The Chosen - its Message for Singles

Connecting with Christ's Humanity: The Chosen

For a couple of years now, my brother has been recommending the show The Chosen to me. I was reluctant to check it out despite his warm regard for the show, as Christian movies and shows based either on the Bible or with a Christian theme can often be hit or miss. Some miss the point of salvation completely and many are so lukewarm and generic in their presentation that they are almost unwatchable and one cringes at the "Christian" labeling of them. I am not alone in this way of thinking. Many Christians do not watch shows and movies aimed at them for the same or similar reasons.

This Lent I finally decided to give The Chosen, presented by Angel Studios and the Come and See Foundation, a try, mostly because it's free to watch either on thechosen.tv, angel.com, or The Chosen app. To say I was blown away by the production would be an understatement. This is the best production of the life of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and his disciples that I have ever seen. The Chosen is crowd funded and with millions at their disposal, they have used every bit for quality: The acting, the set, the writing, the music. Everything is top notch, especially compared to many other Christian productions in the past. For me, the most striking part is that the production has, by and large, kept a good, Biblically sound base and heart to it.

The Chosen really portrays Jesus and the disciples as real people — people with moods and the distractions of everyday life. Jesus, although holy, is not the number one best at everything. He's not the most handsome or cleverest in a worldly sense. As for the disciples they are just as amazing and irritating as our fellow believers in church or the people we meet on the street. Like us, they often don't understand Christ and struggle to trust his ways. Like us, they are sinners who have faith.

So, why is this show good for Christian singles? The biggest reason is that it really showcases the humanity of Jesus Christ, perhaps the most famous single person of all time. Jesus was man and God and ... single. Now, one can say, oh, but He had a special purpose in His life. Well, as Christians, so do we. Being unhampered by the demands of a spouse and, in some cases, children, Christian singles have a special opportunity to serve God and His church in other ways. Many of Christ's disciples and followers were single. The Chosen does a good job showcasing the possible concerns and conflicts that can arise between marriage and ministry by having a continual storyline about Simon Peter and his wife. Likely, some of the other disciples were also married, but Peter definitely was. His opposite is, perhaps, Mary Magdalene, portrayed as having no family and complete freedom to be with Jesus and help out in His ministry.

The second biggest reason to watch is connected to the first. This show will make you want to dig into your Bible and reread not only the four Gospels again, but also much of the Old Testament as well. In The Chosen, they make it clear that Jesus is the Messiah, the fulfillment of all the prophecies that the Jews at that time grew up with. It shows in great depth what Jewish culture and life would have been like at that time, just what made being a tax collector so horrible, how they celebrated festivals, and also how the Jews lived under Roman rule.

LIke any other show, there are people who like it and those who don't. The Chosen is no way meant to be a replacement for the real story in our Bibles. For some, watching it can highlight how we see Scripture and those believers who came before us. For others, it won't do much, and that's okay. But, I think for most Christians it is worth watching, and for single people, it is a reminder that all can serve Christ, no matter their station.