Fans around the world say the Bible-based hit series The Chosen has helped strengthen their own personal Christian walk.
That includes creator and director Dallas Jenkins, who says he has grown closer to Christ since working on the project.
The series, slated for seven seasons, follows the journey of Jesus and His followers. It is currently in Season 3.
“Working on this project has — I think more than any other time in my life — reminded me of the personal nature of Jesus' relationship with us,” Jenkins told Christian Headlines. “... When Jesus calls Matthew, when Jesus calls Simon, when Jesus calls Nathaniel, how does He do it? It's always personal.”
The series’ personal touch is what often draws applause from critics. Brett McCracken, a senior editor at The Gospel Coalition, said The Chosen is effective in its “focus on individual encounters with Christ.”
“The Chosen moved me on numerous occasions, because it put me in the shoes of characters who encounter Christ and must come to a decision point about the meaning of their lives vis-a-vis his,” McCracken wrote.
The series has been viewed by an estimated 100 million worldwide. New episodes can be viewed, for free, on The Chosen app or the Angel Studios app.
This year, a movie that included the first two episodes of Season 3 opened at No. 3 at the box office.
“When [Jesus] healed people, when He called people, it was personal, it was unique to them,” Jenkins said. “It met them in their specific need. [That’s] sometimes easy to forget when you think of Him speaking to a group of thousands of people … [that] He was the God of the personal. He is the God of the personal. And so realizing that He has a personal relationship with me, I think has really been the thing that's most impacted me during this process.”
Photo Credit: ©official Chosen media
Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
