I need to write about something good. There is a tv series – yes, there is good entertainment out there – that has really grabbed a hold of my heart. I won’t pretend, this “stay at home” order isn’t driving me mad; the day to day monotony of the blurry schedule feels like trudging in mud. I can’t get out of it. I agree with George Bailey when he says, “I want to live again!”

But in the meantime, between the calls from desperate people, the debates I have online about what should be done concerning this Corona nightmare, and then figuring out what to say to keep the spirits of the people in our church going, I found in the series ‘The Chosen’ a refreshing oasis in this dry, lonely drudgery of living in the desert.

I have seen it advertised for the past year, and at first it looked like another attempt at telling the same old Jesus story that has been told many, many times before. But this time there was less fanfare, it was not produced by a major film studio, and I have never heard of the actors. So, honestly, I wasn’t at all interested in watching it. But then I saw that more and more of my friends were recommending it.

So I looked it up and I noticed that the streaming service VidAngel was offering a free subscription during this pandemic. Hey, it’s free, so why not? I wasn’t expecting much, but I had plenty of time, so I decided to watch. And I must say, this series has touched my soul deeply. I just can’t say enough about it. Let me tell you why:

(1) The cast looks Middle-Eastern and they don’t have English accents. Most every portrayal on the big screen of Jesus has had a strong European look, and when he would quote scripture he sounded like an Englishman reading the old King’s James. Did you know Jesus was not English? Jesus probably didn’t have white skin. And I am sure Jesus didn’t have blue eyes. Have you ever seen ‘The King of Kings’ from the sixties? The Jesus they used had red hair, pale skin, and bright blue eyes. My grandma thought he looked heavenly, just like a Rembrandt painting. I didn’t have the heart to tell her Rembrandt wasn’t Jewish. And the worst of all, Hollywood Jesus’ were never allowed to smile. I think they wanted him to have the Roman Catholic look of suffering and sorrow of a sullen medieval icon. Boring!!!

But this is not the case with the Jesus of The Chosen; he seems to be more like a real man. A man who was both a carpenter and traveling Rabbi who went everywhere on foot. And he looks Jewish; His hair is dark, his skin is brown, he smiles and laughs. He even loves children. 

(2) Respect for the Torah and the writings of Moses are evident. Because Jesus was the fulfillment of scripture, his life had to have been saturated with Old Testament realities. This show portrays that exquisitely. The Pharisees in this show ask the right questions that were bound to be asked by people who lived by the law, “How could God have a Son? How could a man forgive sins? How could he spend time with prostitutes and tax collectors?” This confusion about Jesus was the exact reason Jesus was sent to the cross — the religious leaders could not stomach how he equated himself with Jehovah. This show captures the fury of the Pharisee’s purity concerning the law, and the confusion of Jesus proclaiming to be God in flesh (incarnation) accurately.

(3) The Chosen exudes “Goodness.” I like the actor that was chosen for Jesus, not because I think he looks like the way I picture Jesus to look or because he seems to be the perfect choice for Jesus. I like him because I think he displays the goodness that scripture reveals about Jesus. The stories they depict in the show capture the grace and kindness of God. When you watch a boat overloaded with fish, a wedding where there is more than enough wine, where a cripple is healed and can walk, it reminds you of just how good and happy our God is. It also shows very human reactions from bewildered people. That is the beauty of it.

I am not in love with a show, but the show helps me to refocus on the God I love. It helps bring me back to the real story and check it out once again for myself, “Is that really what happened?” And when I go to the pages of scripture and am reminded that Jesus really did these things in the hard-scrabble of broken life, I fall in love with him again. It reaffirms why I gave my life to this man in the first place.

The last episode in The Chosen is about the “Woman at the Well“. It is the quintessential story of the forgotten person who feels used, ignored, hated and unwanted. It perfectly shows how she met Jesus in the middle of a hot day. He tells her she is the exact reason why he came to this town at this exact time. It was just for her. Just for her! And then following the story, as told in John Chapter Four, the show portrays the kindness and grace that filled Jesus and then filled her. And fills me today. I know that no man could ever capture the full reality of it, but this show communicated the compassion of my God in a beautiful way.

So all I am saying is watch. It may give you something that will not only take your mind off the world’s problems for a few minutes, but it will bring you back to the one who really lives and can fix the problems. If this movie is even 5 % accurate concerning what really happened 2,000 years ago in a faraway land, then following Jesus today is worth everything.

All I know is I have been hungry for some good news, and The Chosen brings just enough of it to get me through another day.