I grew up in church. I have attended countless Sunday School classes, Bible Studies and listened to many sermons so I knew most of the basic Bible stories. Their repetition has been replayed many times over the course of my life. When I came across "The Chosen" series on Netflix I sighed because I was expecting the same worn-out stories I have always heard. Much to my surprise, this series tells the stories from a perspective I have never seen before and has literally breathed new life into them for me. Needless to say, I have been binge watching this series.
The Chosen is an American historical drama television series created, directed and co-written by American 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 revolves around Jesus and the different people who met and followed him.
It's amazing how I can watch each episode knowing the story and watch with anticipation as if I am watching it for the first time. I'm very impressed with how they have done this series.
Okay, I know the negative Nellies will say that it isn't totally 100% accurate to the Bible. It is true that they added some backstories and content for the story, but the fact is that none of this takes away from the basic principle behind these events.
Another thing I will say is that I have watched a lot of cheesy and bad Christian movies in my lifetime but this one totally exceeded my expectations. I think this series shows a perspective of Jesus that many of today's Christians need to see and be reminded of who they are supposed to be following. Jesus is portrayed as one who is loving, patient, caring and laughs. This is the kind of Jesus I want Jesus to be.
If you watch this series, don't sit there with your religious scorecard asking, "did this happen?" or "is this really in the Bible?" Just watch it like you would any other series you binge watch. There's no need to debate or question anything. Regardless of the artistic license they have used, the main message is the same.
The Chosen can be streamed on Netflix, YouTube and other services.
For more about The Chosen, click here.
