(…continued) Here is how to enjoy The Chosen. Begin watching it like you would watch any other movie. Let the story unfold before you without thinking you know all about it already. Get to know the characters and their stories and their personality, without always asking “Where is that in the Bible?” The movie will eventually link to the Bible in wonderful ways, but in the meantime, just enjoy the show. Many parts may be unrecognizable because they are made up, but the stage is being set in a way that will make the Bible story itself come alive. For example, the Bible tells the story of Jesus healing a man at the pool of Bethesda. The Chosen goes all the way back to the man’s childhood, showing the injury that paralyzed him, showing the many years of disability, and then even linking him to the back story of one of the disciples. Let the story build, and patiently watch where it goes.
Think of it this way. All of the characters in the Bible did have a back story. We don’t know it, and The Chosen creatively imagines it. The true ‘back story’ is probably even more interesting. Real life is always more complex and more interesting than the movies. The Chosen creates a story that is true to the historical context, honors the overall Biblical message, and accurately portrays the parts of the story that we do know. The Chosen is also true to what we know of personalities of the various characters. The movie shows Peter in a fist fight with his brother-in-law, which is not in the Bible. But we do see Peter in the Gospels ready to fight the soldiers in the Garden of Gethsemane, even to the point of pulling out a knife and cutting a man’s ear off.
Sometimes an episode will blend together content from several stories. For example, the setting of episode three in season one is the wilderness temptation story (in a way I never imagined it), with the story of Jesus welcoming the little children (who visit him out in the ‘wilderness’ just outside of a village), and some teachings from the Sermon on the Mount, including the Lord’s Prayer (taught to the children). Is that how it all happened? Probably not. But with a little artistic freedom, all of this accurate Biblical content is blended together in a powerful and enjoyable little story.
In another episode, Jesus tells two disciples to plow a man’s field, and I wondered what that would be about. Later, the fieldwork, and then a meeting with the man who owned the field and his family, provides a wonderful setting for a well-known parable.
There are a couple possible problems with these long back stories. First of all, a person not familiar with the Bible will not know how to distinguish the Bible story from the imagined story. They will need to read their Bible, or they will be confused. And then a couple times, the back story became too big for me; and then, it did not enhance the Bible account, but became a clumsy addition to it.
Something to be aware of is that the first few minutes in many episodes will contain a flashback to a story from the Old Testament that serves as background to the story of Jesus. Carefully watch for the places and dates shown on the screen. You may or may not understand this part, so it may seem disconnected. For example, very first episode says “Magdala, 4 B. C.” It portrays a father and his little daughter. Well, Mary ‘Magdalene’ was from ‘Magdala,’ and she could have been a little girl in 4 B. C., so maybe that is her. Then we see that it is her, because in a later scene a troubled, adult woman holds the same doll and recites the same Bible verse as in the opening scene.
Another part that might seem to drag for some viewers is in the many portrayals of the religious leaders. The scenes are fascinating and the historical background is true to each group, but if you are not familiar with the details of the New Testament, it may seem long. However, these scenes are important because they show why such a good man as Jesus was killed by the religious authorities. Many of these men were acting in good faith, but Jesus was just not what they were expecting, and they thought he would bring harm to the people. And there were some, like Nicodemus who really wanted to learn. You will like Nicodemus (but not at first).
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Here are the ways you can watch The Chosen (all free):
Download: ‘The Chosen App’ to your phone or smart TV.
Live stream on computer: https://watch.thechosen.tv/ Go to top bar, Seasons 1-4 (season five coming soon).
Streaming services: Amazon Prime. It is no longer on Netflix or any others.
NOTE: It is no longer with Angel Studios, which was the previous app.
To donate or learn more, go to: “Come and See Foundation:” https://www.comeandseefoundation.org/
NOTE: I suggest using the closed-caption option. Two reasons: First, some of the actors’ accent can make it difficult to understand everything. This is not a big problem, but it does happen. Secondly, the dialog is oftentimes so rich and contains so much, that I have to go back to listen again, and to read the lines, in order to fully comprehend it all.
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Luke 1:1-4 — Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. With this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.
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Lord God, you are the ultimate creator and sustainer of all things, including the powerful medium of media. We thank you for the opportunity to use media to communicate, inspire, and uplift. We pray that “The Chosen” series may be a powerful tool for sharing your message of love, grace, and forgiveness with the world. Amen.
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From the opening of each episode: “The Chosen is based on the true stories of the Gospels of Jesus Christ. Some of the locations and timelines have been combined or condensed. Backstories and some characters or dialogue have been added. However, all Biblical and historical context and any artistic imagination are designed to support the truth and intention of the Scriptures. Viewers are encouraged to read the Gospels. The original names, locations, and phrases have been transliterated into English for anything spoken.”
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