I have loved watching the second season of The Chosen with our sermon series over the summer. It has truly been a blessing for me. I have also heard from many others in the Bethany family about how this has been a blessing to them as well. I want to share some of the impact I see this series having on us as a church, both from what I am hearing from others and from my own experience watching this series.
We experience the stories of Jesus coming alive. If you have ever read the Gospels, you have probably had certain stories jump off the page at you when you are reading. You have probably had other times when you wanted that to happen but you just couldn’t get there. Not everyone enjoys reading. And sometimes when reading and rereading the same stories they can become routine. The Chosen captures some of the greatest Gospel stories in a way that helps them jump off the page and get us excited about these stories again. Seeing Jesus heal and interact with people in need; looking at some of the instances where Jesus calls new disciples to surrender their lives and follow him; watching as Jesus boldly speaks truth to religious leaders and those who need to hear it – all of these stories are amazing! The Chosen helps these Jesus stories to come alive and get us excited about what is in the Bible.
We see the humanity of Jesus. When we think about Jesus as the Son of God who became human, we usually focus on the ways that Jesus understands our temptation and suffering. While this has deep theological importance, The Chosen shows us a different aspect of Jesus’ humanity that we don’t normally consider: as a human Jesus had a personality. While many Jesus films often focus solely on Jesus’ actions and words from Scripture, The Chosen fills in the gaps to paint a more full picture of what Jesus’ life could have looked like, including giving him a personality that comes through in all of his interactions. And they pretty much nailed it in their casting and building up the character of Jesus as a loving, humble, servant who people are naturally drawn to (IMHO). The Chosen’s portrayal of Jesus isn’t a replacement for the Jesus of Scripture. Rather, seeing a picture of a winsome Jesus who is authentically human can help us develop a hunger for getting to know Jesus better on a personal level.
We see ourselves in the story. I have loved watching how the disciples grapple with becoming followers of Jesus. Sometimes they are slow to follow and have to see something amazing before they get on board with Jesus’ plans. Sometimes they are quick to get ahead of Jesus, not trusting in God’s plan but trying to be in control of everything. And sometimes they fall back into sinful and selfish living and have to have friends come and get them to bring them back into the fold. The best part about this is that we can see ourselves in all of these stories. This is hopeful, as it reminds us of the ways Jesus continues to call us despite our imperfections. It also encourages us and makes us think about how we are choosing to follow Jesus with our lives each and every day. When we see ourselves in the bigger story, we live out the story of Jesus in our own lives more and more each day.
We grow our hunger for knowing Jesus personally. Seeing the Gospel stories, Jesus’ personality, and the disciples’ lives ultimately drives us to a greater interest in knowing Jesus personally and following him in our own lives. The Chosen reminds us that knowing Jesus is the whole ballgame! Sometimes we make it too complicated. Sometimes we get sidetracked by our busy world and trying to get ahead in the game of life. Sometimes we even let church activities and serving in the church distract us from enjoying a relationship with Jesus. But when we see Jesus in The Chosen, it reminds us that what we truly need is to see Jesus and grow in knowing him each and every day.
The Chosen has been a blessing to Bethany in so many ways. I hope you get to take some time to reflect on how watching this series has blessed you and helped you grow closer to Jesus. My prayer for the Bethany family today is best expressed in these words from Hebrews 12:1-2.
“And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.”
Thomas Johnson
