “The Wire,” “Battlestar Galactica” and “Star Trek” — the last one because it’s about “a captain and about 12 other people,” Mr. Swanson said.

The fact that “The Chosen” aspires to secular prestige TV quality is part of its appeal for an audience that has grown resigned to entertainment products that are often lesser imitations of mainstream hits. Many fans say the show’s production values drew them in. “It was far less cheesy than what I’m used to seeing,” said Luke Burgis, a Catholic writer who wrote an essay titled “ Why We Love ‘The Chosen’ So Much ” last year for the evangelical magazine Christianity Today. He generally eschews Christian media, he said, but the show is “like anything I’d find on Netflix.”

Neal Harmon, co-founder of Angel Studios, the distributor of the first two seasons, says the show was its first breakout hit: “What ‘House of Cards’ was for Netflix, ‘The Chosen’ was for Angel Studios,” he said. (As a marketing team, Mr. Harmon and his brother, Jeff, are behind viral advertising campaigns for products like the Squatty Potty and Poo-Pourri.)

Accounts abound of skeptical viewers unexpectedly ending up in tears as they watch scenes like one in the first episode, in which Jesus approaches a devastated Mary Magdalene, whom he has never met. “Fear not, for I have redeemed you,” he tells her, looking deeply into her eyes. “I have called you by name,” he continues. “You are mine.” The soundtrack soars.

The show can also border on the corny, with Bible characters using phrases like “not too shabby” and “I’ll be in touch.” But what stands out are the countless moments in which Jesus pauses what he is doing to witness and name a character’s struggle, even if he does not fix the problem. “I see you,” he tells the wife of one of his disciples. “I know it is not easy to be at home when your husband is out doing all of this.”

The title “The Chosen” can be interpreted as referring to Jesus himself, his disciples or even any of his followers — including those watching a television show about him in 2022.

“I think that’s what the banner over the whole show is: Jesus is a personal God,” Mr. Jenkins said. Mr. Jenkins grew up with an intimate view of what it looked like for a piece of Christian pop culture to blow up into the mainstream: He’s the son of Jerry B. Jenkins, who co-wrote the best-selling “Left Behind” series of Christian apocalyptic thrillers.

Mr. Jenkins relies on a panel of one evangelical Christian, one Catholic scholar and one Messianic rabbi to consult on the scripts. But controversies flare up occasionally. During the second season, Mr. Jenkins addressed accusations of blasphemy over issues including the depiction of Mary Magdalene’s “backsliding” into sin after being saved.

For many viewers, the appeal of the show is that it is pointedly not political.

“You can’t infuse American politics into first-century Judea,” said Erin Moon, an evangelical podcaster in Birmingham, Ala., who has recommended the show to her listeners. “There’s something very pure, or focused, that you’re not seeing with a lot of American churches right now.”

“Just preach the Gospel” is a cliché among some Christians tired of litigating cultural and political battles in spiritual spaces, Ms. Moon said. But in her view, “The Chosen” pulls it off.

“The Chosen” is “my literal favorite TV show,” she said. “It’s the thing I evangelize about.”

Jonathan Roumie, who plays Jesus on the show, has played the same role in three short films directed by Mr. Jenkins. Like most of the actors on the show, he also looks like he could have actually been born in the Middle East: His father is Egyptian.

For some viewers, it’s hard not to conflate Mr. Roumie with his role as the son of God.

The actor has in some ways taken on the role of spiritual leader himself. He has a partnership with Hallow, a Catholic meditation and prayer app that has also worked with celebrities like Mark Wahlberg and Brett Favre. In the spring, he collaborated on a Hallow production with Jim Caviezel, who played Jesus in “The Passion of the Christ,” directed by Mel Gibson. (The two men have never met in person, Mr. Roumie said, joking that “the universe might implode.”)

In the early months of the pandemic, Mr. Roumie led a daily prayer session on Instagram, praying the Chaplet of Divine Mercy and the Rosary for thousands of people. Tuning into the prayers “became part of my routine,” said Anusha Jebanasam, the moderator of a Facebook fan page for Mr. Roumie.

Mr. Jenkins, the other face of the show, introduces episodes online, and interacts frequently with fans; he is often recognized in public. The fact that the show is crowd-funded means many viewers feel personally invested in its success and see themselves as part of a community. When Mr. Jenkins posts on social media about a streaming event, he said, “people will respond in the comments, ‘I can’t make it, I’m going to be at Bible study . ’”

In June, Ms. Jebanasam traveled from her home in Sydney, Australia, to serve as an extra on set in Texas.

“All these 5,000 people here are new friends,” said Lori Mejaly, a Catholic from Detroit who was sitting at a folding table during a break with George Pechulis, a Baptist from Wyoming whom she had just met. “We’re all under one God.”

To prepare for the taping, Mr. Pechulis stopped trimming his beard a few months back, and Ms. Mejaly did a Google search for “first-century clothes.” She settled on Birkenstock-style sandals, an orange tunic and a bright head scarf.

Ben and Crystal Woods, who had traveled from Indiana, said “The Chosen” was a touchstone throughout the most difficult period of their lives. Their middle child, Calla, died at age 9 in 2019. Then came the isolation of the pandemic. Grieving at home, and unable to attend church in person, they began watching the drama with their other two children.

Mrs. Woods often prays as she watches the show, imagining herself in place of the characters as they interact with Jesus and receive his help and attention. She has watched episodes with a small group from church, with her neighbor and her family.

To prepare for the family’s appearances as extras, Mrs. Woods tried her hand at sewing for the first time, stitching a tunic for their 7-year-old, Lila.

Watching the show is “good for my soul,” she said.

Hours later, on the other side of the camp, Mr. Roumie, the actor who plays Jesus, was standing in front of the crowd of extras in a short burlap tunic, waiting for the cameras to start rolling again.

It was almost 6 p.m., and temperatures were still in the 90s. Piles of store-bought pita bread and dried croaker fish acquired from local Asian supermarkets were mounded in large baskets. Crew members circulated to distribute water bottles and umbrellas. The air smelled like hot seafood. But when Mr. Roumie lifted his phone during a break and smiled into the camera for a selfie, the crowd erupted in cheers.

Audio produced by Kate Winslett .

Ruth Graham is a Dallas-based national correspondent covering religion, faith and values. She previously reported on religion for Slate. More about Ruth Graham

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Watch The Chosen with a subscription on Peacock, Netflix, Hulu, Prime Video, or buy it on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV.

Cast & Crew

Dallas Jenkins

Jonathan Roumie

Shahar Isaac

Simon Peter

Elizabeth Tabish

Mary Magdalene

Paras Patel

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Polly Castor

Fostering a new renaissance through creativity, authenticity, spirituality, and art, the chosen (movie review).

I can’t say enough good things about this crowd-funded video series of Jesus’ life.

I thought the first few episodes were a little lackluster, but as their funding has flooded in, the series quickly has become top notch. We just finished season three (culminating with Jesus walking on the water), and will now have to wait until next season for more. The donor’s names at the end of season three took twenty minutes to roll through in microscopic font, filling the whole screen. The largest donor’s play the parts in the crowd scenes at the Sermon on the Mount and the feeding of the multitude.

The series does a good job of helping us to get to know these characters by giving them plausible backstory. This understanding illuminates for example Simon’s impetuosity, or why Matthew’s gospel is so detailed. You glean more than you did before, like for example, I saw parallels between the widow woman in the old testament with many vessels and the cruz of oil that kept pouring forth, and how Jesus fed the multitude. Others have told me, for example, that they understand better the desperation of the “woman with an issue of blood.” We have backstory now for the Roman centurion too, so we can see why he’ll approach Jesus soon.

There have only been a couple times when I felt like the script deviated more than I was comfortable with (like Jesus telling Bartholomew why he wouldn’t heal him– I don’t think so), but generally it is all masterfully done.

Apparently you can see this series on Netflix, but you can also watch it here for free on the show’s website. Seven seasons in total are planned, and three have been released. I totally recommend watching this and give it five stars. We can’t wait for season four!

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About Polly Castor

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5 stars from me too, Polly – it is a real gem. Peter’s struggles really resonate – and give us all hope!

One of the things I really appreciate about this work is the creator of the series, Dallas Jenkins seeks the counsel of three spiritual leaders: a Jewish Rabbi, a Catholic Priest and a Protestant Pastor as he creates this series. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

I love its depiction of Jesus…normal, humorous, patient, tolerant, ever-encouraging…mindful of just who he has chosen as disciples…not the best and the brightest, but those in need of transformation. I agree with the “lackluster” nature of the first couple of episodes and was so happy that I decided to carry on. I was particularly moved by the writing of the Beatitudes as he glanced upon his disciples, implying that he had learned from each of them the need for these healing directives.

I very much agree. I loved the portrayal of Nicodemus. Also the relationships between the disciples, and with Jesus. As you say the show puts events into plausible context.

I too love The Chosen. A good friend at church and I have been talking about this series being like a “John the Baptist thought” preparing thought for the Christ-healing Truth of CS. Also, some of Humanity’s Team ideas do the same thing as they talk about spirituality and higher ideas of consciousness, understanding God, and overcoming fears and ego. Love to you and all you and James are doing to share these spiritual ideas.

pollycastor

We enjoyed going to the gala for the National Museum of Women in the Arts. Their new renovation is stunning. #nmwa #femaleartist #womeninthearts #washingtondc

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The Chosen is a historical drama based on the life of Jesus and those who knew him. Set against the backdrop of Roman oppression in first-century Israel, the series shares an authentic look ... Read all The Chosen is a historical drama based on the life of Jesus and those who knew him. Set against the backdrop of Roman oppression in first-century Israel, the series shares an authentic look at Jesus' revolutionary life and teachings. The Chosen is a historical drama based on the life of Jesus and those who knew him. Set against the backdrop of Roman oppression in first-century Israel, the series shares an authentic look at Jesus' revolutionary life and teachings.

Dallas Jenkins
Elizabeth Tabish
Jonathan Roumie
Shahar Isaac
3.7K User reviews
15 Critic reviews
1 win & 1 nomination

Episodes 35

Mary Magdalene …

Simon Peter

Little James

Nathaniel …

Mother Mary

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Trivia "The Chosen" is the largest crowdfunded media project of all time.

[from season 3 trailer]

Pharisee : Jesus, if you do not renounce your words, we will have no choice but to follow the law of Moses.

Jesus : I am the law of Moses.

Connections Featured in 2023 Illuminate - Angel Studios (2023)

User reviews 3.7K

Mar 19, 2020
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April 21, 2019 (United States)
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Runtime 54 minutes

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Review: The Chosen: Season One (dir. Dallas Jenkins, 2019)

Since the late 19th century , there have been many movies and TV shows about Jesus, the longest of which — in English, at least — is probably Fraindnco Zeffirelli’s 1977 miniseries Jesus of Nazareth , which runs about six and a half hours without commercials. But there has never been an ongoing multi-season series about the life of Christ — until now.

The Chosen is an ambitious series — co-written and directed by Dallas Jenkins , son of Left Behind co-author Jerry B. Jenkins and an experienced filmmaker in his own right — that aims to cover the adult ministry of Jesus over the course of seven seasons. The first eight-episode season was released in 2019, and the second is now being filmed in Utah.

Strikingly, despite the intended length of the show, it does not aim to cover every story in the gospels, nor does it take a conventional biographical approach to Jesus. The series skips right past the baptism and temptation of Jesus, for example, and goes straight to the calling of the first disciples — but first it spends some time developing their back-stories, to give added weight to the stories about them that we do know from the gospels.

The result is an interesting blend of the typical Jesus movie and, for lack of a better term, the typical evangelical movie.

Just as old-school Billy Graham movies focused on sinners whose lives were changed in the final reel by a conversion to Christ, so too the first episodes of The Chosen dwell on the spiritual and economic plights of figures like Mary Magdalene (Elizabeth Tabish) and Simon Peter (Shahar Isaac) before Jesus (Jonathan Roumie) shows up in the final moments.

The series also follows characters like Nicodemus (Erick Avari), a member of the rabbinic establishment who is increasingly dissatisfied with the religion of his peers, and Matthew the tax collector (Paras Patel), whose facility with numbers and indifference to the hostility of others are linked to what we would now call undiagnosed Asperger syndrome .

The Chosen is also one of the very, very few productions to devote any screen time to the fact that at least some of the disciples were married. One major plot thread concerns Peter’s wife Eden (Lara Silva), who, like the spouse in many a Billy Graham film, worries that her husband has lost his way – until an encounter with Jesus restores her husband’s faith.

But if the series never quite plays like a conventional Jesus biopic, it does make a point of trying to get closer to the character of Jesus as a human being in his own right.

One episode is dedicated entirely to Jesus’ friendship with some children who find him living in a tent on the outskirts of Capernaum. When he is with them, he sings the psalms with them and tells them stories about the Israelite prophets; and when he is alone, he says his prayers and tends to the small injuries he incurs while working at his carpentry.

Another episode — for my money, easily the most moving of the bunch — juxtaposes Joseph and Mary’s search for Jesus when he was 12 years old (as per Luke 2:41-52) with the miracle he performed at the wedding in Cana (as per John 2:1-12).

The episode links the two stories with close-ups shot from Jesus’ point of view, as Mary speaks to the camera. By seeing things from Jesus’ perspective and remembering that he had a mother (who was close enough to him that he performed his first public miracle at her request), we viewers are encouraged to identify with Jesus and to consider how he shares in our humanity.

The Jesus of this series is also remarkably deferential to the people he meets, especially the women. He apologizes to the Samaritan woman when she objects to the way he introduced himself, and there are humorously awkward moments like the one in which Peter’s mother-in-law asks Jesus and his disciples to help her in the kitchen after he has healed her.

To its credit, the series also underlines the Jewishness of its characters, devoting an entire episode to Mary Magdalene’s preparations for the Sabbath. However, the series tends to minimize the role of the community in religious life. The gospels often say that Jesus went to the synagogues to teach, but neither he nor the disciples ever do that here.

Along the way, the series tackles the question of how to create a single cohesive narrative out of the four gospels, which have very different takes on the life of Jesus.

For example, the Synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke) all show Jesus calling Peter and the other fishermen to follow him by the Sea of Galilee, and Luke’s gospel adds that the call was accompanied by a miraculous catch of fish. But John’s gospel says the first “sign” performed by Jesus was the changing of water to wine at the wedding in Cana, an event that occurred after Peter and his brother Andrew had already started following Jesus.

The series resolves this by suggesting that the catch of fish was a private miracle, done for the benefit of Peter and the other fishermen when Jesus was recruiting them, while the water being turned to wine was the first public miracle that Jesus performed.

Similarly, the Jesus of Mark’s gospel tends to keep his messianic identity a secret, while the Jesus of John’s gospel proclaims it quite openly. So in the series, Jesus is open about who he is with his followers, but it is only when he meets the Samaritan woman by the well that he openly identifies himself as the Messiah and encourages her to spread the news.

Stylistically, The Chosen has a distinctly modern sensibility. Each episode begins with a blues-rock song over the opening credits, and the final episode concludes with another blues-rock song as Jesus and his disciples stride purposefully toward the Samaritan village. This is quite different from the symphonic scores and ethnic flourishes of other Jesus movies.

The show’s modernity is reflected in the dialogue, too, which can be strikingly colloquial. The disciples use terms like “teacher’s pet”, a fisherman tells the person steering his boat to go “hard to port”, a Roman soldier complains that he and Matthew are “sitting ducks”, and Jesus says the disciples’ constant “question-and-answer sessions” can be “very annoying”.

Similarly, the conversations that Jesus has with Nicodemus and the Samaritan woman are leavened with new dialogue that gives added social and theological context to their exchanges and is also intended to make them sound more like regular chats. But the series isn’t as consistent as it could be in its modernization. When Jesus teaches the Lord’s Prayer to some children, he gives them the familiar King James version, in 17th-century English.

There are other anachronisms one could point to. The series imposes relatively modern Jewish rituals on the ancient setting at times, and the characters are sometimes surprised by Jesus’ humanity — by the fact that he dances at parties and builds latrines — in a way that reflects later Christian tendencies to emphasize Jesus’ divinity above all else. Presumably the people who lived with Jesus were more fully conscious of his humanity at the time.

The acting is a bit of a mixed bag, but thankfully, at the centre of it all there is Roumie, who plays Jesus with a robust mix of strength, compassion, and the occasional playful wink. Isaac and Silva, as Peter and Eden, also have an engaging chemistry. And Avari’s Nicodemus is a sincere, thoughtful seeker long before he gets to have his big meeting with Jesus.

It will be interesting to see where future seasons take the story. While the series does depict a few healings and other miracles, it has so far avoided anything more explicitly supernatural, like the signs that appeared at Jesus’ baptism; and the show’s casual, relatable vibe does lead you to wonder how it would handle the Transfiguration, the Resurrection, or any other story that involved voices from Heaven or the appearance of angels.

But the show is off to a decent start, and, if it does omit some parts of the gospels that the viewer might wish it had included, it highlights other parts that have been virtually ignored until now. It also gives fresh emotional heft to stories that we thought we knew so well. On those levels, at least, The Chosen is an exciting addition to the Jesus-movie canon.

— A version of this review was first published in The Anglican Planet .

The Chosen can be streamed in full via VidAngel or the show’s app ( Android | Apple ).

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Let’s Talk About . . . ‘The Chosen’ (Seasons 1–2)

by Christian Standard | 11 November, 2022 | 9 comments

We typically review movies in this format, but today we will review a streaming series. As always, we provide talking points and questions to help explore spiritual topics and to share your faith experience with family and friends.

The Chosen (Seasons 1-2)

Unrated • 2017 • Historical Drama • 16 one-hour episodes 

Starring: Jonathan Roumie, Elizabeth Tabish, Paras Patel, Shahar Isaac

——–

By Andrew Wood

Every generation needs to rediscover Jesus and tell his story in a way that touches not only the head but the heart. The multi-season streaming series The Chosen takes enormous artistic liberties with the historical facts of the Gospels. However, it convincingly portrays Jesus as enigmatically both human and divine.

HARNESSING 21ST-CENTURY MEDIA

The Chosen was produced and marketed in a unique way that takes advantage of 21st-century media to take the message of Jesus to new audiences. It was designed as a multi-season series of one-hour episodes, intended to be binge-watched much like similar programs on online streaming services.

Distributer Angel Studios is a video streaming company that is paying for the series’ production through crowdfunding—online donations from people who believe in the project. Contributors can be included as extras in future episodes. To date, the project has raised over $40 million, making it the most successful crowdfunded television project in history.

ACCURATE JESUS, ACCURATE SETTING

In some ways, the Jesus of The Chosen seems like the best cinematic depiction of the Messiah to date. American actor Jonathan Roumie portrays him with a tension between approachability and regality, simplicity and mystery, gentleness and strength. Watching him, it’s easy to imagine wanting to be in the presence of this charismatic man, yet at the same time feeling some trepidation at what unexpected thing he might do or say. It feels very much like the reaction we might have at meeting the real Jesus.

The cast of this production is diverse, including talented actors of Indian-American, Israeli-American, and other ethnicities speaking accented English. This is not just a nod to modern sensibilities; it’s actually a more historically authentic way to think of the cosmopolitan environment of first-century Israel under Roman occupation. Similarly, while the series is filmed in Texas and Utah, it succeeds in replicating a convincing Middle Eastern setting that feels deep, rich, and historically accurate.

This is no accident. The Chosen has three script consultants: a Roman Catholic priest, a Messianic Jewish rabbi, and an evangelical New Testament scholar (Dr. Doug Huffman of Biola University). Two members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints founded the production company that produced the series, but rumors that The Chosen promotes or benefits that church are unfounded.

AN IMAGINATIVE STORYLINE

The plot of The Chosen is another matter. While adhering to the general outlines of Jesus’ life and ministry, the script takes huge artistic liberties to create fictional backstories and drama for other characters.

Some of these seem generally consistent with the biblical account. We’re introduced to Mary Magdalene (Elizabeth Tabish) from the beginning of the series, and learn a little about her as a child, as an adult of questionable morals battling demon possession, and then her transformation into a devout woman after encountering Jesus. Other biographical story arcs stretch credulity, such as an intrigue that sees Peter (Shahar Isaac) informing on fellow Jews to Roman authorities to try to erase his debts.

It’s easy for those familiar with the Gospels to pick out the fiction; not so much for those who are biblically illiterate. The Chosen is perhaps best seen as Jesus in an “alternative universe”—how would he interact if the characters of the Bible actually did these things? From that perspective, the viewer can enjoy the story as a work of fiction while being inspired to consider the character and example of the real Jesus, and how he might interact with us individually today.

This does create a dilemma when showing the series to children or adults with poor knowledge of the Gospels. It can be a useful tool to inspire interest in Jesus but that should be followed up with intentional Bible study to help viewers distinguish fact from fiction.

HOW TO VIEW THE CHOSEN

Seasons 1 and 2 of The Chosen are available free for anyone with a computer, smartphone, or smart TV. Access episodes through the studio’s website ( www.angel.com ) or via multiple streaming services, including Peacock, Amazon Prime Video, and others. You can also download the app—The Chosen: Stream the Series.

The first two episodes of season 3 will be released in theaters nationally Nov. 18. Look for a review of those new episodes here at christianstandard.com in the coming weeks.

If you’d like to take your discussion of this series with others to a deeper level, try some of these questions:

How relevant do you think Jesus’ story is to our lives today?
What qualities do you find appealing about Jesus as portrayed in The Chosen ?
How does this picture of Jesus compare to your previous ideas, including those you were raised with?
Did you notice any inaccuracies in the movie when compared with the Bible?
Did the series make you more interested in learning the real story of Jesus? Would you like to read it together?

Andrew Wood, a former missionary to Ukraine and professor at Nebraska Christian College, is a freelance writer.

Christian Standard

As a woman who believes in Christ… guys.. I loved what you did. I have scored music for major feature movies. That said, where are the women in your production & writing team? There would be so much more you could have brought to the story through the women’s experiences. Since scripture states (written by the spirit through male hands) that women were brave enough to be at the cross when the apostles hightailed it into hiding (which is appreciated when we humans are not living up to who we all should be in our faith). Then again, scripture recording that women were the 1st to experience, be spoken to, spend time w/ the resurrected Christ.. THE event that created a direct connection to our creator. If scripture records such bravery & significant experience by the women… does it not merit putting women in as writers & producers to include their experiences?

I watched The Chosen tonight. Disappointed, it is not historically accurate. They told a vegetable joke about corn. It was almost 1,500 years after Christ before corn left the Americas.

In response to Blue Huxley: What does the fact that the Bible records women being the first to arrive at Jesus’ tomb have anything at all to do with including women as writers and producers in a Christian streaming series in the 21st century? I am a female Christian as well, but to make EVERYTHING about women these days is getting more than a little monotonous. Did you ever consider that the creator of the series just found the right “people” for the various roles he hired them for, regardless of their biological gender? . . . Not every decision in life boils down to feminism.

I love the show so far. It makes learning about Jesus much more approachable . . .

LOL ! The corn comment!

It’s good. I never realized he had such a large group of immediate followers. Let alone so many women in the group. But everything has to be ‘Inclusive’ these days. Because of that a lot of time is spent fleshing out things that are made up. Alsi I don’t think anyone used the word “weaponized’ of Jesus saying “You Got this”. Thw list could go on. Where’s Bartholomew?

I loved The Chosen; I feel much more closer spiritually as a Catholic. I am left with better understanding! I love every cast member that played an excellent part in the story. Truly got me is the best story movie show, I’ve seen about Jesus that got to the point and I understood it. Thank you! I’m telling everyone to watch it and they are and have! That’s what the Lord wants. Spread and share his love the truth to all his children. God Bless you all!

I hope it goes further than I ever imagine because I think that we really need that as a society. We need this right now. We need more of God and the culture. We need people to know that they are Loved as different as we all are. We are all children of God how can we teach our to those who are hiring and are in pain and if a TV show is able to kind of help, encourage people and and make them feel closer to Jesus and and more loved by God. And you know that’s that’s my ministry right there. – Jonathan Roumie (Jesus) The Chosen! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

I am just now finishing up series 3. Of all the comments I have read, no one gets that this series has a “Jesus is a prophet and all-around great guy” motif. It is an amalgamation of New Testament statements about Jesus and his ministry. The one glaring omission that no one seems to understand is that Jesus has been lowered to be shown as a prophet and not the Son of Man. There is no statement about him being in conflict with the devil and that his ministry, in bringing the Kingdom of God to the earth, is to overthrow the hold that the forces of evil have on human history. He casts out demons but this is shown as just one of the things he does along with healing. The statements about the contrast between a person who wants to be dedicated to God and those who don’t are softened. Just read the Gospel according to Mark. The Jesus in that Gospel is not the Jesus on the screen. Very good human drama, but a wimpy representation of the Jesus of the Gospels.

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4 Things to Know about The Chosen: Season 3 Movie

Michael Foust CrosswalkHeadlines Contributor
Updated Nov 18, 2022

4 Things to Know about <em>The Chosen: Season 3</em> Movie

If you’ve never watched The Chosen – the multi-season television series about Jesus and His followers – there’s a good chance someone around you has.

An estimated 100 million people worldwide have seen it, with total views now topping 440 million. The Chosen is, perhaps, the most popular faith-based media project since 2004’s The Passion of the Christ .

And now it’s on the big screen.

The Chosen: Season 3 (Episodes 1 and 2) gives moviegoers the opportunity to experience the story on an epic scale. It also gives fans a chance to watch the first two episodes of the new season before it lands on The Chosen app.

Season 3 picks up with Jesus preparing to send the disciples out in pairs of two. ( Mark 6:7 .)

Here are four things you should know about The Chosen movie:

Photo courtesy: ©The Chosen, used with permission.

1. It’s What Our Divided Culture Needs

The Chosen is the gospel-infused tonic our polarized, hate-filled, name-calling culture needs. Love, grace and mercy fill every inch of the plot.

Jesus’ followers argue ... yet quickly reconcile. They are threatened by the Roman authorities … but respond with kindness. They place the needs of others first … and their own needs last.

In one scene, a disciple is ostracized by his own parents, only to be welcomed back into the fold when they, too, are transformed by the words of Jesus.

In another scene, a different disciple approaches Mary Magdalene after becoming convicted by Jesus’ teachings on love, asking her to forgive him for the hurtful words he had spoken.

2. It Includes Judas, John the Baptist and Much More

The character of Judas gets his first major on-screen action. So does John the Baptist (more on that below).

Of course, we know Judas as the traitor. (Every reference to him in Scripture calls him as such.) Jesus’ followers, though, apparently were not suspicious ( John 13:27-30 ). The Chosen presents Judas as an energetic follower of Christ who is willing to walk away from his comfortable life in order to follow Jesus. (“I believe You are going to change the world,” he tells Jesus.)

The film includes several major New Testament stories and events: Jesus’ Beatitudes sermon, Jesus’ citing the Lord’s Prayer , and Jesus’ sending out the disciples among them.

The films take artistic liberties while remaining true to Scripture. It also – smartly – often places the words of the Old Testament in the mouths of Jesus and the disciples. (We hear Jesus cite Numbers 6:24-26 “the Lord bless you and keep you,” and the disciples cite Psalm 3 , “You, oh Lord, are a shield about me, my glory and the lifter of my head” – citations that technically are not in the New Testament but are plausible.)

Photo courtesy: ©The Chosen

3. It Was Filmed at a New Set in Texas

The movie was filmed at the series’ new 900-acre home in Midlothian, Texas, which includes a village that looks like it was teleported straight out of first-century Judea. The vintage-like village has a food market. It has a blacksmith shop. It has stables. It also has the homes of Peter, Matthew, Andrew and many others.

The new set has helped improve the on-screen product, the cast says. Paras Patel, who portrays Matthew, said the set allows actors and actresses to easily picture the first-century world for their roles.

“You just thrice as an artist. … You’re living the moment, you’re [smelling] the smells,” Patel told Crosswalk. “… The set is magnificent.”

Said Jordan Walker Ross, who portrays Little James, “It feels so real. … It really helps.”

The set was built in partnership with the Salvation Army and its Camp Hoblitzelle, an adjacent property.

4. It Packs an Emotional Punch

The Chosen series is known for scenes that tug at your heart, convict your soul and even make you cry. The movie has that, with three or four of the most powerful scenes in the project’s history.

“Little James,” who was born with a limp, asks Jesus why he is being asked to heal others when he himself has not been healed by Christ. (Little James is told that he was chosen to be a disciple – in part – because of his disability.)

The 12 disciples sit alone in a room with their leader, Jesus, as He calmly yet confidently sends them out two-by-two and tells them they may die for their convictions. (“Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul,” Jesus says.)

The film’s final two minutes had guests at the Atlanta premiere crying. (If you’re curious, it’s not necessary to watch the first two seasons in order to follow and enjoy the movie, which spans about two hours.)

Millions worldwide have watched the series. When you watch the movie, you’ll understand why it’s so popular. The script is brilliant – and the accompanying musical score matches every scene perfectly.

It’s one of the best films of the year.

The Chosen is not rated but likely would garner a PG rating. It contains no violence or coarse language. We see a married couple kiss and embrace (Peter and Eden). Seconds later, their kissing is interrupted when another disciple knocks on the door and says he needs to sleep at their place. He also implies he knows what is happening between Peter and Eden (he’ll put a pillow over his ears, he says).

Entertainment rating : 5 out of 5 stars.

Family-friendly rating : 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press , Christianity Today , The Christian Post , the Leaf-Chronicle , the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.

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The Chosen has had an interesting history; the series, created, directed and co-written by Dallas Jenkins, was financed via crowdfunding, and it’s been licensed to numerous streaming services and linear networks since its debut in 2019. It is also available on its own streaming app and website , for free; donations to the nonprofit Come and See Foundation continue to fund the series. Its debut on The CW is the first time it’s been on one of the major U.S. broadcast networks.

THE CHOSEN : STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

Opening Shot: After a long disclaimer about how the settings and characters in The Chosen may have changed, but “support the truth and intention of the Scriptures,” we see a man praying in front of a fire late at night. He coughs while he incants to himself.

The Gist: The man consoles his scared daughter by reciting a passage from Isaiah 43:1: “I’ve called you by name; you are mine.” Then a woman wakes up in bed, and sees the doll she held as a girl. But blood is on her hands; a man runs out, equally bloodied, and finds a Roman soldier. He’s screaming that demons live inside of the woman.

On the road to Capernaum, Rabbi Nicodemus (Erick Avari) and his wife Zohara (Janis Dardaris) are stopped by a Roman magistrate named Quintus (Brandon Potter). He’s looking to make a deal; if Nicodemus helps Quintus collect taxes from the Pharisses, he’ll make sure his fellow Romans leave them mostly alone.

Nicodemus’s message to his fellow rabbis in Capernaum is that they need to crack down on Jews who go fishing on Shabbat. As he’s visiting the local synagogue, he’s visited by a Roman soldier; he needs Nicodemus to exorcise demons from a woman in the Red Quarter named Lilith (Elizabeth Tabish). When Nicodemus does the exorcism — and he makes sure to let Gaius (Kirk B.R. Woller), the Roman soldier in charge, that he’s doing this as a favor — whatever is in Lilith is too strong for him to deal with.

In the meantime, two brothers, Simon Peter (Shahar Isaac) arranges street fights for his brother Andrew (Noah James) to wager on; in the latest, he loses when he gets sucker-punched by his opponent’s brother. They can lose their boat if they don’t come up with the tax money they owe; Simon goes out on his own on Shabbat to fish, but finds nothing, with a much larger merchant ship taking whatever haul there is for itself. A few days later, as Andrew is giving all he has to the tax collector, Matthew (Paras Patel), Simon chimes in that they have an arrangement with Quintus. The arrangement involves him snitching to Quintus about merchants catching fish on Shabbat.

Lilith, after coming out of her last bout with demons, gives her doll away to a local pub owner she knew as a kid. Then she contemplates throwing herself over a cliff, until she sees a bird flying overhead, and follows it away from the cliff’s edge. Distraught, she turns to booze to solve her problems, which is when she encounters a rabbi named Jesus Christ (Jonathan Roumie), who says she should be redeemed and her real name is Mary Magdalene.

What Shows Will It Remind You Of? While The Chosen is touted as the “first multi-season series about the life of Jesus Christ” (more on that in a second), it has the feeling of the History Channel’s miniseries The Bible .

Our Take: So, here’s where you might expect the cynical TV critic to roll his eyes and tell you The Chosen is just for the faithful, but you’d be wrong. It’s a generally well-done production with solid writing and acting, and costumes and set pieces that actually manage to not look chintzy. What Jenkins has done with the show is make the story of Jesus accessible to the faithful and non-faithful alike by concentrating on the characters of the story and making them real people. There is plenty of Scripture present, but it’s not rammed down viewers’ throats.

Jenkins makes a good decision to not start the story with Jesus’ birth (though a short “proof of concept” film that depicts the birth was made in 2017, in order to get that crowdfunding). Jesus is already a grown man, a rabbi and a prophet who is wandering Judea and gathering followers as he gives his newfangled philosophies.

The apostles are doing their everyday jobs, and he likely uses some clues about them from the Bible to shape their characters. Matthew, for instance, is wealthy and fastidious, and he’s so ashamed of his job as a tax collector that he hires a local garbage hauler to get him to work as he cowers under a tarp. Simon and Andrew are depicted as humble fishermen, with Simon being the more scheming and industrious of the brothers. Other followers, like Mary Magdelene, are not initially seen in the most positive light.

Jenkins and his writers are certainly not depicting any of these people as heroic or tragic figures, at least not yet. They’re humans (even Jesus), with human issues and problems. Yes, their lives are extraordinarily spiritual, but there is earthly grounding in their behavior. And as the seasons go along and Jesus picks up more followers, and courts more trouble, the very human aspects of that will likely be what we see.

Sex and Skin: None.

Parting Shot: Jesus calls Lilith “Mary of Magdala” and recites Isaiah 43:1 to her, as her father once did. She sobs, and he embraces her.

Sleeper Star: We’ve seen Erick Avari in a million different shows, and the character actor brings some gravitas and credibility to the series as Nicodemus.

Most Pilot-y Line: Gaius says to Nicodemus, “Don’t worry, rabbi; we took out the other lowlifes to protect your delicate sensibilities.” Yeesh, those Romans get personal, don’t they?

Our Call: STREAM IT. Instead of being dense with spirituality, The Chosen takes the stance that the story of Jesus involved real and fallible characters. And that is what makes the show an entertaining story instead of a didactic narrative.

Joel Keller ( @joelkeller ) writes about food, entertainment, parenting and tech, but he doesn’t kid himself: he’s a TV junkie. His writing has appeared in the New York Times, Slate, Salon, RollingStone.com , VanityFair.com , Fast Company and elsewhere.

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'The Chosen' Season 4 Review: Tensions Rise in Surprisingly Good Series

'The Chosen' returns, and it's just as dramatic as ever.

The Big Picture

Season 4 of The Chosen raises the tension and political drama, focusing on the conflict between disciples and Roman forces.
The strength of the show lies in the relationship between the disciples, with Season 4 addressing their conflicts and imperfections.
The Chosen struggles when straying too far from the larger narrative and focusing too much on personal subplots.

Before The Chosen , there had never been a long-form, multi-season television series about the life of Jesus Christ. There have been plenty of movies , sure. Even a mini-series or two have faithfully chronicled the New Testament story. Failed attempts at a multi-season continuation ( A.D. The Bible Continues , anyone?) have resulted in wondering whether it's even possible to make a successful TV show about Jesus. That said, it almost feels miraculous that this series ( produced entirely independent of Hollywood ) could become as popular on a global scale as it has. But perhaps The Chosen 's latest entry — the long-anticipated Season 4 — helps us better understand why this sort of thing has never properly worked before.

The Chosen is a historical drama based on the life of Jesus and those who knew him. Set against the backdrop of Roman oppression in first-century Palestine, the series shares an authentic look at Jesus' revolutionary life and teachings.

'The Chosen' Raises the Stakes in Season 4

The Chosen ’s fourth season is filled with all the things fans have loved about previous years. The interpersonal connections between Jesus’ (played by Jonathan Roumie ) twelve disciples, the growing tensions between the local religious leaders and the occupying Roman forces, and the visualization of miracles performed on-screen are, in many cases, why so many viewers stuck around. The series isn't a global phenomenon for nothing, and it continues to point impressively back to its source. Jesus’ earthly ministry reportedly only lasted around three years, and given series creator Dallas Jenkins ’ clear intent to get seven seasons total out of this production, the slow-burn pace leading toward the inevitable crucifixion is finally starting to pick up some real steam now .

What makes Season 4 unique is that the tension between the Roman forces like Quintus ( Brandon Potter ) and Gaius ( Kirk B.R. Woller ) and the Jewish Pharisees finally feels like it may implode at any moment. In some respects, The Chosen ’s latest season begins more like a political historical drama (a la Rome ) than a faith-based program, and that’s certainly the point. Things feel personal, political, and spiritual all at the same time . The way Season 4 frames the conflict almost hints that the series may outlive Jesus’ eventual crucifixion and resurrection story, well into the early life of the church chronicled in the Book of Acts.

By far the biggest strength in this show is the relationship between the disciples , specifically the twelve whom Jesus had, well, chosen . Previous years have teased an inevitable break between Simon Peter ( Shahar Isaac ) and Matthew ( Paras Patel ), who have been at odds for quite some time. Every conflict reaches a natural boiling point, and it can either bubble over and become uncontrollable or be calmed by something from the outside. As usual, Jesus is that something, and while their frustrations with each other have been largely valid (Matthew was going to get Simon sent to prison, after all), they remain nonetheless antithetical to the teachings of their new wandering rabbi. Season 4 finally addresses this issue in a powerful and finite way that reminds us of what this series has always been about .

'The Chosen' Season 4 Continues to Highlight the Disciples’ Personal Journeys

Of course, that doesn’t mean there aren’t other significant issues among the disciples. One of the best parts of The Chosen is watching how these characters stumble around each other while considering the hard and sometimes confusing sayings of their teacher . Brothers James ( Abe Bueno-Jallad ) and John ( George H. Xanthis ), aka the "Sons of Thunder," are often the instigators of said conflicts, and, almost as if they’ve learned nothing from Jesus, they’re at it again here. What could easily feel like a boring or repetitive beat feels more in step with the biblical narrative, albeit in a refreshing and unquestionably characteristic way. After all, the Bible itself never portrays the disciples as perfect men, and if anything, their imperfections shine brighter here.

In previous years, The Chosen sought to engage its audience through the complicated personal lives of its core characters. When the show started , a demon-possessed Mary Magdalene ( Elizabeth Tabish ) was living under a different name while self-medicating on the streets, Matthew was cut off from his family, and, of course, Simon Peter had found himself in a massive debt he could not repay. This was the backdrop for Jesus’ arrival, meant to echo the real-life challenges of a modern audience. For the most part, the show has always done that well, and the same can largely be said for Season 4, which takes things a step further by making some of those personal challenges a bit more complicated .

The cinematography, costumes, production, and set design elevate this series far beyond the dismissive “faith-based” label it’s often filed under. No expense has been spared to make The Chosen feel like a big-budget streaming series set in the first century A.D., and that production value has only increased over time. Additionally, Shahar Isaac, who perhaps had more to do last season than in the three episodes provided for review, has proven himself both a strong and complex leading man who can still surprise us even now . Simon Peter is likely The Chosen ’s most complex character, full of internal contradictions and a hot-headed brashness — but following that impressive Season 3 finale (“Sustenance”), Isaac unveils a different side of the future apostle, reminding us that there’s still a lot in store for Peter going forward.

'The Chosen' Is Shaking Things Up in Season 4

Fans may have trouble getting used to the new Phillip this season, now played by Reza Diako after Yoshi Barrigas ’ sudden departure. Diako doesn’t carry the same hopefully optimistic charisma that Barrigas’ two-season take on the character had , and it’s kind of abrasive, to say the least. For a while, it was hard to discern if he was Phillip at all, though the series, likely anticipating that response, makes sure to give a name to the new face almost immediately. While the plot of Season 4 may play a part in the disciple’s significant shift in demeanor, it’s certainly not the only factor, as Diako’s Phillip doesn’t even show up in the first episode, giving audiences some extra time to ease into the swap.

It’s unclear what Jesus’ arc might look like this season, but considering that the promotional materials have all implied that Demetrios Troy ’s Lazarus will be featured as a major part of Season 4 (the season’s tagline, “Rise,” is by no means accidental), we can only assume that his resurrection story will play a major role. Additionally, the trailers highlight Jesus' title as the "Man of Sorrows," and from the get-go, the show doesn't even think to pull its punches. Nonetheless, Roumie’s Jesus continues to delight whenever he’s on-screen, even when he’s aggressively calling out the religious leaders in the streets. But no matter what Jesus does, the impending climax of this series still looms , even if we still have a season or two left to go until we get there .

'The Chosen' Is Better When It Doesn't Embellish for Dramatic Purposes

There are obvious challenges when it comes to bringing the Bible to life. While The Chosen has never claimed to be a one-for-one adaptation ( the very first episode expressly states otherwise ), it does take some creative liberties with the lives of Jesus and his followers that many might deem questionable. These adjustments continue into Season 4 and are by far the show’s weakest link, despite being framed narratively as the strongest. While it’s true that The Chosen is at its best when it centers on the relationships between Jesus’ ragtag group of followers, focusing too much on their personal lives also proves a detriment and distracts from the larger narrative.

We see this most obviously in this batch of episodes through the life of Thomas ( J oey Vahedi ), one of the show's more embellished disciples, particularly regarding his love story with Ramah ( Yasmine Al-Bustami ). While these moments are often done dramatically well and can prove either enduring or comedic at times, they take the emphasis off vital and dramatic plot points in the larger narrative in an attempt to elevate this subplot to a higher level of importance. In this case, the significant fallout from the season opener is strangely brushed over, instead opting to put Jesus in a tricky position as the show's creators wrestle with the age-old question: what would Jesus do? Their answers are questionable. Given that we don't know which disciples were married historically (other than Simon Peter), The Chosen might be better off waiving romantic subplots entirely, focusing instead on its strengths as a political and religious drama meshed with complicated personal subplots – which this season's second episode highlights well.

In some respects, The Chosen is well-produced Bible fanfiction that can suffer when it strays too far . That’s not exactly news given the large list of IP-driven productions (both on a large and small scale) that have previously suffered similar fates. But given that the Bible is more than your standard IP, it’s understandable that many in the Christian audience would feel betrayed. While not every creative liberty is bad — expanding on Mary Magdalene's origins, the aforementioned conflict between Simon and Matthew, and even last season's miscarriage arc were all done tastefully in context — not all artistic license pans out. In the case of Season 4, the jury is still out given the total episode count, but there's no doubt that The Chosen is at its best when it doesn't rely on soapy additions to increase drama or fill in gaps.

'The Chosen' Has a Lot More Story Left to Tell

Maybe this is why there has never been a long-running series about Jesus Christ as there has been about other historical figures. Maybe the pressure of bringing such a powerful and important story to the screen is too much for most to handle. Maybe adding too much to the story of Christ muddies the water too much so that it can’t be properly turned into wine. In any case, these creative liberties don't fully weigh The Chosen Season 4 down . There's still plenty that works with this show, which is another testament to the progressing nature of faith-based entertainment .

The first few episodes stand strong on their own, even divorced from the greater narrative, and build on one another. The cast is great as always and the wonder of which biblical tales will show up next is thrilling. Season 4 is off to a pretty good start , and the show's impressive longevity and devoted creatives seem to have some good stuff up their sleeves. If you’re in the mood for a bingeable historical drama about one of the most important periods in history, Season 4 of The Chosen is must-see TV.

The Chosen Season 4 takes us further into the life of Jesus Christ in promising fashion, but can get a little lost in the personal subplots.

The biggest strength of the show comes in the exploration of the relationship between Jesus Christ and his disciples.
With each episode, the show is raising the stakes toward the inevitable crucifixion.
The show focuses too much on the personal lives of the disciples, distracting from the larger narrative at play.

The Chosen Season 4 premieres in select theaters in the U.S. on February 1.

GET TICKETS HERE

By Alan Ng | April 11, 2020

Over the decades, faith-based films have gotten a lousy rap…deservedly so. I get it. I have well-meaning believers tell me I should watch such-and-such, “It’ll changed your life!” I’m then stunned about how a horribly-produced film ever changed anyone (see Thief in the Night ). You have a vast dogmatic audience that is easily offended by anything that’s a little off (especially when it comes to Jesus Christ himself), so religious dramas and comedies are forced to toe the Christian line, which means it offers watered-down boredom and any excitement is dulled or surgically removed.

Christian bookstores and church libraries are littered with dozens of versions of the life of Christ. They all look the same and portray Christ as a superhero dispensing fortune-cookie advice. So, in comes The Chosen from director Dallas Jenkins. Just from the packaging, I thought, “Ugh, I’ve seen this before.” I couldn’t have been more wrong.

“Jesus is pretty much wrapping up his career as a carpenter , and we delve into the personal lives of his future disciples.”

The Chosen is an eight-episode series (of which I’ve seen the first four) taking place before Jesus Christ’s “ministry” begins (look up John The Baptist). This alone is the freshest take I’ve ever seen on the story of Christ and scores huge points with me. Jesus is pretty much wrapping up his career as a carpenter, and we delve into the personal lives of his future disciples.

Here are a few of the storylines we follow in The Chosen . Fishermen Simon Peter (Shahar Isaac) and Andrew (Noah James) find themselves in a bind. The fishing in Capernaum is terrible, they have fallen behind on their taxes, and they make a deal with Roman Magistrate Quintus (Brandon Potter) to turn narc on his deadbeat competition in exchange for clearing their debt. Not paying debts usually involves losing everything and being sold into slavery.

Matthew (Paras Patel) is the newly instated regional tax collection, despised by all, including his family, because he has the legal authority to extract money from commoners. In soap opera fashion, Matthew suspects that Simon Peter is not actually spying on the competition as promised and may be simply delaying his debt payment.

Nicodemus (Erick Avari) is the head Pharisee (religious leader) and is reticent about his role as the public spiritual leader. His authority is put to the test when the Romans insist that he takes care of a demon-possessed woman, Mary M. (Elizabeth Tasbish).

The Chosen (2020)

Directed: Dallas Jenkins

Written: Dallas Jenkins, Ryan Swanson, Tyler Thompson

Starring: Erick Avari, Shahar Isaac, Noah James, Paras Patel, Jonathan Roumie, Elizabeth Tabish, etc.

Movie score: 8.5/10

"…acting is good to exceptional, which is not easy to find in faith-based films."

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LIFE & DOCTRINE THROUGH A GOSPEL LENS

Jun 4, 2021

The Chosen: Should Christians watch it?

A production about Jesus actually done well?

I was a little skeptical when I kept hearing rave reviews about The Chosen . Christians have a notoriously bad reputation for making religious films and shows. Low-quality production, bad storytelling, poor acting, overwhelming cheese factor, etc. Not to mention some terrible depictions of Jesus that are profoundly unbiblical. But what feels so unique about The Chosen is that it stands above the rest as a genuinely well-done Christian series about Jesus and his disciples. Brett McCracken gives a thorough analysis on why the show works so well and why many are drawn to it. But that is not reason alone to watch a show about Jesus.

Any show about Jesus (including this one) is on the receiving end of a lot of criticism. When you attempt to produce a show that goes into the backstory of biblical stories, individual encounters, and complex problems, you will use a lot of creative license. Because of this, many believers had not “felt right” about the depiction of Jesus in the show. Things like Matthew’s disease, Jesus’ sense of humor, and other aspects go above and beyond what the scriptures tell us. Additionally, a lot of the dialogues found in scripture are expanded and modernized in a way that feels “off” for those who read more elegant translations.

So, what do we do? I think there is plenty of room for Christian liberty on this issue but I want to provide three concerns that may cause people to not watch the show, in wisdom. Contrasting that, I want to provide three reasons why it is worth watching, in wisdom.

3 concerns about the show

1) the chosen says more than scripture does.

Some movies and shows have sought to so-closely follow every detail of Scripture (and not say more!) that they feel lifeless, wooden, and inconsistent. The Chosen fights this by taking creative liberties to more fully expand on conversations, relationships, and individuals in the Gospels. This may, and rightfully so, cause Christians some concern. It’s a weighty thing to say, “This is what Matthew was like... This is what Jesus probably said...” when we don’t really know. There is always a tendency to transplant our own modern biases and personal opinions into these things and it is very important to realize that these extra elements are not divinely inspired. Scripture is the only guide and ultimate authority on who Jesus truly is, not a show.

2) The Chosen may change how people read the gospels

Related to the previous concern, we live in a very visual day and age. This means that a show like The Chosen will reach many people that would not necessarily pick up a Bible. But the danger with this is that their understanding of who Jesus and the disciples were may be tainted by the show. It may encourage “reading things into” the gospels that aren’t there or overly-personalizing different elements of the Bible when that is not the scriptural intent. As a pastor friend of mine once said, “Do we get excited about going to the Word as much as we are excited for the next episode to come out? Or have we gotten lazy and apathetic?” Those who brush this concern aside shouldn’t. Art is a powerful thing and we should be careful to allow Scripture to critique the shows we love, not the other way around.

3) The show’s creator has questionable partnerships

Dallas Jenkins seems like a great guy but the more I have read and listened to interviews with him, the more I question his wisdom in certain regards. First of all, Dallas has wanted “different perspectives” when it comes to the episodes. The fact that he consults with a Catholic priest, a Messianic Jewish rabbi, and an evangelical Christian after writing each episode will feel off to many evangelicals that believe the Catholic church does not teach the same gospel. Also, season 2 was filmed in Utah which resulted in a lease agreement with the church of LDS. In an interview, Dallas stated that “we love the same Jesus… I don’t deny we have a lot of theological differences but we love the same Jesus.” This statement further brought concerns to my mind as to the wisdom of Dallas. The Mormon church does not teach or affirm the same gospel. Additionally, LDS teach things radically unbiblical about Jesus (i.e. Brotherhood with Lucifer, his marriage, the denial of the Trinity). The lack of recognition of the inherent differences between the LDS church and orthodox Christianity is troubling, considering he is the creator of a show about Jesus and the gospel.

3 reasons to watch the show

1) the chosen is truly well-done.

As an artist and designer, one of the main reasons I can’t stand most Christian productions is that they are very poorly done. If Christians are to do all things for the glory of God, to the best of their ability, and with joyful passion (Prov. 13:4; Ecc. 9:10; 1 Cor. 10:31; Col. 3:17) then Christians should be the best filmmakers, the best actors, the best producers, and the best writers. So, in a broad sense, things that are “good” are things that we should watch and enjoy. In a world of subpar Christian productions, The Chosen is a breath of fresh air. The dialogue is engaging, the pacing thoughtful, the acting exceptional, and the style beautiful. Additionally, in a world with many TV shows, movies, and productions that are not seeking to draw people to Jesus and glorify God, it is a good thing to have a distinctly Christian show that grabs your attention and makes you want more.

2) The Chosen strives for Biblical faithfulness

There have been a few episodes where I didn’t like some of the conversations, decisions, and elements. If I was producing the show, I would have made some different choices. With that said, there is very little I have found to be “unbiblical” in the show. What I mean by that is although the show says more than what Scripture says, I don’t believe it depicts things that go against the Biblical narrative. There has been very little I have thought, “That couldn’t be true.” Although we don’t know, I think the fact that Jesus has a sense of humor is very plausible (and probably accurate). The show aims to hit the mark of Biblical faithfulness in what they are doing and although they make creative decisions that believers will disagree about how “accurate” they are, I believe there is a place for some grace and charity. They are clear to indicate that the show is not inspired and that people should read the Gospels for themselves. Having realistic expectations for shows like this can go a long way. We should point out things that may not be accurate but, in the same way that we sing songs that express thoughts that go beyond explicit biblical statements, we should be asking for Biblical faithfulness, not Biblical exactness.

3) The Chosen seems to be drawing people to Jesus and His Word

Many things claim to be drawing people to Jesus that are not Biblically faithful so this reason alone is not enough. However, testimonials for the show are filled with patterns of people saying that the show made them want to read their Bibles, love Jesus more, tell others about him, study the gospels with others, and even consider following Jesus with their lives. In our Church, one of our small groups has been watching episodes of The Chosen with four Muslim teen boys and talking about Jesus afterward. For those who interact with Muslims, you will learn quickly that they are a very “storied” people. Stories are how they communicate and understand spiritual truths. Having a show like this one has allowed that small group to engage these Muslim guys in a way that has been bearing fruit. Questions are being asked, Bibles are being opened, and Jesus is being talked about.

So, should Christians watch The Chosen ?

In short, I believe this is a matter of Christian conscience. I do not believe Christians are being unwise (necessarily) by either watching the show or by passing on it. With that said, I have found it helpful and encouraging amidst the concerns and do believe it is worth watching. But all in all, the gospel will go forward and Christ will be glorified with or without shows like The Chosen . Inasmuch as the show is drawing people to Jesus, I rejoice and believe every Christian should rejoice. But in our conversations about the show (whether as a critic or a fan), may we point to Scripture as the only ultimate authority and may we point to the Jesus it reveals as the only savior for sin and the only hope for life and salvation.

40 Comments

In December my health took a turn for the worse I became very weak fast and could not even eat When I say fast I mean going from eating a full plate of food to three days later not being able to drink a a sip of water I went to VA hospital emergency room for dehydration and figure they schedule me for a feeling tube placement They admitted me and two weeks later I woke up to my standing over me in the hospital room this occurred during my second or third drug holiday from Radicava Again no way to know if what I experienced was a side effect When I was discharged I was completely paralyzed So i…

If you don't like Catholics, then you better throw out the Bible - it was not until the Synod of Rome under Pope Damasus in A.D. 382, followed by the Councils of Hippo and Carthage, that the Catholic Church defined which books made it into the New Testament and which didn’t. So don't just toss out the Chosen - throw out the Bible. If protestants aren't burning accused witches, then they're burning books anyway.

I agree. I have always been advised that Catholics added books to the Bible. Christians have not. I have always wondered how would one learn about how which books were picked to be in the Bible. Any help is appreciated. Thank you

GOD BLESS US ALL. 🙏🙄

Yes... the property of the LDS can be used to create a series that spreads the Gospel... I have seen nothing in any of the episodes that even hints of LDS beliefs... All things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

Interesting that evangelical Christians think that they are so different from Latter-Day Saints. I am LDS and found that The Chosen is full of my beliefs. Nothing in the show goes against what I believe about my Savior. We're more similar than different from each other.

Hello, I agree, Christ will be glorified with or without shows like this one. I also think people should read the scriptures if they want to know Jesus.. With that said, I like the show. I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints and I love Jesus Christ. You probably never attended our services but if you ever do, you will know we talk of Christ and we rejoice in Christ but we don't teach anything about the marriage of Jesus. We do believe in God, his son Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost. Thank you, I enjoyed reading you blog.

Jesus, God and the Holy Spirit are one-in-the-same...It's called "The Trinity"; and, my Bible tells me that these three are one-in-the-same

In the episode in which the Good Samaritan parable is revealed, the character of Jesus jokes about getting robbed to the robber and then jokingly says “too soon”. Jesus is God and God would never joke about sin.

Putting words in the mouth of God is dangerous and even giving Him a personality trait like sarcasm is wrong.

Why is the scripture in the Bible: wo to the one who add to the Word of God or take anything away from the Word of God. This Word of God is not just a storybook, its alive! I don’t even love films about Jesus, nobody can act Jesus, if you want Jesus real essence ,go and spiritually watch the movie in your head when you read Him. Jesus is the Word. I saw that there was a pride flag up with the senes while they make the episodes.

Glory to God in the highest. Luke 2:14

May 29, 2021

Harsh Criticism of "The Chosen" Draws Emotional Response from Dallas Jenkins

Updated: Jul 8, 2022

The creator/director of this show about the life of Jesus is hit with accusations as extreme as heresy and blasphemy over the most recent episode.

Anyone with a modicum of familiarity with Church history knows that Believers' views on the Faith vary widely and sometimes intensely: enough to spark violent disagreement, bloodshed and even war. So that a show like The Chosen from Dallas Jenkins would elicit displeasure among some of the faithful was altogether predictable.

That he would regularly be called a "heretic," a "blasphemer" and even a "cult leader," however, is evidently not something Jenkins himself expected, judging by his reaction to a recent spate of furious criticism following the release of Episode 5 of the program's second season. The negative reaction and invective proved intense enough to prompt him to address it in a 45-minute social media livestream this week.

Jenkins, at times visibly displeased and even borderline angry, states at one point that viewers who feel that way "shouldn't watch the show." During the monologue, he also lays out his approach to the program and what he hopes are points of commonality among all parties concerned: Jesus' divinity, Jesus' sinlessness, and Jesus' exclusivity as a means of salvation, to name but a few.

Turning his attention to the aforementioned uproar, Jenkins ticked off the three scenes that drew the negative response: Jesus' rehearsing for a sermon, Jesus' very informal meeting with John the Baptist, and the evident backsliding by Mary Magdalene. While the first was far and away the most troubling to fans, it is that last one that really got under the director's skin, prompting him at one point to raise his voice and say that it is an "affront" to claim that Christians cannot fall back into sin after they have been saved.

In a more measured moment, he asks viewers to remember that The Chosen is "not a verse-by-verse reenactment of the Biblical narrative," but instead a "historical, character drama" that is inspired by the Bible. It is also something Jenkins, who is a lifelong Christian, hopes God will use for eternal purposes.

"We take Bible stories, we work our way backwards to add the context, to add backstory: some of it's historical, some of it's cultural, some of it's artistical imagination. All of it's intended to support the character and intentions of the Gospels."

Those extra-Biblical portions comprise 95% of what's been in the show thus far, according to Jenkins, but that and everything else is still run through a proofing process involving scholars of the Bible and people in full-time ministry to make sure it is in harmony with what's in Scripture. The director and his fellow writers also spend hours and hours researching, consulting and praying before they start each script. Jenkins nevertheless recognizes that since the show will consist of 56 total episodes once it's complete, this will not be the last time there is displeasure: "We are probably going to do things occasionally that aren't perfect."

He thus appealed to fans for understanding, asking that they be open to listen and consider his point of view, as well as that they send in their statements of concern "with a question mark at the end as opposed to an exclamation point" when they don't understand the rationale for something in the story. But for those who found Episode 5 objectionable, especially Jesus' practicing of his sermon, Jenkins unapologetically offers a word of caution about the final episode of season two.

"When we get to Episode 8, Jesus spends probably 10 minutes of screen time preparing His sermon and writing His sermon, so I'll just give you that fair warning now: if you didn't like those 10 seconds at the end of Episode 5, you're gonna really hate Episode 8."

And the next installment - Episode 6 - may also prove challenging for some viewers as it will follow Mary Magdalene's temptation to fall back into a life of sin. According to Jenkins, it "is going to be pretty brutal." That episode is now in post-production and likely will release in late June, though no firm date has yet been announced.

Christian Film Blog will continue to follow the post-production process and bring you the release details once they become clear. If you haven't watched Episode 5, you can do so here , and to check out Jenkins' entire livestream, go to the show's Facebook page via this link .

In the meantime, we would humbly encourage everyone to extend grace to Dallas Jenkins and his team as they continue to produce this very challenging faith-based show at a high level: with so many differing views of our shared Christian faith, it cannot be easy to thread such a needle.

TV/Streaming
2021 Releases

Dallas Jenkins of "The Chosen" Answers His Critics

Dallas Jenkins of "The Chosen" Tackles the "LDS Issue"

The Director of "The Chosen" Calls Filming of Big Scene "Exhausting" and "Extraordinary"

316 comentários

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFwHfBm6v6k

That it’s own by Mormons nobody cares?

We’re not serving the same God!

Mormons aren’t our brothers in Christ!

Mormonism is extremely different from Biblical Christianity!

Common sense tells you that you should read the Bible, get your soul #SavedByGrace , get your spirit #BornAgain, firsthand! Not watching shows « ABOUT JESUS » which is not 100% God and 100% Man. Why he’s God? Because he’s raised from the dead! Why he’s the Only sinless Man? Because he was getting tired, hungry, thirsty… Ephesians 2:8,9 & John 3:16, 36 & John 14:6 KJB! 👑

Well, that's great if there is no more Mormon influence. Many people have not studied Mormonism, but it is a false doctrine, and we must be clear that we do not believe that. Dallas clearly said, "We believe in the same Jesus," and that is absolutely not so. He needs to be held accountable for what he said. He is in such a large position to influence people, and Paul said that those who teach others will be judged most strictly of all. We can't excuse what he said. It was wrong, and he should have had the guts to retract it. As for making Mormons feel they are worthy, no one is worthy. We do not come t…

This show has been a blessing to me and has given me peace. The humanity of Jesus is often forgotten. This is a beautiful depiction of that.

There is NO biblical evidence that Mary Magdalene backslid. If you are going to make films like this you MUST stick closely to the Bible. Artistic license must be kept to a minimum.

I recently spoke with a friend who began a conversation with her waitress at a local restaurant. The subject of The Chosen came up. The waitress said that she had watched it and had become a believer because of it. We can become so legalistic like some the characters in the series, that we can miss the whole objective of bringing souls to Christ.

The heart of the question is whether or not the truth of the gospel brought conviction of sin and repentance through faith in Christ. Conviction of sin has nothing to do with legalism.

We've been trained in this day and age to be accepting of anything except criticism. And ironically we're so critical of constructive criticism that we can't see the difference between truth and error. God's Word is sharper than a two-edged sword, which means it divides truth from error. We have no business defending things that aren't in the Bible and then calling things that are in the Bible "criticism." If people are basing their remarks on valid discerning points from Scripture, then let's take a look at those Scriptures rather than throwing out the entire argument because we all just want to sit around and feel good.

Notice: All forms on this website are temporarily down for maintenance. You will not be able to complete a form to request information or a resource. We apologize for any inconvenience and will reactivate the forms as soon as possible.

Shahar Isaac as Simon Peter; Jonathan Roumie as Jesus; Elizabeth Tabish as Mary Magdalene; Paras Patel as Matthew; Noah James as Andrew; Janis Dardaris as Zohara; Lara Silva as Eden; Shaan Sharma as Shmuel; Nick Shakoour as Zebedee; George Harrison Xanthis as John; Shayan Sobhian as Big James (season 1, episodes 1-5); Kian Kavousi as Big James (season 1, episodes 6–8); Abe Martell as Big James (season 2); Erick Avari as Nicodemus; Brandon Potter as Praetor Quintus; Kirk B.R. Woller as Gaius; Giavani Cairo as Thaddaeus; Jordan Walker Ross as Little James; Joey Vahedi as Thomas; Yasmine Al-Bustami as Ramah; Yoshí Barrígas as Philip; Luke Dimyan as Judas Iscariot; Amber Shannon Williams as Tamar; Yasmine Al-Bustami as Ramah; Nina Leon as Salome
Fathom Events; The Chosen App

TV Series Review

[ Editor’s Note: Season Four of The Chosen will debut in theaters via Fathom Events in three separate releases. Episodes 1-3 screened together in theaters, with a brief intermission, from Feb. 1-14; Episodes 4-6 will screen Feb. 15-28; and Episodes 7-8 will screen Feb. 29 through March 10. Following that theatrical release, Season Four will be available to stream on The Chosen App later this spring, with a release date that has not yet been announced. Plugged In will continue to review the episodes individually in our standard TV review format at the end of our overarching series review. ]

The world could use more Jesus. But can it use more of Him on television?

Depictions of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection have been a mainstay on both big and small screens since we’ve had screens to watch. His story’s been told and told and told some more, and a cynic might doubt whether another such retelling can possibly bring anything new to the party.

The makers of The Chosen have two words for that cynic: Wanna bet?

PAY AS YOU GO

The Chosen is the product of two up-to-the-minute trends: Streaming networks and crowdfunding. But it’s not just that: The Chosen is, in terms of its filming and release strategy, unlike anything else out there. No joke.

Creator/director Dallas Jenkins created the first season of The Chosen thanks to around 19,000 investors (according to a brief message Jenkins shared before the first episode of Season Two). Jenkins hopes that The Chosen eventually spans seven seasons—a lofty goal to be sure, but Jenkins says he has already seen “God’s impossible math” in action. And these seasons aren’t available via a standard network or streaming service. They’re only available on YouTube or Facebook, the Chosen app and, as of Season Four, via movie ticket. The series is being released in movie-size blocks, courtesy of Fathom Events. And its theatrical success is turning heads, just as its unique distribution model did.

But if the show’s inception and distribution have been a little bit divergent, the show itself offers some new wrinkles, as well.

OF SCRIPTS AND SCRIPTURE

As mentioned, The Chosen’s creators hope for a seven-season run, which might strike some as a challenge: Movies that follow a given Gospel word-for-word run long, but there’s not enough in the text to stretch the story out for a Game of Thrones -like run.

So the show’s producers have shifted away from strict fidelity to the text and into a more imaginative, extrapolated, extra-biblical narrative. It’s fiction , in other words—fiction that was inspired by and embraces Scripture, but fiction that nonetheless feels free to remove and (mostly) add elements as the story—not theology—demands. The first episode of Season Two, for instance, plucks a handful of parables, but uses them simply to structure a mostly fictional imagining of what Jesus’ stay in Sychar, Samaria, might’ve looked like—from a surprise feast with a crippled sinner to a visit to the town’s synagogue.

The show’s makers clearly wanted this story to be a cut above your typical Christian passion play. They seem to be gunning for The Chosen almost to be a biblical Breaking Bad.

I mean that in the best of ways, incidentally. For viewers who approach Christian entertainment with a jaundiced eye, The Chosen gives us something different: a gritty, grimy, problematic Palestine filled with the unwashed and impure, giving the production a flavor of authenticity.

The episodes thus far hone tightly in on its ancillary characters—infusing them with dimension the Gospels just didn’t give. And while Season One showed Jesus gathering some of His more prominent followers, Season Two revealed some friction and jealousies developing among them. Just because they’re chosen, after all, doesn’t mean they stop being human.

Jenkins and Co. have made the brave and, I think, smart move to dole out Jesus over time—to let these very real subplots begin to emerge before these characters’ realities are completely upended. In Season Three, the 12 have been gathered, the word about Jesus is beginning to spread, and He sends them out to further His kingdom purposes—despite much fear and uncertainty on the part of His fledgling followers.

In Season Four, the cost of following Jesus begins to become clearer. The Pharisees and Sanhedrin are increasingly desperate to end Jesus’ ministry, so much so that they’re willing to conspire with the hated Romans to make that happen. The result is a tinderbox of conflict, the fuse of which is perhaps lit by Jesus Himself as He boldly confronts the religious leaders’ hypocrisy. Accordingly, Episode Three comes with a parental discretion warning at the outset due to one particularly violent scene.

The result? A show that’s more show than sermon , one that feels strangely taut and engrossing—even for those of us who know its ultimate end.

But naturally, The Chosen comes with a few caveats.

Again, the world given to us here isn’t the sanctified version we see in stained glass or many a movie about Jesus. While the content isn’t gratuitous, exactly, people step in dung, long to get drunk and engage in fistfights. Characters get hurt and sometimes die. The streets of Palestine can practically reek of sin. It all feels germane: Jesus came to save such a world as this, after all. But it can be a bit graphic.

The ambitions of The Chosen require a great deal of poetic license, shall we say—again, a work of fiction in service of this age-old tale. And especially as Season Four unfolds with an ever-growing ensemble of characters, fans might be having conversations about plot points and characters that aren’t actually found in the New Testament narrative.

But for TV fans spoiled by today’s rich, complex television landscape but tired of its salaciousness; for viewers who love Jesus (or who just want to know more about Him) but are turned off by what they might see as shallow, saccharine piety; The Chosen might just scratch an itch they never even knew they had.

Episode Reviews

Feb. 1, 2024 – s4, e1.

Season Four begins with a flashback of a pregnant Mary visiting her older cousin, Elisabeth, who is also pregnant at the time with John the Baptist. Flashbacks to that time throughout the rest of the episode contrast with what’s happening in the present: Herodia’s daughter, Salome, training to dance before Herod at an upcoming banquet.

Meanwhile, Zebedee, James, John and other disciples continue to expand their olive-oil business to support Jesus’ ministry; Thomas and Ramah continue to move toward marriage despite Ramah’s father’s lack of approval; and Simon the Zealot, who goes by “Zee,” tries to help Judas understand that Jesus isn’t concerned with ministry efficiency.

Salome’s dance before the king is quite sensuous. In fact, while training, her dance instructor tells her, “Make it hot.” And Herod, who’s clearly drunk when he sees her perform, lusts and leers at her. (Others at the bacchanal imbibe as well.) It becomes clear (in harmony with Scripture) that his unlawful wife, Herodia, has coached Salome on what to ask Herod if he’s pleased with her dance. His is, and she does: The head of John the Baptist. The one who’s been foretold to pave the way for Jesus has a poignant interaction with his executioners, and we see the ax blade begin to fall.

Feb. 1, 2024 – S4, E2

Much of the episode revolves around the ongoing grief that the disciples experience after John the Baptist’s execution. Andrew and Jesus talk about the nature of grief and how to process it. Both Quintus and the Jewish authorities continue to plot how best to deal with Jesus, as the crowds following him are becoming a liability to all of them.

Jesus leads His followers on a journey that takes them past a mountainside temple to Baal, where sacrifices are being made. It’s here that he renames Simon, calling him Peter, which touches off a huge wave of insecurity and jostling for position among the disciples—especially James and John.

A subplot involves the relational rift between Matthew and Peter, given the former’s previous role as a tax collector. Jesus challenges Matthew to apologize to Peter, and he exhorts Peter to forgive Matthew.

Feb. 1, 2024 – S4, E3

We begin, as the episode does, with a content warning for parents: “This episode contains violent images. Parental discretion strongly advised.”

Quintus grows ragingly frustrated that the influx of “pilgrims” (followers of Jesus) to Capernaum is biting into his tax revenues—the one thing he cares about most to advance his career. He instructs his subordinate, Gaius, to keep clearing them out, though the latter is increasingly sympathetic to Jesus’ messages, in part due to his friendship with Matthew.

Jesus uses spit and mud to heal a man born blind, provoking a huge confrontation with the Pharisees in which he calls out their hypocrisy. The agitated crowd begins to get out of hand, which prompts Quintus to plunge into the chaos with his sword drawn.

Quintus calls Capernaum a “h—hole,” and he is disgusted by animal refuse and buckets of waste (apparently human) in the streets. He kicks one of the latter and says that his city smells like a sewer.

[ Spoiler Warning ] One person is killed in a scene that includes blood and a sword. It’s a scene that, while extrabiblical, still serves to illustrate Jesus’ words that His teaching will be divisive.

Feb. 15, 2024—S4, E4

In the aftermath of a tragic murder (in the season’s third episode), Jesus’ followers are in shock, grief and filled with questions. One disciple is particularly wrecked, and the rest are at a loss to know how to help. Peter feels helpless; he’s no rock in a crisis like this. Jesus advises Peter to “Simply be there with him.” Meanwhile, the crime leads to upheaval in Capernaum’s Roman political hierarchy—and a very unlikely follower of Christ comes to seek His help.

As mentioned, many of Jesus’ followers wonder, quietly, whether Jesus could’ve stopped the tragedy. Peter admits that he wrestled with the same questions when his own preborn baby died. He says that he leaned on the words of Isaiah in those difficult times: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” (Isaiah 55:8).

Jesus, of course, mourns as much as anyone. But the victim’s father blames Jesus for the murder. He calls the Messiah a “fraud and a devil,” as well as a “deceptive sorcerer.” He curses Jesus and His followers and swears he will rally people against the man he considers to be a “liar and a fraud.”

Jesus heals a servant boy. A Roman Christ-follower blows out the candles illuminating his household pagan shrines, illustrating his change of allegiance. Jesus grows exasperated by His disciples for their lack of understanding—telling them baldly how He will be betrayed, tortured and killed, only to rise again from the dead.

We see flashbacks to the time of the murder. We don’t see any blood, but we do see the victim struggling for breath and, later, dead. Jesus and His disciples carry the corpse on a cart, to be returned to the victim’s hometown. Someone warns Jesus’ disciples that religious leaders are determined to make their Rabbi and His message disappear. Jesus Himself watches an olive press in action and sees in it a harbinger of His own suffering and death.

A man confesses of fathering a child out of wedlock—repenting of the act but declaring his love for his son. A couple of disciples fondly recall nights they spent in an apparent tavern before they began to follow Jesus.

Feb. 15, 2024—S4, E5

Jesus and His disciples begin their trek toward Jerusalem, but Christ wants to visit the home of Lazarus first—where His mother is living. Along the way, however, they encounter a couple of surprises. One is a rich care package from their old friend Joanna. The other is a band of Roman soldiers. And they demand, by Roman law, that Jesus and His followers carry the soldiers’ burdens for a mile. Meanwhile in Jerusalem, religious leaders argue politics, theology and welcome a young Pharisee named Yussif into their midst—and he’s particularly interested in investigating old prophecies from the time of the Babylonian captivity.

The Romans make great sport of Jesus and His followers—forcing them to wear their helmets and calling them “rats.” (One soldier makes a pretty racy joke about circumcision.) But Jesus turns this humiliation into a lesson, and the Romans eventually soften. When the group finally reaches Lazarus’ house, Jesus teaches another lesson—using Martha and Mary as its instruments.

Pharisees and Sadducees argue over bodily resurrection and life after death, along with other theological points. But we hear plenty of infighting within these broader factions, too. One asks Yussif to threaten a powerful religious leader by mentioning a “certain slave-beating incident.” We also hear a religious leader talk about making nice with Rome—referencing a “cataclysmic bloodbath” carried out by Pontius Pilate as he does so. Another leader mentions a scheme of his own—one that involves bringing harm to Jesus.

We hear descriptions of that bloodbath, and how resistors were “dismembered, disemboweled” and impaled. The carnage was so great that even the emperor himself was appalled. When Jesus reminds his mother that He’s not just the Son of God, but fully human, too, Mary jokes, “Darling, I changed your swaddling clothes when they were soiled. Believe me, I’m aware.” Characters drink wine. Someone exclaims “Hades and sticks!” when surprised.

Feb. 15, 2024—S4, E6

The episode takes place during the eight-day celebration of Hanukkah: In the early stages, the mood is festive, and disciples give one another gifts. But it culminates with an attack on Jesus and His followers.

Big James gets the worst of it: He’s essentially carried away from danger, his head badly bleeding. But others suffer injuries as well, including Jesus. The Rabbi later compares Himself to a “good shepherd,” ready to lay down His life for His flock.

During the celebration, viewers are treated to a little history of the holiday, as pantomimed by the disciples. As Jesus narrates, we’re taken through the exploits of Alexander the Great (whom Jesus and the disciples call “Alexander the Worst”), which lead to a Judean ruler named Antiochus Epiphanes. Antiochus turned the Jewish temple into a pagan worship center, slaughtering pigs (unclean animals according to the Jewish faith) on the altar and sprinkling its blood on the scrolls of the Torah. The Maccabees fought and beat Antiochus and restored the temple. The eight-day celebration—each day commemorated by a lighted candle or (in the disciples’ case) lantern, recalls how one day’s worth of consecrated oil in the temple lasted eight days.

The story is accompanied by some hammy play-acting by the disciples, featuring massive battles with sticks and faked deaths. Jesus receives news that a dear friend of His has died. We see a near-stoning. We hear some talk about tragic losses suffered by a couple of the disciples. When one disciple mentions to Peter that he wonders why Jesus didn’t save someone close to him, Peter (whose wife suffered a miscarriage in an earlier season) tells him, “It’s not wrong to question. But it does become wrong when you don’t accept the answer.” Matthew puzzles over some missing money—funds presided over by Judas.

Feb. 29, 2024—S4, E7

Episode Seven finds Jesus, the disciples and His other followers traveling to Bethany for, they believe, the funeral of their friend Lazarus. Along the road, the disciples have paired off and make conversation en route to the tomb where their friend is buried.

Once they reach Bethany, the desperately grieving Mary and Martha join the group, and they head into the countryside where Lazarus’ tomb is found. Jesus instructs his followers to roll the stone away from the opening to the cave-like grave. He then calls to Lazarus to come out, which he does, terrifying those watching.

Much of the episode revolves around smaller conversations between various characters about their expectations of what’s happening in Jesus’ ministry … and pondering how people will respond to news of Lazarus’ resurrection. A Sadducee who’s joined the party immediately heads to Jerusalem to inform the leaders there what’s happened. Thomas, still wracked with grief over the loss of someone close to him, becomes deeply angry that Jesus could raise Lazarus but not the person he loved.

Judas, meanwhile, sees an opportunity. He wonders how anyone could deny that Jesus should be king following this miraculous sign. Judas believes the event will unify even Jesus’ critics and embolden them to stand up to Roman rule once and for all.

We hear familiar passages of Scripture quoted, such as when Jesus announces, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live. And whoever lives and believes in me shall never die.”

Feb. 29, 2024—S4, E8

The episode begins with flashback to David triumphantly entering Jerusalem after a military victory. It’s nearly Passover. He and his second-born son, Daniel, go to get the spotless Passover lamb that will live with them for five days before being sacrificed. All of that, of course, is a foreshadowing of what’s going to transpire with Jesus and His own sacrifice.

Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead proves to be a lightning-rod event in Jerusalem, where as many as a million people (we hear) are gathering for Passover. A very young Pontius Pilate isn’t sure what to make of it all. But when King Herod comes to visit, he ominously warns the young Pilate that he’d better figure it out if he wants to stay in power. Joanna, a follower of Jesus, talks with Pilate’s wife, Claudia, about what all the events portend.

Plenty of others talk too, including Sadducees and Pharisees, who are not all of the same mind when it comes to dealing with the “problem” of Jesus. Ultimately the Jewish High Priest, Caiphas, says that they must work with the Romans to ensure that Jesus is executed.

Mary buys an alabaster jar of pure nard, which we hear costs a year’s wages, and pours it on Jesus’ feet—prompting criticism from both a Pharisee and Judas, who believes the extravagant show of devotion is a waste of resources.

Other events transpire, including the procurement of a donkey’s colt for Jesus—a prelude to Jesus’ fateful ride into Jerusalem.

We see Herod, Pilate and others lounging and drinking liberally from flagons. Someone exclaims, “Hades and sticks.”

Feb. 7, 2022 – S3, E8: “I Am He”

The theme of Season 3’s finale centers around Psalm 77. The episode starts in 990 B.C., where we see David and one of his wives listening intently to the reading of the (at the time) new psalm. It’s one of the many psalms of anguish, written in a time of mourning and anger. Click here to read the full psalm.

Peter and Eden are both struggling with depression, anger and doubt because of the miscarriage. Peter even confesses that he feels God made a mistake in choosing him as a disciple. “Even God makes them, right?” He angrily puts forth. He’s even mad when he sees Jesus feeding and healing strangers, as it only reminds him of how Jesus chose not to save his child. It comes to a head when Peter argues with Jesus about it, and Jesus tells Peter that He allows trials because they prove the genuineness of our faith (Peter will later apply this in 1 Peter 1:6-7).

Likewise, Eden is upset too, and she’s unsure how to feel joy again. She mentions becoming ritually clean, and we later see her perform the ritual. One friend tells her that she needs time to grieve, and another considers reading an uplifting psalm. But when they go to see Yussif, he reads Psalm 77 to her, explaining that the songs of anguish as just as important and can help us grow closer to God through our grief.

In the Decapolis, Jesus and His disciples are accosted by a variety of angry people, Jew and Gentile, each with their own beliefs. They’re upset with the Parable of the Great Banquet (Luke 14:15-24). But Jesus uses the appearance of the crowd to begin to teach, offering the analogy of faith the size of a mustard seed (Matt. 17:20-21). “It’s not about size [of faith],” He says. “It’s about who your faith is in.”

But some people aren’t buying in. They debate on sacrificial systems and pagan gods. A Hellenistic Jew quotes a prophet at Jesus, and when Jesus quotes Isaiah back, the man accuses Him of pitting the prophets against one another. Jesus explains the meaning of the parable: “God wants His house full, and everyone who believes in Me is invited, plain and simple.”

With a massive crowd arriving, Jesus decides to teach many parables. He teaches the Parable of the Sower (Matt. 13:1-23), the Parable of the Mustard Seed (Matt. 13:31-32), the Parable of the Hidden Treasure and Pearl of Great Price (Matt. 13:44-46) and Parable of the Two Sons (Matt. 21:28-32). He also speaks Matthew 11:25-30. Though they are organized together with these sayings in the Bible, both the Parable of the Weeds and the death of John the Baptist are not covered in this episode.

Jesus spends two days speaking to the crowd, keeping them so long that they’re very hungry when He’s finished. He multiplies fish and loaves to feed the 5,000. And later, the disciples decide to cross the Sea of Galilee and are caught up in a storm. They see a figure walking across the water and claim to see a ghost. But they discover that it’s Jesus walking on water, and Peter steps out of the boat to meet Him. However, overcome with fear, Peter doubts Jesus for a moment and sinks below the water, and Jesus pulls him out. He also commands the storm to cease and the water to still, and it does.

Throughout the episode, the Pharisees travel to find Jesus. It begins when a Hellenistic Jew comes to Shmuel to put forth charges of false prophecy against Jesus. The Pharisees debate the importance of going to Decapolis, as it means stretching their resources thin. Regardless, they arrive as the crowds are leaving Jesus’ sermon, and one manages to find Jesus. He admits he is troubled in his soul, apparently grappling with Jesus’ words and tradition. He quotes from Psalm 13 (another psalm of anguish) to describe his emotions, and he leaves to pray with Jesus.

Jesus heals a man with an infected and bloody leg.

Feb. 5, 2022 – S3, Ep7: “Invitations”

Andrew and Philip return from their journey to try to fix things in Decapolis, but they’ve only made things worse. They taught Jesus’ Parable of the Great Banquet (Luke 14:15-24), but the parable caused a riot to break out between Jews and Gentiles. After hearing the story, Judas Iscariot gives a succinct summary: “The Jews understood you to mean that Jesus was calling for Gentiles, and the Gentiles thought that you were calling them second class.”

When the other disciples hear of the situation, they’re split on what to do. Andrew and Philip have returned to try to get Jesus to handle the situation, but Big James argues that Jesus shouldn’t leave, since there are still Jews waiting to hear what Jesus has to say. In response, Philip quotes Isaiah’s prophecy about Gentiles coming to the Lord (Isa. 42:1-4; Matt. 12:15-21). Matthew also chimes in, reminding everyone that Jesus’ ancestry contains Gentile ancestors such as Rahab and Ruth. Ultimately, the disciples decide to take the issue to Jesus and let Him determine what to do.

Meanwhile, the disciples deal with some of their own issues. Mary Magdalene asks Matthew about prayer tassels she found in his possession, and he admits that they were given to him by a man long ago who said the tassels were of enormous value. The man spoke about the importance of Benjamin (one of Jacob’s 12 sons), and he tells Matthew that he’s taken on the debts of his children since he’s going to die soon anyway—and he can protect them from the debt through his sacrifice. He gave Matthew the tassels, which he kept as a reminder of “his sins against his people.” Mary identified that it wasn’t the tassels that were valuable—it was the man’s faith, which Matthew now has. She likewise shares her own story of experiencing God’s redemption. (Thaddeus later explains the Jewish significance of the prayer tassels to Matthew, too.)

Peter, meanwhile, stumbles through the city, mourning the loss of his child. He eventually finds himself with the Roman Quarter (where Jews are not allowed), and Gaius is forced to come to his rescue, taking him to his home. Peter learns of Gaius’ sick servant boy, and Gaius reveals that it’s actually his son via a different mother. (This is likely setting up the story described in Matt. 8:5-13.)

Jesus decides to go to Decapolis with his disciples, but he leaves John behind to wait for Peter to return (much to John’s dismay). John’s upset with how Peter has been acting lately, and he admits that he’s jealous of Peter having a wife. This causes Peter to divulge the miscarriage to John. Peter reveals that he’s furious with Jesus for allowing Eden to miscarry even while Jesus heals complete strangers. John reminds Peter that followers of Christ are not promised health and prosperity and should expect to experience suffering.

Atticus enters the Court of the Gentiles at the Jewish temple, where we see Pharisees selling animals for sacrifices. He inquires for information about Jesus.

Jews celebrate Purim by recounting the story of Esther. The disciples buy sulfur to help with their olive grove, but they’re wary that some may see their purchase as evidence that they’re preparing to go to war. When Gaius meets the distraught Peter, he asks him why he didn’t just drink away his sorrow. We hear of a con man named Jesus (a common name in the region) who is using Jesus Christ’s popularity as a way to swindle people out of their money. Someone uses “Hades” as a swear.

Jan. 15, 2023 – S3, E6: “Intensity in Tent City”

Jesus has been creating a whole lot of buzz lately—buzz that’s attracting both positive and negative attention. Even the governor of the region, Pontius Pilate, has heard of him. He’s having a meeting with an informant named Atticus, and he’s commissioned him to learn all he can about Jesus and his relationship with Roman official Quintus. As for Pilate’s wife, she’s been having horrific nightmares of a snake attacking Jesus in a garden.

Quintus, for his part, is annoyed with how Gaius has been handling the “tent city” outside Capernaum. The people there are too poor to tax or jail, and Quintus knows they’re only there because of Jesus’ preaching. He briefly considers having Gaius kill Jesus, but he’s concerned it would cause a revolt. Instead, Quintus commands Gaius to find legal loopholes that will cause the tent city to crumble.

But Gaius is starting to come around in his relationship with the Jewish people. Contrary to destroying the tent city, Gaius is helping the people there. And when Jesus comes to town, he listens to his preaching—even drawing a sword to dissuade an angry rabbi who attempts to threaten Jesus. The change is evident to at least Peter and Matthew, who consider Gaius to be a good man—though other disciples disagree, one even calling him a terrorist.

And disagreement is running rife among the disciples’ ranks. They sharpen weapons, afraid of resistance with Jesus’ popularity, with some noting how if Veronica could get to Jesus easily, so too could someone with dangerous intentions. In fact, a Greek man visits Philip and Andrew, telling them that their preaching in Decapolis while on mission has caused Greek people to worship Jesus, causing chaos. The two return in order to finish their preaching, which had been interrupted earlier. Another disciple expresses concern that power flowed from Jesus “without His consent” when Veronica was healed of her blood issue.

But Simon the Zealot is concerned, rather, with his own well-being. The order of zealots he was once a part of have tracked him down to Capernaum, and they plan to assassinate him. However, Simon prays, and he tells them that he left to serve the Messiah. They doubt his claims—after all, if Rome is still in charge, then the Messiah hasn’t yet come. But when the leader of their group sees Jesus healing people and speaking about the Kingdom of God, he relents from his plan to kill Simon, needing to think about Jesus’ words.

The words they hear from Jesus stem from Luke 7:18-35, when two disciples of John the Baptist come to ask Jesus if he’s the One who is to come (in plainer words—if He’s the Messiah). Jesus uses the moment to confirm that John is the one who the prophets Isaiah and Malachi spoke of in saying “Behold, I send my messenger before you, who will prepare the way before you” (Mal. 3:1, Isa. 40:3-5). Jesus tells the men to report to John of the miracles He has done as confirmation of His ministry.

Meanwhile, Peter finally learns the cause of Eden’s pain, and he questions why God would allow his wife to miscarry, especially while he is away serving the Messiah.

As for Mary Magdalene and Tamar, the tension between the two comes to a head. Mary reveals that she is upset because her life before Jesus had much more trauma and shame than Tamar’s. She still feels unworthy of Jesus, and she feels Tamar should feel likewise rather than her usual assertive attitude. “But Jesus forgave you,” Tamar responds, “and you choose to hold onto it.” Tamar also reveals her own tragic past, and the two reconcile, agreeing to learn from one another.

Pilate makes reference to a prostitute. Atticus expresses surprise that Pilate did not have any wine or women with him. Three people are seen crucified. Mary Magdalene talks about a way to make soil more fruitful for their olive trees, calling the method “magic, but not sinful.” Peter asks John’s disciples about Andrew’s excretory habits in order to determine whether they know him.

Jan. 8, 2023 – S3, E5: “Clean, Part 2”

In the opening scene, set two weeks before the rest of the episode, we watch as a woman gives birth to a baby. She screams in pain, and blood is seen. And at the end of it, we discover that she has had a stillbirth. It is revealed that the woman is Peter’s wife, Eden, explaining why she is upset with Peter.

Jesus returns to Capernaum, where He meets with His disciples in Peter’s home. A couple of them ask Jesus about fasting, and why they haven’t been told to do it. They wonder if the failing to fast may weaponize the Pharisees’ accusations against Him. Jesus responds by telling them the Parable of the Bridegroom and the Parable of the Wineskins (Matt. 9:14-17). Just then, He is interrupted by Jairus, who has rushed to find Jesus in an attempt to get Jesus to heal His dying daughter. Jesus commends Jairus for His faith, and the two set off to heal the girl.

While on the way, Jesus is swarmed by a crowd of people wanting Jesus to heal them. Among the crowd is Veronica, who earlier met Thaddeus and Nathaniel after they followed her trail of blood on the ground. She claimed that if she could just touch Jesus’ garment, she’d be healed. “That’s a superstition,” Nathaniel responds. “Maybe for other holy men,” Veronica replies, “But I’m not talking about other holy men; I’m talking about Him.” And indeed, Veronica is healed when she touches Jesus’ garment as He passes. Jesus confronts her, calling her His daughter, and explaining that it wasn’t His clothing that healed her, but rather, it was her faith that made her well.

However, during the delay, Jairus’ daughter dies. Jesus and Jairus arrive to the sound of funeral flutes. However, He brings the girl back to life, saying that she was only sleeping, and He charges those in the room to say nothing of the healing. Though the moment is happy, it causes Eden to be conflicted due to her own stillbirth two weeks prior.

In Zebedee’s home, James and John argue more about their missionary experiences—just as Zebedee arrives home. He tells the brothers that he sold the family boat to start a new business. Fishing was merely his work until the Messiah came and his boys got real jobs, Zebedee explains. “He chose you,” he says proudly, “I’m free to try something new, too.” His new venture is purchasing an olive tree orchard, which Judas Iscariot has purchased using ministry finances.

Also in Capernaum, Peter and Gaius continue their unlikely alliance and partnership as they fix the cistern, and the two men of differing cultures talk about their respective beliefs. After they high-five at one point, there’s a point of tension. “Oh, Styx,” Gaius says, “Were you not supposed to touch me? Don’t you refer to us as dogs or something?”

“What? You call us dogs!” Peter replies, “Among other things: rats, vermin.”

Gaius mentions having a servant boy in the home, something Peter shows his disapproval about. “Child slavery,” he quips, “and you wonder why our people find you distasteful.” But Gaius claims they raised the boy as their own. The two furthermore discuss difference in religion. Peter quotes Jeremiah 2:9-13 regarding living water and broken cisterns, and Gaius responds with his own beliefs of the various pagan gods.

The disciples close out the day by having a chicken fight game in the Sea of Galilee.

Jan. 1, 2023 – S3, E4: “Clean, Part 1”

The disciples return to Capernaum from their first missionary journeys, and they’re excited to share with one another all the works they’ve accomplished, including healing people of their diseases and expelling demons from people. Peter and Judas even come across a pagan man who cuts open a bird and removes its organs in an attempt to get the gods to listen to him, and the two convince many onlookers to follow them instead. Even Judas, who’ll later betray Jesus, is able to cast out a demon—and Judas later identifies that it must not be them who have power but Jesus working through them as vessels.

The journey has changed all of them, especially the brothers James and John, who no longer fidget as they attend synagogue—even though the reading is not from one of the most attention-grabbing sections of Torah. It’s Leviticus 15, a passage that talks about how to become ceremonially clean again after contact with various discharges of bodily fluids. The primary way to become clean? Wash with clean water—which is becoming a concern, as the town’s cistern has recently become contaminated from a broken sewage line, forcing everyone to wait long hours in the hot sun at a well outside of town.

Because menstruation also produces ceremonial uncleanliness, many women will be unable to go to synagogue unless the cistern is fixed soon. Normally, the broken cistern would be an issue for Rome to fix. But Rome doesn’t particularly like Capernaum, and the rulers would rather the local synagogue pay for the repair materials. Eventually, it’s Gaius who decides to work together with Peter to fix the cistern. Gaius drinks from a flask, and Peter calls him drunk, which Gaius admits may be a little true.

Though fixing the cistern might solve the issue for most women in town, it doesn’t help Veronica, a woman who has had a blood issue for the past 12 years. She cleans blood-stained rags in a spring, and she meets Peter’s wife, Eden, who decides to help her with her laundry. Veronica warns Eden that if she gets any of her blood on her, she’ll be ritually unclean for seven days and won’t be able to touch her husband. “I assure you,” Eden replies suggestively, “I haven’t been touching my husband.”

Indeed, after Peter arrived home for the first time in months, his exhaustion from the trip has caused him to be a bit self-centered. He invites the disciples to the home, creating more work for Eden. It’s clear Eden is quite upset with Peter for another, as yet unrevealed, reason. However, Peter doesn’t initially notice her emotional distance, kissing Eden and making a passive reference to having sex later in the day.

When the disciples arrive at Peter’s home, we find that not all of them are happy with how their respective journeys went, including Big James, who wonders why Jesus gave them “power, but not understanding.” As for Peter, the publicity and crowds of people following them is starting to wear him down, making him a bit upset with Jesus.

Two other people moved by Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, Jairus and the Pharisee Yussif, meet privately. They discuss whether Jesus could be the Messiah, as Jairus’ study of the Torah reveals that He fulfills many of the Old Testament prophecies. Yussif must give a report of Jesus’ sermon to the Sanhedrin, and Jairus is worried that the Sanhedrin is too concerned with tradition to see the truth of the Messiah. So he recommends Yussif send a faulty report to protect Jesus. They’re right to be wary, as the Sanhedrin soon passes an edict to report any person invoking the Messianic title. But when Jairus’ daughter collapses to the ground due to stomach pain (brought on by the diseased cistern), Jairus briefly wonders if he is being punished by God for believing in Jesus as the Messiah.

As for Mary Magdalene, she and Tamar argue over Tamar’s jewelry. Tamar wears the jewelry to honor her ancestors, which Mary says sounds a bit pagan or like animism. The two of them work with Zebedee to produce anointing olive oil to fund the ministry. Zebedee sells his fishing boat to fund the initiative, believing the ministry to be much more important.

Dec. 25, 2022 – S3, E3: “Physician, Heal Yourself”

Jesus returns to Nazareth to celebrate Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. While He’s there, He visits His mother, praying with her over their meal. It’s just the two of them, as Mary’s other children, James and Jude, are celebrating elsewhere while Jesus is home, “just to avoid conflict.” Mary asks Jesus who His favorite disciples are, then exclaims that she likes the women with Him as well as Simon the Zealot—since his fighting experience means he can protect Jesus, she jokes. The conversation turns to the painful sacrifice that awaits Jesus as He reminds her that His time is coming, and He must do the will of His father who sent Him.

But because there is still time before that appointed day, Jesus enjoys a festival with childhood friend Lazarus. The two reunite with Dinah and her husband (the two whose marriage Jesus attended and performed His first miracle at). The couple tells Jesus to not be surprised “if some people run out of wine on purpose just to see what [He] will do.” Jesus also speaks with His old rabbi, Benjamin; He is invited to read and interpret Scripture for His old synagogue. A woman comments on rumors that Jesus claimed to be the Messiah. “Not the humble Jesus I know,” she laughs.

But Jesus confirms those rumors during His reading. Benjamin precedes Jesus with a prayer for the coming of the Messiah, and Jesus reads Isaiah 61:1-2a before quickly putting the passage away and claiming that “the fulfillment of this Scripture as you have heard it is today.” Benjamin is confused, asking why Jesus did not read of God’s vengeance, and Jesus replies that the Day of Wrath is in the future, but He is here for salvation.

Jesus begins to teach Nazareth about how the Year of Jubilee’s freedom from financial debt is meant to foreshadow God granting freedom from spiritual debt. Benjamin objects to the teaching through grated teeth: “We’re the chosen seed of Abraham,” he says. “We don’t have spiritual debt.” Jesus laments that no prophet is welcome in his hometown, and He also cites how prophets in the Old Testament would offer salvation to Gentiles for their faith as proof that God cares for more than just the Jews—and thus, it is not enough to be of the physical lineage of Abraham.

This culminates in Benjamin charging Jesus with being a false prophet, threatening to execute Him for breaking the Law of Moses. “I am the Law of Moses,” Jesus replies, causing the synagogue to gasp. (That line of dialogue has been among the most controversial on the show thus far, sparking online conversations and commentary about whether it’s a theologically accurate understanding of Jesus’ relationship to Law. Some have also noted a similar wording in a passage from the Book of Mormon, an allegation that show creator Dallas Jenkins has refuted as he talks about the scene and theological criticism of the show here .)

And when they take Jesus away to stone Him, He authoritatively tells them that they will not kill Him yet, and He walks away.

In a subplot, Jesus recalls memories of being Joseph’s son. He remembers Joseph’s instruction, and He clutches a bridle that an ancestor brought into the Promised Land. The undertones of the scene remind viewers how that Old Testament promise ultimately finds its fulfillment in Jesus bringing us into Heaven, the true Promised Land for God’s people.

Nov. 18, 2022 – S3, E2: “Two by Two”

Roman officials, including Quintus, are increasingly concerned about the number of people following Jesus. Many of them have set up what Quintus dubs a “shanty town” on the edge of Capernaum. He initially orders his men to simply sweep them away. But he’s convinced that a more lucrative response would be to change the town’s city limits in a way that enables him to tax them for being there. The Romans, in general, treat the Jews very shabbily. The one major exception continues to be Gaius, who continues to be both curious about these followers of Jesus and sympathetic to their cause. He’s especially fond of Matthew, and he treats him kindly.

Speaking of Matthew, he and his father, Alphaeus, reconcile, with both apologizing for ways they’ve hurt each other.

Former rabble-rouser-turned-disciple Simon the Zealot, whom the disciples mostly just call Z, is being hunted by the Romans for his previous efforts to destabilize the Roman government.

The conclusion of the episode revolves around Jesus’ somewhat unexpectedly sending His disciples out two-by-two to minister to the broader Jewish community around Capernaum. The disciples are hesitant, confused and scared, not thinking themselves ready for such an assignment. “I’m sending you out, two-by-two, proclaiming as you go, the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cast out demons—,” at which point Simon (speaking for his compatriots), tentatively asks, “Uh, how soon are we talking about here?”

Jesus’ doesn’t really calm their anxiety when He then adds that they’re not to take money, food or clothing, and he suggests that they might be killed for the cause: “Listen carefully, all of you. Do not fear those who kill the body, but cannot kill the soul.”

“So, you’re saying we could die?” one of His followers asks.

“This will become far more difficult, when persecution is an ever-present part of your ministry. When the time comes, you will follow in My footsteps, and you will know what it actually means to give up your life.” He then emphasizes that taking nothing for the journey is meant to cause them to trust God completely: “For this journey, at least, I want you to learn what it means to fully rely on your Father in heaven, as well as those around you and those whom you serve. … This is what it means to follow and the lead.”

After the meeting, it’s decided that Judas will handle the group’s money and financial needs (after Matthew says no to that responsibility). Jesus also has a very tender conversation with Little James about why He hasn’t healed James’ physical infirmities. He says, in essence, that God is working in and through James’ limitations, and that ultimately James will be healed in the next life—even as James helps people to find God’s healing in this one.

Thomas and Ramah continue to move toward marriage. Quintus is disgusted to find sewage in his drinking water, and that conversation leads to jokes about people relieving themselves.

Nov. 18, 2022 – S3, E1: “Homecoming”

The first episode of Season Three begins dramatically with a Roman soldier threatening to drag an older man named Alphaeus, the father of Matthew, off to jail for unpaid taxes. Matthew—who’s still extricating himself from his role as a hated tax collector—steps in to forestall the action. But instead of gratitude from his father, Alphaeus disowns his son as a traitor to his people, resulting in deep anguish for Matthew.

The tension in that relationship is quickly contrasted with Jesus’ words coming from His sermon on the mount, from which we hear many familiar lines of Scripture. Jesus’ call to forgive, to be reconciled and to turn the other cheek stuns his listeners. He concludes with the exhortation, “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

Among the crowd is Judas, who is skeptical but intrigued: “To turn the other cheek and lay up treasures in heaven is a bit naïve,” he says. “But this man has talent!”

Despite what seems to be a cynical take on Jesus, Judas’ interest in following Jesus is sincere and earnest. After Judas brags to Jesus of his financial skills, Jesus asks him if he’s “ready to do hard things.” “Yes, I am ready to do hard things,” Judas replies. “We’ll see,” Jesus says before inviting the man to join His disciples. Later, Judas tells his sister, “I think He’s the Messiah,” Judas says to her. “If He is the anointed one, sister, then He will not be killed. He will defeat the Romans and set us free.”

Following the Sermon on the Mount, a rich and privileged woman named Joanna seeks to give Jesus a message from John the Baptist, who resides in Herod’s prison. Her husband works in the palace, thus granting her access to John. When Andrew, John’s former disciple, hears her news, he begs Jesus to be able to go visit John in prison, which Jesus and Joanna both assent to. There, he has an emotional reunion with his former teacher. Andrew is very much focused on how he might get John out of prison, while John keeps the bigger spiritual picture in perspective: “Andrew, if you want to help me, listen to Him. Go home and do what He says. That’s what I want.”

Thomas, meanwhile, summons his courage to propose marriage to a young woman named Ramah. Simon and his wife, Eden, who’ve been separated for some time, are anxious to rekindle their intimacy. But each time they think they’re alone in their home, someone knocks on the door to interrupt them, enraging Peter and amusing Eden. We later see them in bed together, talking, apparently after being intimate.

There’s a mention of someone’s marriage being violated by adultery.

Apr. 4, 2021 – S2, E1: “Thunder”

The first episode of Season Two begins with a flash forward: John is working on his Gospel in the wake of the martyrdom of one of his fellow disciples, and he’s interviewing those closest to Christ—even as he brags that he was there for certain things that the rest of the disciples weren’t privy to. “He loved me,” he tells Jesus’ mother, Mary. “He loved all of you,” Mary says with a smile. “You just feel the need to talk about it more often.”

The episode then picks up where the first season left off: in Samaria. Jesus is in Sychar with most of the disciples, leaving John and his brother, Big James, to plow a field. Why? They speculate that perhaps it’s because they’re such good workers, or out of respect for their hatred of Samaritans. But before the episode’s over, it becomes clear that Jesus is trying to teach them a powerful lesson about love and acceptance.

Most Samaritans seem to appreciate Jesus, but a few spit and throw rocks at him. One disciple begs Jesus to call fire down from heaven to burn Jesus’ harassers alive. Jesus listens to the story of another Samaritan—one who shamefully admits to having attacked a Jew along the road one day (with a couple of others), stealing all of his stuff and leaving the victim on the road, not knowing whether the Jew was alive or dead. The Samaritan broke his leg very shortly thereafter and has been suffering its effects ever since; moreover, he’s deeply sorry about his past actions.

We see Jesus tell a parable or two (with help from the crowd), and we see Him and others in prayer. Jesus also reads from the first scroll of Moses (Genesis) in a synagogue. A miracle is performed, too. When a rich man puts Jesus and his growing band of disciples up for the night, the man warns them that one of the rooms is haunted by his dead grandmother. “Ooh, I’ll take that one,” Jesus jokes. (Later, when James questions him about the “ghost,” Jesus says, “I don’t address everything at once with new converts, James.”)

Peter jokes about John the Baptist (whom he calls “Creepy John”) eating a new bug. Disciples bicker and jockey for position. We see plenty of hostility between Jews and Samaritans—closely related people who nevertheless spent centuries hating each other. Wine is bought and served with dinner.

Nov. 26, 2019 – S1, E8: “I Am He”

As Jesus begins His ministry in earnest, He and His disciples leave Capernaum and head (much to His students’ shock) to Samaria, where Jesus meets with a woman at a well.

The episode begins nearly 2,000 years earlier, with a guy named Jacob digging that very well (even though a passer-by says there’s no way that they’ll ever get any water from this rough, dry land). Jacob talks to the stranger about his mysterious God, whom he calls El Shaddai, and admits that God broke his hip. The passer-by doesn’t know why anyone would choose to follow invisible gods that break hips. “We didn’t choose Him,” Jacob says. “He chose us.”

We hear Jesus (obviously) talk about a number of spiritual matters, too. But we also see a sliver of a backstory from the woman before she heads to the well: She tries to exact a divorce from her husband, a document he throws in the fire. “You are my property, Fatima,” he says. “I don’t part lightly from my possessions.” He says this even though, when she first arrives at his house, he wished she was “a thief or a murderer to put me out of my misery.” He calls her latest conquest the “latest shade of drooling tomcat.” And at the market, vendors won’t even turn to face her.

Passing Pharisees are equally shocked by Jesus when they see Him dining with Matthew (a tax collector) and “sinners” from Capernaum’s notorious red quarter. “I have come to call not the righteous, but the sinners,” Jesus tells them, but they seem unimpressed. Another Pharisee introduces an effort to ferret out false prophets—inspired by the eerie way Jesus read his mind in an earlier episode. “It’s about politics and promotion,” Nicodemus sniffs. “On the contrary, teacher, it’s about the law,” the Pharisee says. “And the law is God.”

Simon says goodbye to his wife with a sweet kiss. We hear about acts of violence perpetrated by both Jews and Samaritans against one another. Jesus tells the woman at the well something of her checkered past, including that her second husband’s skin “smelled of oranges” on their wedding night. The disciples fret about possible violence as they head through Samaria. A Roman praetor suggests to his Capernaum adjunct that they step up official brutality to teach the Jewish citizens a lesson. “What use are mounted officers if the people have never seen anyone trampled?” he asks.

Nov. 26, 2019 – S1, E7: “Invitations”

Jesus meets with the Pharisee Nicodemus on a rooftop, where Jesus makes some startling revelations. And Matthew, the tax collector, makes a startling decision.

The episode begins with a thousand-year flashback, with Moses crafting a bronze snake that the Israelites can look upon and be saved. Joshua takes issue with the act: “That is a pagan symbol,” he says. “Maybe you misunderstood [God].” Moses responds that he’s learned, painfully, to do what God tells him to do without questioning Him. “It’s an act of faith!” he says. “Not reason. Faith.” Jesus calls Nicodemus’ attention to that story: Just like that snake, “So the Son of Man be lifted up, so that whoever believes in Him may have eternal life.”

We hear references to a case of demon possession that Nicodemus and Jesus both encountered (the latter more successfully than the former). We hear that Nicodemus wants to stay in Capernaum to continue his “research” at the expense of missing his newest grandson’s bris (circumcision) ceremony.

Nov. 26, 2019 – S1, E6: “Indescribable Compassion”

Word is beginning to leak out that Jesus is not just an ordinary craftsman. As He and his disciples travel back to Capernaum, they find—and Jesus cures—a leper on the way.

When they arrive back in the city, a crowd quickly gathers around the house where He’s preaching, forcing the friends of a paralytic man in need of a miracle to lower the man through the roof. The Pharisee Nicodemus is among those who see the miracle, along with his less-accepting pupil, now a powerful Pharisee in his own right.

Beforehand, Nicodemus tried to encourage his one-time student to keep his eyes and mind open for what God might be doing in the here and now, not just in the time when the Torah was being written. “I don’t want to live in some bleak past where God cannot do anything new,” Nicodemus says. “Do you?”

We hear a few parables from Jesus and see, of course, a couple of miracles. We witness the leper’s disfiguring wounds disappear. He forgives the paralytic his sins and tells His audience that people need not use big words while in prayer: “A lot of it is for show, anyway,” He says.

Peter cares for a sick woman staying with his family, softly singing to her as he wipes her brow. (In an earlier episode, we learned the woman was coughing up blood.)

Someone jokes with Jesus, telling the teacher that he heard about His trick with the wine at the wedding. “Can you do that do the well by my house?”

Nov. 26, 2019 – S1, E5: “The Wedding Gift”

Jesus and His small band of followers go to Cana to celebrate the wedding of a family friend. But things go awry when the wine runs out.

Meanwhile, the rabbi Nicodemus questions the newly imprisoned John the Baptist to see what he might know about the strange exorcism that took place some time ago—an exorcism that would appear to be a miracle.

John and Nicodemus clearly don’t like each other much. John calls the Pharisee out on the extravagance of his “frock,” while Nicodemus accuses John of blasphemy—misquoting Scripture (Nicodemus believes) to suggest that God would have a son. “God does not have a son except for Israel!” Nicodemus says. John holds his ground, though. “Some will not want to waken,” the discomforting prophet says. “They’re in love with the dark. I wonder which one you’ll be?”

Alcohol is obviously a big part of the wedding celebration—and indeed central to the miracle that takes place at the end of the episode. We see people drink wine, discuss its quality and talk about how the beverage can dull the mind (since it’s common practice to serve the bad stuff later on in the celebration).

The actual miracle feels pretty low-key—and one that Jesus performs in private, ordering everyone (including a young, doubting catering expert named Thomas) out of the room. Before leaving to follow Jesus, Simon helps his own wife stomp grapes, and they get a little flirty.

Later, at the wedding, Simon talks with some of Jesus’ other new followers and learns that Thaddeus was called by Jesus when the two were helping to build a latrine. “Our Master building a privy,” Simon marvels. Jesus performs magic tricks for children, too (which look like carnival-type shell games when we briefly see them); and when Simon jokingly asks Jesus if He can do something about the clumsiness of his brother, Andrew, Jesus watches him dance a bit and jokes, “Some things even I cannot do.”

Christ also talks about having been a clumsy teenager. Another disciple, James, jokingly chucks dates from a tree at his fellow travelers.

Apr. 19, 2019 – S1, E4: “The Rock on Which It Is Built”

Simon goes out into the water with Roman soldiers, who are intent upon catching the Jewish fishermen breaking the sabbath (and thus cheating the Romans out of their taxable share). Instead, he steers the boat to a sandbar and runs around. Capernaum’s Roman leader suspects Simon of duplicity, so he sends the tax collector Matthew to follow the man.

Elsewhere, Simon comes clean to his wife, Eden, about the dire financial straits they’re in and tries to work every possible angle to keep from going to prison. Andrew suggests another possibility: trusting the man whom the crazy baptizer John called the “Lamb of God.”

Simon misleads the Romans, tries to keep a sick relative from living with them and has a serious fight with his wife, Eden. When fellow fisherman Zebedee and his sons, John and James, ask how bad things are with Eden, he laments that he could be enjoying his last night of freedom—his last night, in other words, to enjoy Eden’s company—and he’s out fishing.

Simon throws a bit of a fit on his boat in the middle of the night, too. He cries out in anger to God, narrating the blessings and miseries of the Jewish people. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say You enjoy yanking us around like goats and can’t decide whether we’re chosen or not,” he said. When his friends come upon him and ask who Simon was talking to, Simon says, “apparently no one.” But things change in the morning, when Simon and the other fishers come across Jesus preaching to a small group of people by the water. After the sermon, He performs a miracle—telling Simon to cast his nets one more time, after which the fisherman and his friends pull in enough, apparently, to pay off Simon’s debt. (The boat, in fact, nearly sinks from the weight of all the fish.) “Fish are nothing,” Jesus tells Simon, now willing to do anything for the man he now believes is the Lamb of God. “For now on, I will make you fishers of men.”

We hear references to Simon’s past gambling issues and a reference to the “fiery furnace” of hell. Simon threatens to beat a couple of men “with my bare hands.” Someone is so sick that they’re spitting up blood.

Apr. 19, 2019 – S1, E3: “Jesus Loves the Little Children”

The story moves away from many of its central players and focuses on Abigail, a little girl who runs across a strange carpenter camping in the wilderness. She hides from him the first day, but the next she brings along Joshua, a friend of hers. “I didn’t see a sword or anything like that, so I don’t think he’d kill us,” Abigail reassures Joshua. “And he seemed nice. Do you have a sword, just in case?” We hear similar sentiments from other kids in Abigail’s posse (which grows as the episode wears on).

Some are concerned that Jesus (because, of course, it is Jesus) might be a criminal or a murderer. And Jesus himself tells them that it’s good to be careful, because, “There are bad men around.” Jesus actually opens the door to communicating with the kids through a bit of bathroom humor—making retching noises and flatulence noises as a way to break the ice. But Jesus also begins to teach them a bit about His work, too—both that of a craftsman and as someone bringing a startling new message to the world. He leads the children in prayers and encourages them to honor both their teachers and their parents, while reminding them that “many times, smart men lack wisdom.” He gives some sage lessons on justice and encourages them to hold to their faith. And as He does so, Jesus begins to unveil His real purpose. “I have some work to do here,” he says. “And some people to meet.”

The humanity of Jesus is emphasized here. We see Him struggle to start a fire, cook His own supper and engaged in tearful, anguished prayer—all elements that could’ve been a part of Jesus’ life. The only miracle He performs is through prosaic hard work—gifting Abigail a fabulous handmade toy set.

Apr. 19, 2019 – S1, E2: “Shabbat”

Lilith is now demon-free and calling herself by her birth name of Mary. She’s nervously preparing to host Shabbat for the first time ever, and she receives a very special guest.

Meanwhile, Simon continues to spy on his fellow Jewish fishermen (who are fishing on the Sabbath), while the suspicious tax collector, Matthew, dutifully reports his own suspicions of Simon to the Roman praetor.

As a Jewish tax collector, Matthew is reviled by both Romans and Jews. When he’s preparing to report to the praetor, Matthew’s repeatedly jostled by Roman soldiers, and he’s threatened with death. Later, in his tax collection booth, another Roman soldier sees Matthew with a cut on his face and excrement on his clothes, which the Roman figures were “gifts” from some Jewish citizens who took issue with their taxes.

Simon (the future disciple Peter) buys a number of merchants drinks at the local tavern and jokes heartily with them. “We’re not afraid of you stealing our fish,” Peter tells one with long, flowing locks of hair. “We’re afraid you’ll steal our women!”

Meanwhile, Matthew mentions to the Roman praetor that Simon seems to gamble a lot. Nicodemus, the “rabbi of rabbis” visiting Capernaum from Jerusalem, reads a book on demons and exorcism after his apparently failed cleansing of Lilith/Mary. When he learns that she miraculously was cured after all, he goes to investigate, and he hears from Mary of the mysterious stranger who cured her. “I was one way,” she explains to Nicodemus. “And now I am completely different. And the thing that happened in between, was Him.” We hear the Shabbat ceremony from a variety of points of view.

Apr. 19, 2019 – S1, E1: “I Have Called You By Name”

Peter and Andrew unsuccessfully try to earn some tax money to save their fishing boat. Eventually their livelihoods are saved, at least temporarily, when Peter strikes a deal with a powerful Roman legionnaire. But Andrew believes the deal—which involves Peter ratting out fellow Jews for fishing on the Sabbath—to be immoral.

Meanwhile, a woman named Lilith struggles with demons that the Pharisee leader Nicodemus can’t cast out. It leads Nicodemus to a crisis of faith, and it pushes Lilith to the verge of suicide.

In flashback, we see Lilith as a child in Magdala reciting Scripture with her father, who later dies. She stores that Scripture in an old doll, but later tears the paper up in despair. It’s insinuated that she’s a prostitute. She wakes one day to find her hands covered in blood and a man—his neck also bloody—screaming in the streets.

When Nicodemus comes to cast the demons out, Lilith hisses, “We are not afraid of you. You have no power here, teacher.” Later, a despondent Nicodemus says, “Only God Himself could’ve drawn them out.” (And God, in the form of Jesus, eventually does just that—calling the woman by her given name of Mary.)

We see women of apparent ill-repute hang about Capernaum’s seedy quarter. In flashback, we see a Roman centurion fill Lilith/Mary’s sight, a suggestion that the woman may have been raped. She visits a tavern and gambling center, asking the barkeep (whom someone refer to as a eunuch) for alcohol.

Nicodemus complains of the sinfulness of the city’s fishermen: “Foul-mouthed, given to gambling and secret dens and even fishing on Shabbat,” he says. “Surely the Messiah will not come until this wickedness is purged from our midst.” Peter indeed goes out fishing on the Sabbath to feed his family: He gets into a brawl with his brother-in-law (a common occurrence, it’s suggested). Both deal out plenty of damage, and Matthew walks away with a bloody nose. He says that he has “hands of wine” because of the damage they do to one’s liver. (“It sounded more clever in my head,” he later admits.)

Matthew serves as a “publicanus” (tax collector) for the Romans, though his driver refers to him instead as a “public anus,” thinking it funny. Matthew steps in a pile of dung and retches after doing so. We hear references to hell.

Kennedy Unthank

Kennedy Unthank studied journalism at the University of Missouri. He knew he wanted to write for a living when he won a contest for “best fantasy story” while in the 4th grade. What he didn’t know at the time, however, was that he was the only person to submit a story. Regardless, the seed was planted. Kennedy collects and plays board games in his free time, and he loves to talk about biblical apologetics. He thinks the ending of Lost “wasn’t that bad.”

Adam R. Holz

After serving as an associate editor at NavPress’ Discipleship Journal and consulting editor for Current Thoughts and Trends, Adam now oversees the editing and publishing of Plugged In’s reviews as the site’s director. He and his wife, Jennifer, have three children. In their free time, the Holzes enjoy playing games, a variety of musical instruments, swimming and … watching movies.

Paul Asay has been part of the Plugged In staff since 2007, watching and reviewing roughly 15 quintillion movies and television shows. He’s written for a number of other publications, too, including Time, The Washington Post and Christianity Today. The author of several books, Paul loves to find spirituality in unexpected places, including popular entertainment, and he loves all things superhero. His vices include James Bond films, Mountain Dew and terrible B-grade movies. He’s married, has two children and a neurotic dog, runs marathons on occasion and hopes to someday own his own tuxedo. Feel free to follow him on Twitter @AsayPaul.

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THE CHOSEN Cast Reveals ‘Hard’ Lessons Disciples Learn in Season 4

By Movieguide® Contributor

Jonathan Roumie and Abe Bueno-Jallad met with Movieguide® to share the biggest lesson that the disciples learned during Season 4 of THE CHOSEN.

“Oh, they’re going to be learning some hard lessons,” Roumie told Movieguide®. “I think the biggest lesson is to trust. Trust is a big one. It’s like no matter how often Jesus tries to tell them – at this point, He’s telling them very plainly, very clearly – like, ‘Trust me. This is going to happen and this is going to happen, but just trust me.’ And it just [goes over their heads]. So I think trust is one of the hardest lessons to try to be taught this season.”

In Season 4, Jesus nears the cross and begins to cause trouble with the Roman authorities. The disciples’ trust in Jesus needs to be strong at this point because, as He faces off against stronger foes, it is only through the power given to Him by God that He prevails rather than human strength and wit. The disciples, likewise, need to rely on God for their strength rather than themselves.

However, given their rising popularity, many of the disciples let fame go to their heads and become focused on the things of this world instead of Jesus’ good news.

“We’re definitely going to learn to not get ahead of yourself and don’t… [grow] too big for our britches type thing,” Bueno-Jallad, who plays Big James, told Movieguide®. “So you’re definitely going to see those moments but from many angles, not just from [the disciples’] conversations one-on-one with Jesus but also parents and getting, you know, patted on the head.”

Having finished its run in theaters, fans eagerly await the release of Season 4 of THE CHOSEN to streaming. However, creator and director Dallas Jenkins announced in mid-March that distribution has hit a snag, and they are uncertain when fans will be able to stream Season 4.

Nonetheless, the team is continuing to create the show, and production on Season 5 will begin later in April. Season 5 will follow Jesus during Holy Week as he prepares for the crucifixion.

Movieguide® previously reported :

THE CHOSEN has been renewed for Season 5 and will begin filming next month. “Cameras will begin rolling on THE CHOSEN Season 5 in Utah starting April 11; the series will shoot there for six weeks before shifting to the show’s home base in Texas for the remainder of the production,” Variety reported . The show’s creator, Dallas Jenkins, told Variety, “The response to Season 4 has been overwhelming so far, which provides a nice lift for us as we head into filming. Of course, we’re about to try to portray the most famous week in the history of humans, so the euphoria from the previous season never lasts long. The entire Season 6 will cover one day, so covering one week in Season 5 feels luxurious.” Season 5 will pick up right after Season 4 at the beginning of Holy Week.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by The Chosen (@thechosentvseries)

Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.

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Exploring Ways to View ‘The Chosen’ Season 4 Without a Streaming Platform

F ans eagerly waiting for news on the release of The Chosen Season 4 on a streaming platform or network by Easter Sunday may have to temper their expectations with a hint of disappointment.

In a recent YouTube update, the series creator Dallas Jenkins shared a delay in the non-theatrical release of Season 4, citing “legal matters that are hopefully being resolved” but failing to specify a timeline for resolution.

Currently, audiences can catch all eight episodes of the fourth season of this biblical drama at select movie theaters through March 30. Beyond this, there has been no confirmation from The CW—which aired the first three seasons—on whether it will screen Season 4. Similarly, there’s been no indication from Netflix or The Chosen’s dedicated app about streaming availability.

Kyle Young from The Chosen’s team expressed to Variety that there’s no established schedule for the series’ return to broadcast or streaming services and mentioned ongoing discussions about possibly making future seasons exclusively available through a single distribution channel.

With seven seasons projected for the show, Season 4 ends amidst the buildup to Jesus’ crucifixion. Looking ahead, Season 5, set to begin production in April, aims to depict what Jenkins characterizes as the most momentous week in human history. Additionally, an intriguing Season 6 will focus on a single, significant day in the life—and perhaps beyond—of Jesus, as alluded to by Jenkins.

Are you planning to watch Season 4 of The Chosen at the cinema, and which particular “one day” do you predict will be the focal point of Season 6?

FAQ Section

Is ‘The Chosen’ Season 4 available for streaming?

No, ‘The Chosen’ Season 4 is currently not available on any streaming services or broadcast networks. However, you can watch it in select theaters until at least March 30.

Will The CW stream ‘The Chosen’ Season 4?

As of now, The CW has not announced any plans to stream Season 4 of ‘The Chosen’.

When will Season 5 of ‘The Chosen’ start filming?

Season 5 of ‘The Chosen’ is scheduled to begin filming in April.

Can you watch ‘The Chosen’ on the official app?

Currently, there is no release date for Season 4 on The Chosen app , but previous seasons may be available there.

How many seasons will there be of ‘The Chosen’?

The creators of ‘The Chosen’ have planned for a total of seven seasons.

Fans of the celebrated biblical series ‘The Chosen’ find themselves in a state of anticipation as legal delays prevent Season 4 from securing a home on streaming or broadcast platforms. Although the show’s continuation through theatrical releases provides a current viewing option, many questions remain about the digital accessibility of the latest season and the series’ future release strategy. With such an unconventional approach to storytelling, centering on the life of Jesus Christ, the audience’s curiosity is more piqued than ever, especially concerning the unique portrayal of the narrative that Season 6 promises to deliver. All eyes are on the unfolding of ‘The Chosen’ as it traverses its journey through the most pivotal events in Christian history.

the chosen season 4 where to watch stream

IMAGES

Review: "The Chosen" Delivers
Jesus from the movie The Chosen 2019
Watch The Chosen
THE CHOSEN: EPISODE 2.5: Spirit
5 Best Jesus Movies That You Need Watching
THE CHOSEN: Episode 3.4: “Clean, Part 1”

COMMENTS

'The Chosen' is the Jesus TV show your very Catholic aunt keeps telling
This is what I asked Jonathan Roumie, the actor who plays Jesus on "The Chosen." Hailing from New York City and born to an Irish mother and Egyptian father, Mr. Roumie was baptized in the ...
The Chosen Season 4 Review: Big screens for TV Jesus?
The Chosen season 4 review: ... an extremely chill Jesus. The Chosen's plan is to run for seven full seasons, ... While some movie Jesuses are more ethereal, this is a guy you'd want to drink ...
Why Haven't More People Seen 'The Chosen'?
By the standards of independent media, The Chosen is a success. On Easter Sunday, 750,000 people tuned in to live-stream the Season 2 premiere; for comparison, the first episode of HBO's Mare of ...
Why We Love 'The Chosen' So Much
The Chosen, a multiseason look at the life of Christ through the eyes of his disciples, has garnered more than 50 million fans in 180 countries with its engaging and affecting storytelling ...
The Chosen: Season 1
Watch The Chosen — Season 1 with a subscription on Peacock, Netflix, Hulu, Prime Video, or buy it on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV. This drama about the life of Jesus Christ introduces ...
"The Chosen" Is a Streaming Hit
"The Chosen," a surprise hit television series, is billed as the first multi-season show about the life of Jesus — and one of the biggest crowd-funded media projects ever produced. The show ...
The Chosen
The Chosen. Watch The Chosen with a subscription on Peacock, Netflix, Hulu, Prime Video, or buy it on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV. This drama about the life of Jesus Christ introduces ...
'The Chosen' Sets Its Face Toward Jerusalem
Jesus, played by Jonathan Roumie, and the disciples in The Chosen season 4. There's a moment in season 4 of The Chosen —coming to a theater near you on Thursday, February 1—in which Jesus ...
The Chosen (Movie Review)
The Chosen (Movie Review) I can't say enough good things about this crowd-funded video series of Jesus' life. I thought the first few episodes were a little lackluster, but as their funding has flooded in, the series quickly has become top notch. We just finished season three (culminating with Jesus walking on the water), and will now have ...
The Chosen (TV Series 2017- )
The Chosen: Created by Dallas Jenkins. With Elizabeth Tabish, Jonathan Roumie, Shahar Isaac, Nick Shakoour. The Chosen is a historical drama based on the life of Jesus and those who knew him. Set against the backdrop of Roman oppression in first-century Israel, the series shares an authentic look at Jesus' revolutionary life and teachings.
Review: The Chosen: Season One (dir. Dallas Jenkins, 2019)
On those levels, at least, The Chosen is an exciting addition to the Jesus-movie canon. — A version of this review was first published in The Anglican Planet. — The Chosen can be streamed in ...
Let's Talk About . . . 'The Chosen' (Seasons 1-2)
The Chosen (Seasons 1-2) Unrated • 2017 • Historical Drama • 16 one-hour episodes. Starring: Jonathan Roumie, Elizabeth Tabish, Paras Patel, Shahar Isaac. ——-. By Andrew Wood. Every generation needs to rediscover Jesus and tell his story in a way that touches not only the head but the heart. The multi-season streaming series The ...
4 Things to Know about The Chosen: Season 3 Movie
4. It Packs an Emotional Punch. The Chosen series is known for scenes that tug at your heart, convict your soul and even make you cry. The movie has that, with three or four of the most powerful ...
'The Chosen' The CW Review: Stream It Or Skip It?
While The Chosen is touted as the "first multi-season series about the life of Jesus Christ" (more on that in a second), it has the feeling of the History Channel's miniseries The Bible. Our ...
The Chosen
The Chosen: The #1 Crowd-Funded Media Project Of All Time. Watch Episode One For Free - http://www.TheChosen.tvWhy More Jesus Stuff? I've been a believer my...
'The Chosen' Season 4 Review
Before The Chosen, there had never been a long-form, multi-season television series about the life of Jesus Christ.There have been plenty of movies, sure.Even a mini-series or two have faithfully ...
The Chosen (TV series)
The Chosen is an American Christian historical drama television series. Created, directed, and co-written by filmmaker Dallas Jenkins, it is the first multi-season series about the life and ministry of Jesus of Nazareth.Primarily set in Judaea and Galilee in the 1st century, the series centers on Jesus and the different people who met and followed or otherwise interacted with him.
The Chosen Featured, Reviews Film Threat
I couldn't have been more wrong. "Jesus is pretty much wrapping up his career as a carpenter, and we delve into the personal lives of his future disciples.". The Chosen is an eight-episode series (of which I've seen the first four) taking place before Jesus Christ's "ministry" begins (look up John The Baptist).
The Chosen: Should Christians watch it?
A production about Jesus actually done well?I was a little skeptical when I kept hearing rave reviews about The Chosen. Christians have a notoriously bad reputation for making religious films and shows. Low-quality production, bad storytelling, poor acting, overwhelming cheese factor, etc. Not to mention some terrible depictions of Jesus that are profoundly unbiblical.
Harsh Criticism of "The Chosen" Draws Emotional ...
The creator/director of this show about the life of Jesus is hit with accusations as extreme as heresy and blasphemy over the most recent episode. Joey Vahedi and Paras Patel in a scene from Episode 5 of the second season. Image: "The Chosen"/Instagram.Anyone with a modicum of familiarity with Church history knows that Believers' views on the Faith vary widely and sometimes intensely: enough ...
Christmas With The Chosen: "Holy Night"
Movie Review. The Chosen series returns to theaters again this Christmas (courtesy of Fathom Events from December 12-16) with a new special that fuses two important episodes in this series' history: "The Shepherd" and "The Messengers.". Those who are familiar with The Chosen might already know that "The Shepherd" isn't really even an episode of the series proper at all.
The Chosen
TV Series Review [Editor's Note: Season Four of The Chosen will debut in theaters via Fathom Events in three separate releases.Episodes 1-3 screened together in theaters, with a brief intermission, from Feb. 1-14; Episodes 4-6 will screen Feb. 15-28; and Episodes 7-8 will screen Feb. 29 through March 10.
THE CHOSEN Cast on 'Hard' Lessons Disciples Learn in Season 4
Having finished its run in theaters, fans eagerly await the release of Season 4 of THE CHOSEN to streaming. However, creator and director Dallas Jenkins announced in mid-March that distribution has hit a snag, and they are uncertain when fans will be able to stream Season 4.. Nonetheless, the team is continuing to create the show, and production on Season 5 will begin later in April.
Exploring Ways to View 'The Chosen' Season 4 Without a ...
Fans eagerly waiting for news on the release of The Chosen Season 4 on a streaming platform or network by Easter Sunday may have to temper their expectations with a hint of disappointment. In a ...