I know I’m late to the game, but I started watching the next two seasons of The Chosen. (I’d seen the first season when it first came out, but then I stopped.) I hesitated because I didn’t want to picture the actor, Jonathan Roumie, every time I prayed to Jesus. He’s such a compelling Jesus! I also didn’t want to fill my imagination with someone else’s interpretation of the Biblical stories I’ve treasured all these years. I know the power of film and story. I know the power of a good screenplay. Something made me hesitate.
But then, our family immersed ourselves one night after finishing another show. This time, I found myself captivated by the artistry of it. My family watched every night (first on Peacock and then on the app). We’re almost finished with Season 3, and I’m already bemoaning the fact that I must wait till 2024 for season 4. It’s the littlest things that send me into tears of worship and wonder: how Jesus calls the woman “daughter” and touches her face when he heals her after 12 years of bleeding; how Jesus says “I know” when people talk about their pain; how Jesus gets tired; how he says “I am the law of Moses” and you realize the power of the setting for the first time; how he can’t resist his mother’s request at the wedding; how he sings with little children. So many things make me read the Bible in a richer way: I can think of John the Baptist’s eyes in prison, of Matthew’s precision when I read his gospel, and of Peter’s personality. I think of Jairus at the moment Jesus raises his daughter to life. You cannot hold back your tears when you see Jairus interacting with Jesus. And you’ll laugh at things like how Jesus doesn’t like raisins (same!).
I’m happy I returned to The Chosen and immersed myself in it. My daughter and I talk about the scenes on the drive to school, and it’s deeply theological about Jesus being both God and man. You’ll see Jesus—and even read the Bible— in fresh ways as you watch The Chosen. At least I have.