Have you seen the docuseries entitled: The Chosen? This semi-fictional piece of art coves the life of the men and women Jesus chose to follow Him throughout His ministry. First, you have to give license to the writers, they take liberties in places where the scriptures are silent. What do I mean? Well, they cast Matthew, also known as Levi, the tax collector, as an autistic man.
In like fashion, they give each of the apostles a back story that scriptures allude to yet does not factually prescribe. It takes three seasons for you to meet all twelve of Jesus’s closest disciples. This seems to be aligned with scripture. Yet, there are timeline discrepancies which are left to the writer’s interpretation. I see the discrepancies and yet I still feel the story they tell is worth the watch. Always- scripture is more important than any storytelling talents that any man possesses.
Why do I think you should invest time in watching The Chosen? Well, to begin with- the story is about Jesus. Through the three seasons I have watched I can affirm that the liberties taken with scripture are negligible. Again, I do not believe you can change scripture just to tell a story! However, the things altered are minor details when viewed in the broader context. What do I mean? If a preacher were to explain the details, like these story tellers do, you may disagree with something, however, you would listen to see the bigger point being made.
The focus of The Chosen is on the Apostles and the women who follow Jesus- not Jesus. There are (through 3 seasons) very little “doctrinal” problems presented. Yet, the character building will allow you to feel like you more understand each of the apostles. Why is Simon the Zealot called a Zealot? That faction of Judaism (the Zealots) is well explained, and you understand him better. Why are the sons of Zebedee called “Sons of Thunder”? That, also, is well explained. I must mention here that the “fishing”, and “fishing” scenes are horrendous. I only say this because I have fed my family fish from a net- and these guys don’t get it. So much understanding is provided to fill in gaps.
Why watch? I find myself tearing up with nearly every episode. Watch, as people tell you about Jesus, and why He chose to come to earth and save people. People like you. People like me.