The Chosen: A Jesus Show Worth Watching

Post Author: The Rev. Ali Van Kuiken

Jonathan Roumie plays Jesus in The Chosen.

Until I saw The Chosen, the only shows or movies I had seen featuring Jesus were in one of three categories: boring, educational, or satirical (remember this vintage 21 video? It still makes me laugh). Now I can add a fourth category: thought-provoking and enjoyable. 

I was a bit resistant to watch The Chosen at first because I saw it advocated by relatives who are so devout that their artistic taste is not always as discerning as their zeal. I wrote it off as another evangelistic tool used to draw in seekers and get converts. As it turns out, The Chosen is watched mostly by those who already profess faith in Christ, and at its launch, was not being marketed heavily to non-Christians, although that is changing (see below). And it has an interesting story line, relatable characters, and creative takes on familiar Bible passages. Its Evangelical influence shines through at times (exemplified in the lengthy intros when it was first broadcast, or when Jesus tells Mary Magdalene, “All I want is your heart”), but generally it is presented more as an interesting story rather than as a testimony.  

The entire series began after a surprisingly successful stand-alone short called “The Shepherd” created by Dallas Jenkins as a small project for his church after a failed attempt at a Christian feature film. In this short, Jenkins wanted to tell a Jesus story from a perspective other than Jesus. So he told the story of Jesus’ birth from a shepherd’s perspective. The success of this short spurred Jenkins on to his bigger project: a multi-season series on the life of Jesus. His series has garnered attention not only for its quality and relatability, but also for the crowd funding campaign records it has set. The show gained financial support and the viewership loyalty of those supporters. The crowds featured in the scene of Jesus feeding the 5,000 consist of those who made donations to the show and traveled to Texas for the filming.

If you read a review of The Chosen, you will encounter stories of how moved the viewers are or perhaps (like me) how surprised they are by how moved they are. Most of these reviews are in Christian publications, but a recent NY Times article just appeared on the scene, perhaps due to The Chosen now streaming on Amazon Prime, Peacock, and Netflix, in addition to its own app and streaming service, VidAngel. These reviews nearly all highlight how the show achieves something difficult for many in Christian media – a level of authenticity and relatability in the dialogue, plot and characters. Although the basic plot of the series is set by the Gospels, Dallas Jenkins and the other writers don’t ask “what is factual?” but rather “what is plausible?” Thus we get an imaginative look into the political situation of Jesus’ time from the perspective of the Roman Praetor of Capernaum. We see Matthew as a tax collector and the ways he has to navigate society, the separation he experiences from his parents, and the perks of his chosen profession. We also get to see Mary Magdalene as someone not merely mysteriously possessed by a demon, but as a woman with a traumatic past. If I had space I would tell you about Simon Peter and his business dealings, or the woman at the well and her place in her village, but so numerous are the sub plots and so detailed the character explorations that I cannot spell them all out here. 

The Wedding at Cana scene in The Chosen

In addition to being an interesting show to watch, The Chosen has a lot of potential for de-mystifying the Gospel accounts of Jesus’ life. My mother, who grew up in the church and took great pains to impart a biblical worldview to her children and who is thus well-versed in scripture, told me how this show has helped her realize how Jesus and his disciples were real people. She said it has helped to clarify events from the Gospels and make them real for her. Take, for example, the wedding at Cana, where they ran out of wine. The Chosen presents us with a scenario where that might occur and helps us get into the mindset of those likely involved. It’s almost like stepping into another person’s Ignatian sacred imagination. It’s delightful, enlightening (for some) enlightening, and even inspiring (at times). For all you former evangelicals out there who might not feel drawn to this series right away, give it a try. You might find that this Jesus show fits into that fourth category: thought-provoking and enjoyable.