The Atlantic:  Jesus of the Small Screen: I Didn’t Expect to Find a Television Series Drawn From the Bible So Compelling, by Peter Wehner (Senior Fellow, Trinity Forum):

The third season of The Chosen, a television series about the life and ministry of Jesus, includes a moving scene between Jesus, played by Jonathan Roumie, and his disciple James, the son of Alphaeus, known as “Little James.”

Jordan Walker Ross, who plays James, has severe scoliosis, minor cerebral palsy, and a noticeable limp. His character, nervous, vulnerable, and troubled in spirit, requests a moment with Jesus.

Why would Jesus send out his disciples to heal the sick and lame, he asks, and not heal him?

Jesus, speaking with tenderness, explains to James that he could heal him, and if he did, James would have a good story to tell, as many others who had been healed by Jesus did. “But think of the story that you have, especially in this journey to come, if I don’t heal you. To know how to proclaim that you still praise God in spite of this. To know how to focus on all that matters so much more than the body. To show people that you can be patient with your suffering, here on Earth, because you know you’ll spend eternity with no suffering. Not everyone can understand that. How many people do you think the Father and I trust this with? Not many.”

James, fighting back tears, confesses that this explanation is insufficient. “It doesn’t make me feel like any less of a burden,” he says. Jesus acknowledges James’s physical limitations—he isn’t fast; he doesn’t look impressive—but says that those are things the Father doesn’t care about.

“You are going to do more for me,” Jesus tells James, “than most people ever dream.”

“When you pass from this Earth,” Jesus continues, “and you meet your Father in heaven, where Isaiah promises you will leap like a deer, your reward will be great. So hold on a little longer. And when you discover yourself finding true strength because of your weakness, when you do great things in my name in spite of this, the impact will last for generations. Do you understand?”

James, weeping, says, “Yes. Thank you, master.”

“A man like you, healing others,” Jesus says. “Oh, what a sight. I can’t wait to hear your stories when you return.” Jesus begins to walk away but stops and turns to James. Struggling with his own emotions, Jesus says, “And James, remember: You will be healed. It is only a matter of time.” …

Unlike a lot of Christian entertainment, The Chosen is well produced and well written, the dialogue engaging and at times gripping, the acting across-the-board superb. …

In The Chosen, Jesus is compelling, approachable, and dignified; he is relationally sophisticated and relatable. The success of the series—through word of mouth, it has become a phenomenon within and to some degree even beyond Christian communities worldwide—is that many millions of viewers feel like they form an emotional connection to Jesus. It turns out that Jesus on the screen can add to rather than detract from the Jesus in the Gospels. …

I could never have anticipated that The Chosen would enrich my faith. Maybe that’s because for many of us who are Christians, faith is not primarily an intellectual ascent, though the intellect can certainly be involved. Nor is it first and foremost about embracing dogmas, though teachings and decrees matter. It is above all about having our affections won over, not to an idea as much as to a person. And The Chosen helps us—or at least helps me—understand a bit better the person of Jesus. In this world, we need hints and shadows of the things to come.

Russell Moore (Christianity Today), Why So Many Christians Are Drawn to The Chosen’s Depiction of Jesus:

Peter Wehner returns for a conversation about the television drama The Chosen, which began its fourth season on February 1, 2024. Wehner expounds on his recent article in The Atlantic, sharing how the series pleasantly surprised him as someone who historically avoided on-screen depictions of Jesus. He describes the ways that Jesus (played by Jonathan Roumie) in The Chosen has a fully-formed personality, displays emotion, and shows how intimately Jesus understood human nature—all elements that have led Wehner to love the show.

Moore and Wehner discuss how The Chosen sheds light on Jewish life under Roman occupation and the role of the Pharisees. They talk about another Christian media phenomenon—the He Gets Us campaign—and consider the wide range of responses to it. Their discussion covers political division, the relationship between the intellect and the heart in belief, and what it means for Christians to be called to faithfulness rather than success.

TaxProf Blog coverage of The Chosen:

• The Atlantic, The Chosen: Christian America’s Must-See TV Show (July 11, 2021)
• Wall Street Journal, Fans Pour Funding—And Faith—Into 'The Chosen': A Hit Drama About Jesus (Nov. 28, 2021)
• Video, A Chosen Christmas, Part 1 (Dec. 25, 2021)
• Video, A Chosen Christmas, Part 2 (Dec. 25, 2021)
• The Chosen At Pepperdine Caruso Law (May 1, 2022)
• New York Times Op-Ed, He’s Not Jesus, But He Plays Him On TV In The Chosen (Apr. 9, 2023)

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