Should I Watch the Chosen?

It seems not too many years pass between new and groundbreaking onscreen portrayals of Christ. Whether it’s Mel Gibson’s The Passion, History Channel’s The Bible, or Dallas Jenkins' The Chosen (apparently definite articles are also a new trend in the modern era), these films and shows tend to excite a variety of responses and perhaps too little scrutiny. Christian media, whether “faith based movies”, “inspirational films”, stories taken from popular “Christian” books, or “biblical epics” are on the rise and are ready for consumption.

For the believer living in a media saturated age, striving to avoid the worldliness blatantly and unashamedly promoted in every form of media, the “Christian” movie or Bible story put to film can seem like an oasis. But what if this oasis turns out to be a mirage?

Undiscerningly consumed, these shows and movies can be like a tampered package from the store. Because it bears the label “Christian” or “based on the Bible”, we pick it up and unwarily assume it’s safe to enjoy. But if the contents are subtly shifted from being true and biblical to being laced with dangerous and harmful false doctrine, we can be harmed by what seemed like a safe product to enjoy.

Here are a few basic questions to consider when checking out “Christian” movies:

1. Who’s Making This?

Those creative minds behind portrayals of Jesus in media also bring their own belief (or lack thereof) to the project. Belief determines behavior. When unbelievers or those twisted by false teaching are making decisions about how to portray Jesus, they’re not going to get it right. Why would we subject ourselves to a twisted portrayal of Jesus that’s disguised as something accurate? Do I really want those who don’t know the Son of God teaching me about the Son of God?

The bottom line needed in order to fund something like The Chosen or The Bible mini-series means that the creators have to cater to a broad audience. This means that compromises will be made to increase viewership. Dallas Jenkins (the creator of The Chosen) has often defended the “creative license” with chronology, putting statements into the mouth of the Son of God, and other things, by pointing to his multi-faith panel of experts that are consulted for each episode and asked, “can’t people just enjoy this creative and different take on their Savior?” Let’s not take things too seriously, right? While we might be genuinely excited about the maximum number of people being exposed to the truth, we also need to be wary, as our Lord warned, of when everybody is on the band-wagon (Lk. 6:26). The popular approval isn’t usually an indicator of God’s approval. Take John 6 as an example. The Lord Jesus Christ had amassed an incredible following but their motives weren’t viable: when confronted with the hard to digest truth Christ was proclaiming, they deserted Him en mass.  

 The Gospel is not palatable to an unbelieving world. Will they really pay to have the Son of God confront them in their unbelief and rejection of Him? Good intentions may abound, but if the biblical message is diluted for the sake of having it proclaimed, it actually does no one any good. 

2. What’s it Teaching Me?

We’re affected by what we see. That’s why so much money is spent in advertising and product placements in films and tv-shows – even apart from commercials. While you may not be induced to buy a different detergent brand by watching The Chosen, you are still being sold something. That “something” might be a particular brand of Christianity or perception of Jesus. These portrayals, specifically of the Lord Jesus Christ, or biblical characters, can easily invade our fertile imaginations.
              The next time we thumb open to the New Testament and read of Jesus healing a man born blind, what do we find? Do we find the actor “apostles” populating the field of our mind and saying their “lines”? As we turn our hearts toward prayer do we now find the smiling face of an actor toward which we’re directing our adoration? We might scoff at something so incredible, but there’s a reason “veneration of icons” became a thing in church history. The idea that we need an image in order to affect our worship or to act as a conductor for our hearts to be lifted in prayer is persistent tool of the Enemy to drive us towards idolatry. Ask yourself, what is this teaching me? How is it shaping my imagination and thoughts? Don’t naively believe anyone is immune for these affects who watch undiscerningly.

 3. How’s it Portraying the Lord?

When in the 2010’s Portuguese actor and model Diogo Morgado portrayed Jesus in the History Channel mini-series The Bible, there was quite a stir as people began to refer to this portrayal as “Hot Jesus”. Clearly, it matters a great deal who is in the role and how they represent the Savior. For some, this raises issues of the second commandment, should a person be representing God, or is it making an image? But there’s still another question to be asked: is it accurate? Not just does the actor “fit” the part – but is he representing the Savior as the Word of God declares Him to be.

We would have to say, everyone falls short in this (obviously). No matter how much you enjoy Jonathan Roumie’s (The Chosen), or Jim Cavaziel’s (The Passion), or Diogo Morgado’s portrayal of Jesus, we have to seriously grapple with “how did this present Christ?” This is our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, the King of Kings, the Suffering Servant, the Son of God. Do we really want to cheapen and degrade our understanding of Him by being entertained by someone’s acting of Him? Does this elevate our view of the sinless Lamb of God? If it’s just a “Christian” movie, does it accurately portray the way of salvation, the sanctity of the Gospel, and the truth of God’s Word? Is it an accurate representation of the Lord? Or maybe more intensely, do we want this to be an unbeliever’s view of the Savior?

4. How Does It Affect My View of Scripture?

It’s definitely understandable. We live in a media saturated culture. Most of us are much more attuned to seeing pictures and video clips and movies than we are reading print on a page (or even a screen!). Couple that with the seemingly greater engagement of the most important Person whom we love and have learned about now come to us in a much more vivid way. The read and re-read accounts of healing, feeding, and commanding the elements aren’t restricted to black and white on paper anymore: they’re bright, fast-moving, and represented right before our eyes. It seems so much greater, so much more connectable, so much more…believable?

One of the things that is often expressed about these onscreen portrayals of Jesus is how much more “real” it made the story. But there’s a not-so-subtle danger lurking behind this sentiment. The danger lays across two lines: first, it suggests that Scripture itself is insufficient in feeding our faith and love for the Lord apart from these visual representations. Second, it suggests that maybe we would be better off if Jesus had left behind a video series instead of a book: that faith really is fed by sight rather than by hearing or reading the Word of God.

While those who enjoy The Chosen or The Passion or any other biblical story on film don’t necessarily have a low view of Scripture, we need to realize, this is the drift of our heart. We want “more”. Again, this is understandable. We love the Lord Jesus Christ. We long to see Him. When we can have what might offer a better look at Him and His story, we are eager for it. But that’s just the thing: Scripture provides that look for us. Scripture is sufficient for portraying Christ apart from actors, historically accurate productions, and special effects. Our great God and Savior wasn’t short sighted in waiting till after the Incarnation to have the video camera invented. He knows our frame and is mindful that we are dust (Ps. 103:14). 

Peter, writing to the scattered and persecuted believers in 1 Peter 1 remarks, “though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls.” (1 Pet. 1:8&9). Peter was pointing out that though there was no documentaries filmed by the apostles to chronicle the life and ministry of Jesus, their faith was enough to save, cause immense rejoicing, and hope for their future.

Conclusion

Does that mean that every portrayal of Jesus is bad? All “Christian” movies are anathema? Should we eschew any pictures of the Savior? Do we need to denounce the next iteration of the Gospels put to film? No. We’re free to enjoy many good gifts from our Father and it would be unbiblical to insert law where the Lord has not. There are God-honoring portrayals of Biblical stories and characters. But we must steward our eyes, our minds, our worship, and our hearts with things that are beneath the goodness that God has given. We should ever be applying biblical grids of wisdom and weighing our motives, setting a vigilant guard over the portals to our hearts. Most importantly, we must remember we have a perfect Word, a perfect revelation of the Savior, we would do well to take heed to it far more than we do anything that falls so far below it. We must carefully guard and discerningly engage our hearts in all things, especially those things that come in Christian packaging.