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My Opinion of the Chosen

The Shepherd and season 1 & 2
by Paul Ellingsen
    I loved "The Shepherd." Around Christmas I was showing it in my restaurant most Fridays and Saturdays before the worship and entertainment. I loved it because Dallas didn't change anything. He simply added some back story to the shepherds. So many movies about the birth of Christ have so many errors, like the wise men being at the stable, or Mary and Joseph leaving for Egypt the day after they arrive in Bethlehem, but The Chosen had none of these errors and the acting and production were excellent. So I invested in "The Chosen." When Season 1 came out I would often show episodes on Thursday evenings in our restaurant, because, though I thought it had few minor errors, I loved it.

Season 2
     However when season 2 came out, I was very disappointed that I had invested in The Chosen. I'm fine with backstory. That's what made "The Shepherd" so good and even made the first 12 episodes pretty good, but starting with episode 13 he went from back story to changing the story. I believe that the answer to almost every question we have about life can be found in the Bible. When you put words in Jesus mouth that He didn't say you may be creating new unbiblical theologies. Is it ok for Christians to be involved in politics? The answer is in the life of John the Baptist who rebuked Herod, and the only comment Jesus made about John in scripture is,
"Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he". Matt 11:11-12.
No negative comment about John the Baptist is in the bible.

     But The Chosen writers changed that by having Jesus disagreeing with John for rebuking Herod and criticizing John for calling the Pharisees a brood of vipers. Jesus Himself called the Pharisees a brood of vipers (Matt 12:34 and Matt 23:33) and Jesus referred to Herod as "that fox" (Luke 13:32). They skipped an important story like Jesus's baptism but devoted most of an episode to an unbiblical story from Dallas's imagination that never happened. Would Jesus tell John the Baptist that he should not tell Herold to repent? That he should only tell the common people to repent???

     In episodes 13-16 Jesus has His followers sending out flyers to promote what they called "His speech" (The Sermon on the Mount) but if you read Matt 4:23-25 you see that great multitudes followed Him because He was healing the sick and casting out demons. Jesus on several occasions told people not to make Him known. He discouraged large crowds from following Him. Read Matthew 12:15-17 and Mark 1:44-45, 5:43, 7:44, 8:26&30, 9:30 for just a few examples. There are many more. Even a casual reading of the gospels would reveal this.

      Season 2 of "The Chosen" also has Jesus practicing "His Speech" and looking for Levi's approval, but Jesus said,
"But when they arrest you and deliver you up, do not worry beforehand, or premeditate what you will speak. But whatever is given you in that hour, speak that; for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit." Mark 13:11.
And He said, " Therefore, whatever I speak, just as the Father has told Me, so I speak." John 12:50
Jesus also said, "The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works." John 14:10-11
It's as if Dallas believed that Matthew had to write it down so that he could remember it, but Jesus said,
"These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. 26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you." John 14:25-27

      Also, the Arrest of Jesus by Rome and the harassment by Rome in succeeding episodes was very, very unlikely. Rome did not have a problem with Jesus. It was the Jewish leaders who hated him out of envy. Even when the Jewish leaders brought Jesus to Pilate and Herod they did not want to punish Him. Pilate said to them,
"You take Him and crucify Him, for I find no fault in Him." John 19:6
He only wanted to scourge Him hoping that would appease the Jews.
Then he said to them the third time, "Why, what evil has He done? I have found no reason for death in Him. I will therefore chastise Him and let Him go. Luke 23:22
Pilate was far more righteous than the Jewish leaders. He believed that Jesus was the son of God. Pilate finally gave in to the Jewish leaders when they said:
"If you let this Man go, you are not Caesar's friend." John 19:12
I always felt sorry for the predicament that Pilate was in. I wonder if I would have done any better if I were the emperor and I wonder if we will see Pilate in heaven.

Truth is more important than feelings.
Jesus answered, "… For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice." John 18:37
The Chosen started out so good, but Season 2 seems to have descended to Dallas's opinions. If you mix truth with a lie you get a lie. Don't take my word for it. Read the Bible for yourself. Dallas should have read the Bible for himself instead of depending on his advisors or inserting his opinions.

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