A brilliant Head of Philosophy at Birkbeck College, University of London, C E M Joad, was not always a man of faith, but when he was asked on a radio programme which one historical figure he would most like to meet and ask just one question, he didn’t hesitate: “I would meet Jesus Christ and ask him the most important question in the world, ‘Did you or did you not rise from the dead?’”
You see, if Jesus Christ really is risen from the dead, it changes everything. It means that every word, every claim, every statement He ever made is true:
■That He came to bring life, to save the lost, to bring us all home. ■That He came to set us free from religion and rules. ■That He wants us to live lightly. ■That we can move mountains and heal the sick. ■That we are all His children. And that, ultimately, He won’t let harm come to us.
But it all hinges on His resurrection. If He didn’t rise again, then His claims about Himself were not true. In the words of C. S. Lewis, “A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic, on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg, or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse.”
But if He did rise again, then how? The compelling evidence for the resurrection is hard to argue against. I have tried. Many of the greatest minds of our time have tried. The evidence is so stacked toward it being the truth that many scholars have found faith after setting out to discredit it.
So if He did rise again, it means this also is true: “I am with you always” (Matthew 28:20). And if He is right here, right now. beside us, for us, and within us, then our day really should be full of joy and assurance! Jesus with us. Truth. Soak it in.
International Christian media ministry SAT-7 has announced that hit series The Chosen is set to be broadcast on their platforms, enabling viewers across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) to watch its powerful portrayal of the life of Jesus.
For the next three years, SAT-7 has secured the rights to broadcast The Chosen’s first three series on their satellite channels, ARABIC, PARS, and TÜRK, as well as on their online streaming platform SAT-7 PLUS. Once the episodes are fully dubbed into Arabic, Farsi, and Turkish, viewers will be able to encounter Jesus through The Chosen on their TVs or personal devices.
SAT-7’s Ministry Content Advisor George Makeen said: “This is a great opportunity to share the gospel with viewers in the MENA: The Chosen presents the Gospel within a rich context: the old Middle Eastern culture that framed the biblical events. As SAT-7 presents this series in the MENA languages, we believe many viewers will be introduced and re-introduced to the Good News in a way that touches their hearts and minds.”
The Chosen is markedly different to other Christ-centred productions, not least because of its strong focus on the lives of Jesus’ inner circle: His twelve disciples and female companions. Jesus’ interactions with those around him are utterly gripping and lead the viewer to encounter His character in a truly unique way. As well as creating a dramatic masterpiece, the show’s creators have been careful to pay attention to important biblical and historical details. The interplay between Jewish culture and the Roman empire is thoughtfully represented throughout the series, and the use of an extraordinary set in Utah – an authentic recreation of the ancient city of Jerusalem – enhances the show’s sense of time and place. “Drama is an attractive genre for viewers all around the world,” Makeen added, “especially in the Middle East and North Africa, where our verbal culture learns more through listening and watching than reading.”
The Chosen, which first took the US by storm and has since spread around the globe, started out with an independently created pilot show in 2017. As excitement for a fully-fledged series grew, over $10 million was raised, making The Chosen one of the biggest crowdfunded projects of all time. Seven years and three series later, the show has amassed 200 million unique viewers and is widely considered one of the most successful Christian media projects ever. Remarkably, The Chosen has managed simultaneously to draw a crowd from across the Christian denominational spectrum and to break into the secular realm, with streaming giants Amazon and Netflix showing the series. It is available in 26 languages and counting. The majority of The Chosen’s viewers are from English-speaking countries, but SAT-7 is part of a push to help the program, and thus the Gospel, reach one billion viewers all over the world.
Three friends, two vicars and a musician have encouraged me to watch the historical drama, The Chosen. What’s the buzz about? Why is The Chosen one of the most-watched shows in the world? Why is it consistently a top-performer across streaming platforms Amazon Prime, Peacock and Netflix and a top-rated broadcast weekly on The CW? Why have episodes drawn 770 million views? How has it grown from a crowdfunded project into one of the most popular series in the world? And why does The Chosen have over twelve million followers across social platforms?
Over the course of its first three seasons, the series garnered praise from critics and fans alike for its historical and biblical accuracy, playful spirit, stirring drama, genuine humour, and disruptive impact. And I understand that ambitious plans are afoot to translate The Chosen into over 600 languages which could potentially make it the most translated series in the world. I needed to find out what everyone was talking about and, after a faltering start, began watching Season One in earnest. A trusted friend had confided that she had found it to be a slow burn to start with, that I should “stick with it”, that the pace would “pick up” and it would be “well worth the wait”.
My friend was correct on all counts. Against everything I’d learned on screenwriting courses, with The Chosen Season One, there was no cutting to the chase. Because The Chosen is an ongoing series, rather than a one-off movie, the writers have had an abundance of screen time to work with. They have used this extra time to develop and build the storyline and unpack the backstories of some of the characters involved. In that respect, and in many other respects, The Chosen is unlike any other dramatization about Jesus’ life I have ever seen.
I confess to experiencing feelings of impatience and frustration just waiting for the story to unfold, waiting for familiar historical events to “kick off”. During this adjustment of sitting patiently and slowing down to the pace of the story I realised that perhaps I was feeling, in a very small way, something of what the Israelites must have felt waiting and waiting and waiting for their promised Messiah to arrive. Waiting was what they knew well. And by the end of Season One’s third episode I began to feel a connection to them which I had never previously experienced. I began to relate to them a little better, to understand a little more of the slower times into which Jesus was born.
After watching a few episodes of Season One I settled comfortably into the familiar rhythm of play. And so, it seemed to me, had the cast. The actors themselves seemed more at home. Easier in their own skins, easier about working together, easier with the dusty ancient world they were inhabiting. I observed my own mild irritation at what seemed like petty squabbles and one-up-man ship along with a growing realisation that these ancient people were probably no different to the rest of us. Sometimes they’d get caught up in the pushing and shoving between families, communities and colleagues which is common to everyone across the panorama of human existence.
Why is The Chosen series off the scale in its creative risk taking? Why has the producer, director and writer, Dallas Jenkins (pictured above) boldly gone where no man has gone before? His vision to create a detailedand lengthy dramatization of the gospel accounts holds the potential to upend the understanding of the millions of people who feel they already know them well. People who hold them dear. Sacred even. Jenkins and his creative team have certainly shaken up something which is familiar, but many viewers seem to find this refreshing!
I may have to accept that while watching The Chosen I’m seeing an imagined Middle Eastern world through the lens of contemporary western culture and mindsets. Nevertheless I believe that the writers and producers have done their homework and have succeeded in creating rich, relatable human story lines which form the framework for each episode. Issues I had never previously considered have presented themselves to me. Unresolved questions have been, at least partially, resolved. Especially in relation to the recording of the gospel accounts. As something of a frantic scribbler myself it’s been interesting and reassuring to witness Matthew (Paras Patel, pictured above) dutifully scribbling away like a court reporter, recording events and statements as they unfold in real time. Watching The Chosen has been like seeing a complex tapestry appear stitch, by surprising stitch, until eventually I was able to make out something familiar.
Season Two shifts up a gear as the narrative gathers momentum and the disciples interact with Jesus more and more. And it has to be said, the acting is simply superb. Some scenes were performed with such intensity they gave me the shivers. The actor, Jonathan Roumie (pictured above; far right) consistently portrays a magnetic and masterful Jesus. Disclosure: As someone who aims to follow Jesus, from his first moment on screen, I felt I sort of knew him before I knew him, and yet wanted to know him all over again. Here was a Jesus I could recognise and relate to. What a joy to see Jesus dancing, running and splashing. To see his kindness towards his Mother Mary (pictured next to Jesus above).
Season Three races along and delivers yet more surprises. I’ve been particularly intrigued by the Roman officer, Gaius, believably played by the seasoned actor Kirk Woller (pictured above left). Gaius, a powerful man, is essentially “the enemy” but Woller somehow injects him with a rare combination of don’t-mess-with-me strength, curiosity and softness. Sorted Magazine’s Andy Godfrey recently interviewed Kirk Woller and, as Digital Editor, I had the privilege of eavesdropping on their zoom conversation. He came across as a sensitive and compassionate man and perhaps these characteristics are somehow shining through on the screen.
Gaius is not recorded by name in any of the gospel accounts. He’s a compilation of characters. Perhaps this is why I find him to be the most unpredictable, the most mysterious and possibly the most conflicted of all the characters on screen. At any moment Gaius might draw his sword or fall on his knees. I’m fearing and cheering him. He is the wild card we never knew about. He’s the outlier watching from the wings. The stakes are high for him, he has much to lose. Gaius actually reminds me of some people I know and I’m eagerly standing by for the release of Season Four, hoping I will discover more of what Gaius is really about.
