Some say that beauty lies in the eye of the beholder. But I think readers will agree that beauty, whatever its subjective qualities, affects most of us in a similar way.
For instance, legendary Christian writer C.S. Lewis once wrote that what we call beauty is really a longing for Heaven, a “desire for our own far-off country,” as he put it. That longing manifests in response to glimpses of heavenly beauty that can appeal to both heart and mind.
On a related note, this month season 4 of “The Chosen” hit theaters nationwide. Created, produced, written and directed by filmmaker Dallas Jenkins, the spectacular drama series follows the life of Jesus Christ from near the beginning of His ministry. Jenkins’ show places special focus on the calling of Jesus’ disciples and their subsequent journeys with Him.
Financed largely through crowdfunding and distributed online by Angel Studios for its first three seasons, “The Chosen” has allowed millions around the world to experience for free the most beautiful story in world history.
Now, the series appears on the big screen. Season 4, episodes 1-3, had a limited-but-wildly-successful theatrical run in early February. For instance, when it premiered on Feb. 1, despite showing in fewer theaters than its immediate competitors, “The Chosen” raked in more money than the three next-highest-grossing films combined.
Episodes 4-6 debuted on Feb. 15 and remain in theaters. Episodes 7 and 8 — the season 4 conclusion — will follow on Feb. 29.
Assuming those final two episodes follow the same pattern, they will appear in theaters for two weeks. That means that season 4 could be available for streaming in mid-March.
In the meantime, the show’s current theatrical run affords an opportunity to review amazing moments from seasons 1-3.
By “amazing,” I do not mean “best acted” or “most entertaining,” though in some cases those superlatives also apply.
Instead, I mean moments that showed me something beautiful about Christianity.
That personal element matters. After all, I have no theological training nor any deep scriptural knowledge that would allow me to claim expertise.
Thus, perhaps I can justify writing a story like this by referring once more to the great Lewis.
“When a layman has to preach a sermon, I think he is most likely to be useful, or even interesting, if he starts exactly from where he is himself, not so much presuming to instruct as comparing notes,” Lewis once said.
That is what I have in mind here: comparing notes, not presuming to instruct.
With this in mind, I selected 10 amazing moments from “The Chosen,” seasons 1-3.
In making these selections, I considered both the scene’s emotional power and what it told me about Christianity. Did it fill me with awe? And did it make me think about my faith, particularly in a way that I might explain to others?
If it did either or both of those things, then it showed me something beautiful in Christianity.
In using a familiar countdown feature to rank these moments from 10 to 1, I meant primarily to build anticipation in the usual way and not necessarily to imply that one moment struck me as having more beautiful qualities across-the-board than another I ranked below it.
On the other hand, the rankings do have a qualitative purpose that I hope to make clear by the end.
WARNING: For those who have not seen seasons 1-3 of “The Chosen,” the following list includes MAJOR spoilers.
10. “Thus says the Lord who created you”
In the final scene of season 1, episode 1, Jesus (played beautifully by Jonathan Roumie) appeared on screen for the first time. That alone made the moment unforgettable.
Plagued by metaphorical and literal demons and calling herself “Lilith” as part of an effort to escape her painful past altogether, Mary Magdalene (Elizabeth Tabish) drowned her sorrows in a dark tavern when Jesus appeared and placed His hand on hers. A startled Mary then fled the tavern but froze in shock when Jesus called her by her real name.
“Mary! Mary of Magdala,” the Lord said, prompting her to ask who He was and how He knew her name.
“Thus says the Lord who created you and He who formed you, ‘Fear not, for I have redeemed you. I have called you by name. You are mine,’” Jesus replied.
The simple majesty with which Jesus announced Himself as the Creator, coupled with the otherworldly tenderness He showed while redeeming one of His lost sheep, made this the series’ first of many awe-inspiring moments.
9. “A different way of seeing time” and 8. “I did not turn my face from you”
In season 1, episode 5, Jesus attended the wedding at Cana. There He encountered Thomas (Joey Vahedi), the hyper-responsible young man who supplied wine for the feast. When the wine ran out, Thomas — always calculating and measuring — despaired of a solution. Jesus told the young man to fill the wine jars with water, but the doubting Thomas balked at His instruction.
“Join me,” Jesus said as He turned to Thomas, “and I will show you a new way to count and measure, a different way of seeing time.”
Then, in season 2, episode 2, the disciple Philip (Yoshi Barrigas) brought his friend Nathaniel (Austin Reed Alleman) to see Jesus. They met in the middle of a narrow street at night.
Nathaniel had grown despondent over the loss of his job as an architect working for the occupying Romans. In an earlier scene, he had sat alone under a fig tree and torn up his architectural designs in despair. He felt abandoned by God. But God noticed.
“When you were in your lowest moment and you were alone, I did not turn my face from you,” Jesus said to a startled Nathaniel. “I saw you, under the fig tree.”
Together, the two scenes revealed so much of the beauty in Christianity.
Jesus promised to free Thomas from the demands of task-oriented worldliness by teaching him “a different way of seeing time.” He invited His soon-to-be disciple to relinquish temporal anxieties and focus his mind on eternity.
To Nathaniel, Jesus offered the unspeakable comfort of knowing that God always sees us and never abandons us.
One can hardly imagine a more beautiful revelation than Jesus’ eternal omnipresence.
Both amazing moments appear in the clip below, which shows the calling of all Jesus’ disciples. The scene involving Thomas begins around the 4-minute mark. Later, around the 11:05-mark, Philip and Nathaniel encounter Jesus.
7. “No more bones, Jesus. Follow me?”
Alarmed by Jesus’ growing popularity and confused by His behavior, the Roman magistrate Quintus (Brandon Potter) had Jesus arrested and brought into the town of Capernaum for questioning. The encounter occurred in season 2, episode 7. Atticus Aemilius (Elijah Alexander), a Roman official perhaps best described as an intelligence operative, also appeared in the scene.
Cruel, flippant and obsessed with his own interests, Quintus did not know what to make of Jesus. During questioning, he used a flesh-and-bones fish metaphor to recount different ways in which Jesus’ behavior had left him perplexed. Where Jesus had acted in a way that happened to benefit the Roman Empire, Quintus called it “flesh.” And where Jesus had done something that worked against Quintus’ interests, the magistrate called it “bones.” All the while, Quintus maintained the flippant tone of an arrogant and self-obsessed man wielding power.
“No more bones, Jesus. Follow me?” Quintus finally insisted.
After elaborating on his demand, the magistrate received an unexpected reply.
“I cannot promise any of these things,” Jesus said.
“Then I cannot promise you won’t stop breathing,” Quintus shot back.
“Well it sounds like we’re clear on what we can and cannot promise,” Jesus calmly answered.
Above all, Quintus personified the deadly sin of pride. And for that reason alone this scene made this list. Though beautifully acted by Potter, it is hardly a beautiful scene. It is also the only moment that appears on this list for what it reveals about a sin.
Nonetheless, Jesus’ confident reply in the face of Quintus’ threats revealed something beautiful in Christianity. It showed, in fact, that prideful people who wield earthly power have no real authority. Jesus patiently bore Quintus’ silliness but otherwise took no notice of the magistrate. In that sense, the Lord showed us all how to behave when confronted by pride.
6. “I am the law of Moses”
To juxtapose with Quintus’ absurd pretensions, we have an incredibly powerful moment in which Jesus proclaimed His divine authority. In season 3, episode 3, Jesus returned to His hometown of Nazareth. He spent time with Mother Mary (Vanessa Benavente) and reconnected with His friend Lazarus (Demetrios Troy). Later, Jesus’ former teacher, Rabbi Benjamin (Gys de Villiers), invited his now-famous former student to teach in synagogue.
After reading from the scroll of the prophet Isaiah, Jesus stunned Rabbi Benjamin by declaring that “the fulfillment of this scripture, as you have heard it, is today.”
Then, for nearly eight minutes, tension mounted as Jesus told the worshipers things they had not expected to hear. He eschewed all talk of vengeance, used Biblical references to illustrate God’s favor toward the gentiles, and spoke of spiritual poverty. Above all, He proclaimed Himself the Messiah and insisted that they all needed His salvation. Confusion and anger came over many faces. Rabbi Benjamin denounced Jesus as a false prophet.
“Jesus, if you do not renounce your words, we will have no choice but to follow the law of Moses,” the visibly disturbed rabbi said.
The Lord then took one step forward and delivered an unforgettable reply.
“I am the law of Moses,” Jesus said.
For sheer, prolonged drama, it might have been the series’ most powerful moment.
Over the first three seasons, Jesus nearly always showed His otherworldly tenderness. But to understand that His tenderness is also omnipotent and that He offers repentant sinners the mercy of salvation is to understand the truth that lies at the core of Christianity. What could be more beautiful?
5. “It was your faith”
In season 3, episode 5, a mob of admirers surrounded Jesus as He made his way toward the home of Jairus (Alessandro Colla), a faithful man whose young daughter lay dying. Along the way, Veronica (Zhaleh Vossough) tried desperately to reach Jesus or get His attention. Veronica suffered from a rare disease that caused her to bleed uncontrollably. Jewish law deemed her “unclean.” Her father had disowned her.
Thus, when the bleeding began again at an inopportune moment, Veronica decided to push her way through the crowd. Believing that Jesus could heal, she lunged and grabbed a small piece of His garment before falling to the ground. Instantly, He felt the power go out of Him and asked, “Who touched me?”
Still sitting on the ground, an apologetic Veronica finally admitted to touching Jesus’ garment. She said she believed He could heal her, and He had, for the bleeding stopped.
Jesus then squatted down to eye level and tenderly addressed her as “my daughter.”
“Daughter,” the Lord said to the woman whose father had disowned her, “it wasn’t my piece of clothing that healed you.”
“But it was instant. I felt it right away,” she replied.
“I know, but it wasn’t this,” He said of His garment. “It was your faith.”
“The Chosen” showed Jesus healing many people in the course of three seasons. But perhaps no scene better illustrated the connection between healing and faith.
4. “I came to Samaria just to meet you”
In season 1, episode 8, Jesus met an outcast woman at a well in Samaria. He asked her for a drink and told her that He could provide “living water.”
But the jaded woman, five times married, did not trust Jesus or anyone. She chided Him for what she perceived as Jewish prejudice against Samaritans, especially women. She appeared intrigued when He told her that God sought worshipers “in spirit and truth, heart and mind.” Otherwise, she wanted no part of His preaching. And she walked away even when He revealed Himself as the Messiah.
Finally, Jesus stopped her in her tracks by naming her first husband and then her second. He proved His divine understanding by giving painful details of her thoughts and experiences with the two men.
“Why are you doing this?” the stunned woman asked.
“I have not revealed Myself to the public as the Messiah. You are the first. It would be good if you believed Me,” Jesus gently replied.
Still, the woman insisted that He had made a mistake.
“You picked the wrong person,” she said, looking at the ground.
“I came to Samaria just to meet you,” He replied, prompting tears of disbelief.
When she told Him that others rejected her, Jesus assured her that He did not.
Christianity awes us with stories of Jesus’ tenderness. It offers so many beautiful things, but none more so than His active search for the meek, poor and ostracized.
3. “First, be reconciled to your brother”
“The Chosen” took two seasons to present the Sermon on the Mount. At the end of season 2, episode 8, lengthy preparations for the sermon ended, and Jesus finally stepped up to speak. Then the first episode of season 3 began with the sermon itself.
To understand this opening scene, we might benefit from a third reference to Lewis, who once described Jesus’ disciples as “caught up into what, on any view, must be regarded as the central religious experience of the whole human race.”
For instance, actor Paras Patel wonderfully portrayed the apostle Matthew as a shy, awkward, quirky, detail-obsessed young man who had a talent for numbers but not for understanding or dealing with people. Before Jesus called him to discipleship, Matthew had earned the enmity of fellow Jews by collecting taxes for the Romans. Matthew had also earned a great deal of money at his people’s expense. His father had disowned him.
In the first two seasons, Matthew tried to understand everything intellectually. He was drawn to Jesus’ teachings, but not even he seemed to know why.
Then, Jesus gave the Sermon on the Mount, and Matthew listened.
“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whomever murders will be liable to judgment. But I say to you, everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment,” Jesus said.
Matthew appeared visibly affected by these words. And Jesus continued.
“So if you are offering your gift at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First, be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift,” Jesus said.
For the first time in the series, Matthew bit his lip and struggled to fight back tears. When the sermon ended and everyone went home, he reconciled with his parents.
Meanwhile, other apostles had similar reactions.
The ever-nervous Andrew (Noah James), brother of Simon Peter (Shahar Isaac), became choked up when Jesus spoke of trusting God and never worrying.
Simon the Zealot (Alaa Safi), a trained warrior once angry and eager to fight for the Jews’ liberation from Roman occupation, smiled as if in amazement when Jesus told listeners to turn the other cheek.
Simon Peter glanced downward at the phrase “pray for those who persecute you.”
When Jesus said the Lord’s Prayer, His disciples prayed the words along with Him.
In short, when we watch the disciples listening and we see how the sermon must have landed with them, we understand Lewis’ description of early Christians as “caught up” in “the central religious experience of the whole human race.”
In the following video, the sermon begins at the 10-minute mark.
2. “I just can’t live up to it” and “I think He’s here because we can’t be holy without Him”
In season 2, episode 5, Mary Magdalene suffered what we would now call PTSD, first when she spotted two Roman soldiers on horseback and later when she encountered a demoniac. Although Jesus cast out the demon, Mary relapsed into despair and ran away to Jericho in order to drink and gamble in a pub. Jesus sent Matthew and Simon Peter to find her. When they finally spotted her sitting on a bench, she indicated that she did not want to go back.
“He already fixed me once,” she said of Jesus. “And I broke again.”
After some coaxing, she finally did return. When she entered Jesus’ tent, she did so with arms folded as if in distress. But He welcomed her back.
Still, she expressed shame and remorse, mingled with a deep sense of inadequacy.
“I just can’t live up to it,” she said.
“Well that’s true,” Jesus replied. “But you don’t have to. I just want your heart. The Father just wants your heart. Give Us that, which you already have, and the rest will come in time.”
Mary berated herself, cried and looked down, but Jesus told her to look up again. When she did, He said the words we all need: “I forgive you.”
As with Matthew at the Sermon on the Mount, the power of forgiveness hit Mary hard. She wept and embraced her Savior.
The relevant scenes begin at the 9-minute mark of the following video.
“The Chosen,” in fact, seems to have made Mary the personification of several beautiful elements in Christianity. One is redemption, and the other is the futility of trying to live a moral life without Jesus.
The line “I just can’t live up to it” echoed a sentiment she expressed a few episodes earlier.
In season 2, episode 3, the disciples tried to come to terms with Jesus’ role as Messiah. They wrestled with the fact that He did not appear as a military leader. And they discussed relevant Biblical prophecies, including one that suggested all must be holy before the Messiah comes.
At that point, Mary explained how she personally viewed Jesus’ mission.
“I think He’s here because we can’t be holy without Him,” she said.
Mary’s comment comes at the 9-minute mark of the following video.
1. “To give up who I am?”
In season 1, episode 7, Jesus met at night and in secret with Nicodemus the Pharisee (Erick Avari). This scene depicted the conversation recorded in the Gospel of John, Chapter 3.
Having seen Mary Magdalene in a state of demonic possession and then having seen her in a redeemed state after Jesus healed her, Nicodemus spent much of season 1 trying to make sense of things. In this scene, he approached Jesus in humility and awe because he believed that God worked in Him.
When Nicodemus asked about Jesus’ mission, the Lord explained that He had come to show people that they must be “born again” in spirit.
After Nicodemus struggled with that concept for several minutes, Jesus then referred to Moses raising the serpent in the desert.
“So will the Son of Man be lifted up, so that whoever believes in Him may have eternal life,” Jesus said.
Then, after Nicodemus appeared to accept Jesus’ explanation that He had come to save people from sin, Jesus made an appeal to the aging Pharisee.
“Follow me,” Jesus said, inviting the awe-struck Nicodemus to join His disciples.
A married man and member of the powerful Sanhedrin, Nicodemus wrestled with Jesus’ offer. He asked, for instance, what the Lord really meant by the invitation to follow Him.
“The invitation to what exactly? To lead a nomadic life? To — to give up who I am?” the Pharisee asked.
“It’s true. There is a lot you would give up. But what you would gain is far greater and more lasting,” Jesus replied.
Therein lay one of the great, beautiful promises in Christianity. By giving ourselves away — by surrendering our self-will — we gain all that Jesus offers us, which is everything.
Conclusion
Of the 10 quotes (or sets of quotes) used to identify each amazing moment, seven came from Jesus. These, therefore, require no justification.
The remaining three came from Quintus, Mary Magdalene and Nicodemus. Quintus, of course, embodied the fatal sin of pride. His negative and pretension-filled example, therefore, appeared in contrast to the beauty of Jesus’ patience and unmistakable authority.
Finally, the scenes involving Mary Magdalene and Nicodemus occupied the top two spots not because they were necessarily the most powerful or instructive but because they revealed, on one hand, our total dependence on Jesus, and on the other hand, the freedom He gives us to choose or reject Him. Nothing could be more beautiful.
