The Chosen has been going through some turmoil since Season 4, with actors who have left and controversies over the deviations from Scripture. I confess that Season 4 so bored me, that I did not get through it nor can I offer any opinion on it save the Rhema death and Jesus won”t raise her (fiction, not in the Bible) which has really bothered fans and I addressed when it happened as that is possible that Rhema will be one of those raised from the dead when Jesus dies on the cross and the tombs open (Matthew 27:51-53). That said I decided to tune into The Last Supper or Season 5, Episodes 1 and 2 mainly because at last Jesus has arrived at Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, and the events of His Passion are about to happen. I have felt that this series has been drawn out, with Season 4 feeling like filler, and that it probably could have been three seasons, and yet the potency of which it holds itself like a vintage of Jarius’ approval is a curiosity to me.
I want to say that it is refreshing to see the Last Supper and Jesus talking about all He must suffer. That we are finally getting to the meat of the Gospel Accounts, with Passion Week. I am, however, not pleased with Director Jenkins’ liberties he takes with the texts of Holy Scripture, in specific Jesus forging the whip he uses to the Cleanse the Temple (John 2:13-22). There is not Scriptural Evidence that Jesus made his own whip, he simply picked up one that was at the Money Changer’s Market. Having Him make the whip conveys to the audience images of the Divine Justice, of the Lion of Judah’s Wrath from the Book of Revelation (see Chapter Nineteen), and I can see why the Director perhaps made this artistic choice, it did draw to my attention a parallel I never noticed, that Christ our Lord wields a whip against the Temple System and its money changing, shouting “Then Jesus began to teach them, and He declared, “Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? But you have made it ‘a den of robbers,“ (Mark 11:17) and that Jesus then is whipped by the Romans before his Crucifixion (John 19:1) and become the Living House that is torn down in three days and raised up as He prophecies, the Temple of His Body (John 2:21). However, adding fictions like Jesus making the whip can give a wrong impression, a pre-meditated wrath, as if it is staged, when in the Scriptures it is clear Jesus impromptu reacts to this Mammonism (love of money, see Matthew 6:24) in the Courts of the Temple. I will say the Scene which ends Episode Two is brilliant, and the best rendition I have ever seen of Jesus Cleansing the Temple in any media. It drives home that Our Lord and God Jesus hates money changing, fleecing pilgrims, and the whole system of taxes and tithes which He says we are not suppose to do anymore, “After Jesus and his disciples arrived in Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma temple tax came to Peter and asked, “Doesn’t your teacher pay the temple tax?”
“Yes, he does,” he replied.
When Peter came into the house, Jesus was the first to speak. “What do you think, Simon?” he asked. “From whom do the kings of the earth collect duty and taxes—from their own children or from others?”
“From others,” Peter answered.
“Then the children are exempt,” Jesus said to him. “But so that we may not cause offense, go to the lake and throw out your line. Take the first fish you catch; open its mouth and you will find a four-drachma coin. Take it and give it to them for my tax and yours.” (Matthew 27:24-27); we are children of God, “For you are all the children of God by faith, in Christ Jesus,” (Galatians 3:26), so exempt from the tithe and we now are Temples of God (1 Corinthians 3:16, 2 Corinthians 6:16), with God living in us (1 John 4:15), and there will be no more Temple, not even in the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:22).
Aside from Jesus making the whip being not Scritural, the greatest issue I have is that Jesus wakes up Zebedee to take his Emma (Mary The Mother, Madonna according to Catholics) out of the City during Passion Week! This severely alters the Gospel Account! Mary the Mother (Emma) was at the Cross when Jesus was dying, “Standing near the cross were Jesus’ mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary (the wife of Clopas), and Mary Magdalene,” (John 19:25) and Jesus even speaks toHer, “So Jesus, seeing His mother there, and the disciple whom He loved standing near, said to His mother, [Dear] woman, See, [here is] your son! and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.” (John 19:26-27). Jesus gave instructions to His Mother and John the Disciple to take care of her from the cross. Having her not be in Jerusalem means she will not be present for these Scriptural events! Which is blasphemous! It is altering the Gospel! Director Dallas Jenkins castes doubt on Mother Mary’s actual presence at the Crucifixion! Is he using The Koran because it questions these things, The Bible is clear Mary was in Jerusalem for Holy Week and that she was at Jesus’ Cross!
Director Dallas Jenkins takes another erroneous liberty when God The Father speaks over Jesus in Jerusalem in front of the crowds. In the episode its a storm and some people think they heard a voice, others are not sure. In Scripture there is no confusion everyone hears a clear voice,
“Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!”
Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.” The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him. Jesus said, “This voice was for your benefit, not mine. Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out. And I, when I am lifted up[g] from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die.” (John 12:27-33).
While I was greatly moved by the Cleansing of the Temple scene, and Jesus’ face off with Caiaphas with a whip, I have to stress again that face off is fiction. This is the entire problem with Director Jenkins taking liberties with the Canon of Scripture. Biblically Illiterate people will think it is in the Bible, just as people thought art work and statues of things not in the Bible and yet in Churches were truly in the Scriptures. For example, Veronica who so many believe wiped Jesus’ face with her veil (Shroud of Turin), and gave Him a drink, is not in the Scripture. Veronica is a Roman Catholic Tradition from The Stations of the Cross. I am not saying it is not plausible that Veronica existed, merely that Scripture does not support her existence. And that is the concern over what is added in the Chosen, that people will believe things happened as they are shown.
A fiction I enjoyed is Jesus going to a Betrothal Party in Jerusalem near Passover, and dancing with people, and when they realize who he is, ask Jesus to bless the Bride and Bridegroom to be. A beautiful image of what we all would like, for Christ to bless our marriage, and indeed He does in Spirit, for if you believe in Jesus as Lord, Christ, and Son of God, then He lives within you (1 John 4:15). It would have be a lot easier to have had this blessing scene when Jesus attends the Wedding At Cana, that after He does the Miracle of Turning the Water into Wine, the Bride and Bridegroom might want a blessing from hands that increased their wine reserves. That would have been a place that could have had a proper extra biblical what if. At Passover though? Passover is a somber period, even the food is grim and bearish, with Matzah crackers (unleavened bread)and abstaining from succulent foods (Passover time us like Lent in churches). In contrast, The Feast of Tabernacles is full of the best foods and merriment. Jenkins who prides himself in his scholars he has gathered gets The Passover wrong, and yet has Jesus and others using the proper Jewish Terms like “Shalom Shalom” and The Paschal blessings.
The Political Intrigues gets a lot of attention with Pontius Pilate, The High Priest Caiaphas, and King Herod Antipas all plotting and scheming to bring down The Nazarene. While I do appreciate that it is pointed out only The Romans could give a death sentence, Caiaphas acting as if “It is better for one man to die for the nation, than the whole nation to perish,” (John 11:50) being some oracle from God is odd, it is in Scripture that the apostles cite and say was prophetic about Jesus being the Atoning Sacrifice, The Propitiation, but Caiphas did not say it in that vein of though, he was thinking of political survival, not eternal salvation. Director Jenkins takes liberty by giving Caiaphas trust in this prophecy, when there is no Scriptural evidence other than he said it off the cuff or impromtu, and yes it was Holy Spirit declaring the truth about Jesus, but whither Caiaphas was aware of this is not explained in the Scripture.
I have written that I have concerns about Jonathan Roumie who plays Jesus, and how people are looking to him like Jesus. That he has deep ties in Roman Catholic Church as a forever member of Knights of Columbus. I do not wish to persecute his efforts, for as the apostle Paul said, “It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. The latter do so out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains. But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice.” (Philippians 1:15-18). People are getting saved watching The Chosen and so I do not want to begrudge an instrument that is being used to bring people into the Fold. Lest I become a Pharisee. I do want to exert caution, that the liberties being taken, the apocphayl and fictitious additions are going to in the long run cause issues for believers. Most of the additions are not needed, it puzzling why Jenkins had them added. So I find myself in the Chosen camp at the gate, warning those going in to watch that there is deviations from Scripture, and yet rejoicing at those who have come to Faith in Christ through this series, that has allowed them to connect with Christ and the Gospel through this medium. That said, I urge you if you were chosen watching The Chosen to master reading The New Testament, and take note that the fictions are major liberties taken with Our Lord Jesus Christ and his Apoostles for entertainment purposes. I frankly do not see why they needed to be added, because The Gospel is already entertaining and full of intrigues and violence, and glory in of themselves.
Going forward, I want to say that I enjoy the spirit of this show, that it is making Jesus so accessible, and contrasting The Open Way through him to Jews and Gentiles to the Old Jewish System that would not let Gentiles even enter, and exploited them and shamed them simply because they were not Hebrew, for indeed the apostle says, “There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:28). This show banks greatly on the Prophet Hosea and the Apostle Paul’s Epistles, in regards to its favoritism towards Gentiles being Grafted In, and it does faithfully represent the Root, and Jewish Customs which is a nice touch. That said we need to know our Bible, master The New Testament at least in your memory, so that you can pick fact from fiction. So I will not condemn the series nor wave away caution at the wild liberties being taken with Scripture. I think it is top tier in how it presenting some of the events of the Gospel Accounts, in stunning cinematomographic detail and seminal acting. Still I stress test what you see with Scripture, Google is an ally, looking up the Cleansing of the Temple and see that Jessus does not show up with his own made whip. Amen.
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