“The Chosen” Is Revitalizing My Faith

The Chosen is a multi-season show about the ministry of Jesus and the people whose lives he changed.

A friend told me about the show a week before Easter. They were live-streaming the first season of the show on YouTube two episodes a night before the Season 2 premiere on Easter.

Reluctantly, I started watching. Christian entertainment tends to be a bit bland and predictable. I was pleasantly surprised.

I binged the whole first season that week. I can't wait to watch it again.

This is not your typical Christian fare.

These characters are real people, not cardboard cutouts. The show is authentic to the gospel but brings it to life in a way I have never seen before. This is relatable stuff. Real people with real struggles.

• A woman who has lost all hope and wants to die.

• A fisherman who can't pay his taxes to Rome.

• An outcast tax collector—hated by his people.

• A religious leader who wants a personal relationship with God.

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The show does a beautiful job of showing Jesus as fully man and fully God.

I have had several "aha" moments.

• Jesus is tired and dirty after healing crowds of people.

• He works as a carpenter to make money.

• He laughs, jokes, and dances at a wedding.

Every episode moves me to tears. Yes, it's that good!

This is a God I can relate to. Jesus experienced the same things that we do in life. Those aren't just words anymore. This is a side of Jesus I have never seen or understood.

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I love the way The Chosen portrays women. So often, women are treated as second-class citizens in Christianity. Not with Jesus, and not in this show.

The first time we see Jesus is at the end of Episode One when he heals Mary Magdalene. Little is know of her story, so The Chosen gives her a plausible story that works within the gospel narrative.

The show also shows Jesus talking to Peter's wife. Jesus lets her know that he sees her and heals her mother.

The video above gives a peek into filming the story of the Samaritan woman, better known as "the woman at the well." She was an outcast, but she became the first person to tell her people about Jesus.

I love that Jesus chooses broken people.

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The Chosen is independently produced and crowd-funded. That's why it's so good. It is a labor of love and not a cash grab. It has high ratings on IMDB, which is rare for Christian entertainment.

You can watch it for free.

The first season is on YouTube, or you can download the app on your phone and cast it to your streaming device.

I can't recommend this show enough. It is a beautiful portrayal of the life of Jesus and his followers. It has characters with depth and goes beyond the expected gospel plot points. It never feels contrived.

I've never seen anything like it and the show is truly revitalizing my faith.