The Chosen Episode Guide: Season 5, Episode 3

S5, E3

This episode continues the upper room discourse between Jesus and the disciples on Thursday night of Passover week. It may contain the greatest amount of material that is in contradiction to the Bible of any episode I have seen yet. There are a lot of problems in this episode. There are many things that are true to the biblical record, but there are a lot of errors woven in as well. I would highly recommend reading Matthew 21-23 before watching this episode.

Biblical- What We Find in Scripture

• The opening scene before the credits is a very close representation of Jesus’ instruction to the disciples in the upper room. This particular discourse is recorded in John 14.

• Jesus certainly cleansed the temple, calling it a house of prayer for all nations. However, there are some parts of this scene, following the title sequence, where Jesus confronts the religious leaders that appear to be imported from other areas of the gospels, see the first point in the “unbiblical” category. The second cleansing of the temple shown here is recorded in Mt. 21:12-16, Mk. 11:15-18, and Lk. 19:45-48.

• The Pharisees come to Jesus to ask questions, and Jesus does respond with a question about the authority of John the Baptist. This scene is elaborated on, but it is recorded in Mt. 21:23-27.

• The parable of the tenants does follow the questioning of Jesus’ authority. And the Pharisees did perceive that the parable was about them. And they did ask Jesus some questions. So in one sense these scenes are biblical. However, there are a lot of problems with this scene as well. Those are addressed in the next category as some of the depictions of this scene are contradictory to the biblical record. There are also a lot of embellishments added into the interactions with the Pharisees.

• The Pharisees, particularly one lawyer, ask Jesus what the greatest commandment is. Jesus answers. This is found in Mt. 22:34-40. There are still some problems with this scene.

• Matthew 23 records Jesus pronouncing woes on the Pharisees. The language of Jesus in this portion of the episode is very close to the words recorded in the gospel. It is abbreviated, but accurate. The portion where Jesus addresses Jerusalem and says that he wanted to gather them as a hen gathers chickens, and that they would be left desolate is recorded at the closing of Matthew 23.

• At the beginning of Matthew 24, Matthew records that as they were leaving, the disciples pointed out the temple buildings, and Jesus predicted the destruction of the temple. It was destroyed by Rome in 70AD.

• This episode closes with the disciples’ question of Jesus about his appearance and the signs of the end of the age. This is recorded in Mt. 24-25. Jesus’ answer here is taken from that dialogue in those two chapters. This is obviously taken from the biblical record, but there is a lot of confusion in this episode about the timeline of these events. It is also significantly abbreviated. They do not, however, ask Jesus if he is never going back to the temple.

Unbiblical- What Contradicts Scripture

• The second cleansing of the temple shown here is recorded in Mt. 21:12-16, Mk. 11:15-18, and Lk. 19:45-48. None of these record the request for a sign from the Pharisees. That is recorded in Jn. 2:13-22. The problem here is that this John 2 is Jesus’ first cleansing of the temple. The timeline of the chosen is in contradiction with the timeline of the Bible.

• Jesus says that he is going out to preach to a very special audience and tricks the disciples into thinking that he is going out to preach about a vineyard. He then takes only Matthew as he goes out to preach to what he describes as a “special audience.”  The parable of the talents is recorded by Matthew. However, Matthew records for us in the first 3 verses of Matthew chapter 24 that this parable was given in direct response to a question asked by the disciples. Jesus and the disciples were traveling over the Mount of Olives, and the disciples point out the beauty and glory of the temple buildings. Jesus tells them that they will be destroyed. We are then told in verse 3 that the disciples (note the plural) came to him privately and asked him a question about his return. So Matthew records 3 things…1. All the disciples were there. 2. The disciples came to Jesus privately. 3. The setting was on the Mount of Olives. In this episode, Jesus appears to be 1. Only with Matthew. 2. With a crowd of listeners. 3. Somewhere in the Temple Mount.

• Matthew records that the parables following the questioning of Jesus’ authority by the Pharisees are followed by the parable of the two sons and then the parable of the talents. Here in this episode, Jesus teaches the parable of the tenants. Additionally, Jesus does ask a question in response to the giving of the parable of the tenants, but no Pharisee is named at all. In fact, it appears in Mt. 21:40 that it is just an open question to the audience. It is also clarified in Mt. 22:15 that after the initial conversation, the Pharisees went and plotted how to trap him in his words. This episode seems to shrink the timeline of these questions and has the Pharisees ask them immediately. In Mt. 22:16, we see that after they plotted, they sent their disciples along with some Herodians. Here in this episode, they simply ask Jesus directly.

• The turning of the crowd against Jesus after his answering the question of paying taxes is not found in the Bible. In fact, we are only told that they marveled at Jesus.

• Matthew 22 records that sometime after the cleansing of the temple, the Pharisees questioned Jesus’ authority. Jesus responds by telling the parables of the two sons, of the tenants, and of the wedding feast. The parables of the two sons and the wedding feast are left out in this episode. Then the Pharisees go and plot how to trick Jesus. First, they send their disciples and some Herodians to question Jesus about paying taxes. Jesus beats them at their own game by answering in a way that people marveled and not incriminating himself to Rome. Then the Sadducees question Jesus about the resurrection of the dead; this is also left out of this episode. Then the Pharisees question Jesus about the greatest commandment. This episode conflates all of these into one interaction with the Pharisees. This is in contradiction to Matthew’s account.

Extra-biblical: What Is Made Up but Doesn’t Contradict Scripture

• In arguing about Jesus’ exact words saying he rebuild this temple, it is a fictional scene. However, there is something helpful here. The Pharisees’ tactic to capture Jesus during Passion Week was to ask questions. In Matthews gospel, chapters 21-23, Matthew chronicles that the Pharisees not only asked Jesus questions but sent others to try and ask questions that might trick Jesus into saying something that might incriminate himself. We are told in Mt. 22:15 that they plotted how to entangle him in his words. So this scene has a bunch added to it, but it is based on what we are told in Matthews gospel.

• Ramah’s family, still in pursuit of Jesus, are found in the temple talking to those who were selling lambs to be sacrificed. Ramah, and by extension her family, are not characters found in the Bible. Their involvement in this episode, like any other episode, is fictional.

• The disciples questioning of Jesus, including “Z”, who is Simon the Zealot, isn’t found in Scripture. The conversation about any other violent actions by Jesus, and Matthew’s recounting who or what Jesus “assaulted” isn’t found in the Bible.

• Caiaphas meeting with Atticus, a fictional character, and Pilate is fictional. At the end of this scene, Atticus says something like “hag pesach semeach.” I say like, because that is simply a transliteration from Hebrew to English. This phrase means something like “Happy Passover.” The continuing portion of this scene with Pilate and Atticus isn’t in the Bible either.

• Following the confrontation with the Pharisees in the temple after Jesus cleanses the temple, the disciples are found sitting around discussing how they would perceive Jesus’ actions and teaching if they were not his disciples. This scene, along with Jesus’ conversation with Matthew, is fictional.

• There is nothing recorded anywhere in Scripture to suggest that the disciples ever acted out the parables of Jesus.

• Jesus’ lengthy description of Caesar thinking that he is God when he is not, is not found in the Bible. It is true that Caesar thought he was a God, and it is true that Jesus was making a distinction between Caesar and God. However, we are not told that the crowd turned on Jesus.

• Jesus does not tell the disciples in the Bible that he was done with his public teaching, though this is true. Following this is some private instruction and teaching of Jesus to the disciples, the upper room discourse as they celebrate the Passover, and Jesus’ arrest. It is Jesus’ last public teaching before his arrest. I’m going to leave this comment here, but it is a helpful scene in seeing what the last interaction with Jesus was about and what sparked his arrest.

• Jesus is not recorded in the gospels as saying that he needed a moment alone on the Mount of Olives. We do know that it was at this time that Jesus gave what is called the “Olivet Discourse.” I have already said much about this teaching of Jesus in response to the disciples’ question about the timing of his appearance.

• The closing scene shows Jesus, alone in the Garden of Gethsemane, crying over Jerusalem. The gospels record that Jesus said these things, but he did so on his way into Jerusalem before cleansing the temple. I think that The Chosen represents this in an earlier episode, which means they are probably portraying this as an extra occurrence of that. This isn’t recorded in the Bible.

Helpful: What We Might Be Helpful To the Watcher

• Jeremiah did predict the destruction of the temple, but the helpful part in this episode is that the Pharisees, in arguing about Jesus’s words, state that Solomon’s temple was destroyed. This is true. Solomon’s temple was destroyed during the Babylonian captivity. The temple that is pictured in The Chosen is a representation of Herod the Great’s temple.

• In Jesus’ conversation with Matthew, Matthew struggles with understanding what Jesus has been teaching and doing. Jesus asks Matthew if what he seeks above all is understanding. Matthew says that what he seeks above all is Jesus, and Jesus tells Matthew that he already understands. This scene is helpful, even if fictional, on two fronts. First, it helps us to understand, as clearly demonstrated in the gospels, the difficulty of the disciples to understand what was going on that week and what Jesus was teaching. Second, it helps to understand just how hard the message of Jesus would have been for the Jews. A rabbi who called for the people to seek God by seeking him was not something that Israel had ever experienced before. Of course, Israel had also never had a rabbi who was God become man either.

Dangerous: Things That Have Been Added That Might Be Dangerous to Accept as Fact

• I believe that there is a danger inherent in every episode and for that reason I’m including this suggestion in every episode guide. The danger is assuming that the things in the episodes of the Chosen that are not in the Bible are true, part of the biblical record. In order to avoid this danger, I would encourage everyone who watches the Chosen to compare it to the biblical record. IN part, this is because most of what is in each episode of the Chosen is not found in the Bible. There is more speculation here than actual events recorded in the Bible. If you want a harmony of all of the gospels in chronological order to aid this, then I would recommend purchasing a copy of One Perfect Life by John MacArthur. It is a compilation of all of the gospel records in order of the events as best as we can understand.

Anachronisms and errors— Things that are out of place regarding the time, etc.

• This is understandable since this is not being filmed in Jerusalem, but the geography of the temple, the Mount of Olives, and the surrounding areas is not correct. You cannot see snow-peaked mountains from Jerusalem. Jerusalem is not very high in elevation, and yet, Mt. Moriah, where the temple is, is the highest peak in the area. Jerusalem is situated above all of the surrounding areas. Also, the distance from the Mount of Olives to the Temple Mount is not according to scale either. The Kidron Valley separates the Mount of Olives from the Temple Mount. All of these “mountains” and “valleys” are very small to our thinking. The Mount of Olives is much closer to the temple than is depicted here. I’m not trying to be overly critical here as there is no way for them to find a location that is exactly like Jerusalem. I’m simply trying to help you understand the scale of Jerusalem and the surrounding area.

The Chosen Episode Guide: Season 5, Episode 8

S5, E8

This final episode of Season 5 picked up right where the last one left off, with Thaddeus having flashbacks depicted in black and white. Fortunately, this episode has much more in it that is actually found in the pages of the Bible. Maybe more than any other episode I have seen, this episode is both quite accurate at parts and wildly speculative at others.

Biblical: What We Find in Scripture

• While Thaddeus’s opening flashback is entirely fictional as noted below, there is one part of this flashback that reveals something from Scripture. We know that Nazareth was not thought well of. Nathanael questions if anything good can come from Nazareth in John 1:46.

• I’m conflicted as to whether or not to put this in the biblical or unbiblical category. We know that John was reclining on Jesus at the last supper (John 13:23), again this was because they would have been seated on cushions on the floor. So there is an element of the last supper that is correct. However, some of the disciples seem to point this out as though John had placed himself there. John 13 doesn’t state this. We do know that John describes himself in that chapter as the disciple whom Jesus loved, indicating to us that of all the disciples, John was likely the closest to Jesus. But we don’t know that the disciples resented John for his seat at the last supper. There is no plot of Rome to arrest Jesus revealed in Scripture. Pilate only comes into play after the Jewish council had arrested Jesus.

• While there are some big embellishments in the Garden of Gethsemane scene, there is quite a bit in this episode that does seem to be taken right from the pages of Scripture. The visions and dreams of Jesus are not part of the gospel accounts, those exceptions are listed below. However, the portions of this scene where Jesus interacts with the disciples, and where Jesus is praying, seem to reflect the biblical record accurately. Mt. 26:36ff; Mk. 14:32ff; Lk. 22:39ff.

• Malchus was the servant of Caiaphas, the high priest (John 18:10), and it was prearranged that Judas would kiss Jesus, the one to be arrested (Matthew 26:48).

Unbiblical: What Contradicts Scripture

• None

Extra-biblical: What Is Made Up but Doesn’t Contradict Scripture

• The opening scene with Jesus and Thaddeus, which is a flashback of Thaddeus’, like all the rest of these flashbacks, is not found in Scripture. We really don’t know anything about the calling of Thaddeus as a disciple. One thing I find a little perplexing about this opening vision is that Jesus makes a very impassioned plea to Thaddeus to follow him. Again, we know nothing about the calling of Thaddeus and some of the other disciples, but the callings that we do know about didn’t go this way. Jesus simply called people to follow him. Jesus did tell Nathanael he saw him under the tree, and he called some to be fishers of men. But whenever and however Jesus called people, it seems like they were eager to follow.

• As noted in previous episodes, very little is known of Mark in the gospels. Any thought that the upper room was in Mark’s home is speculative.

• The scene with Pilate and Atticus is fictional. Atticus is not a character that appears in Scripture at all. Pilate doesn’t appear in the accounts of Passion Week until Jesus is sent to him on trial.

• While we know that the Sanhedrin was plotting to arrest Jesus, none of the conversations that took place among the Sanhedrin are recorded in Scripture.

• We have nothing in the biblical record that tells us Jesus encountered a father and son in the garden chopping wood. This portion of the scene is fictional. Of course, this is a flashback to Abraham and Isaac, which certainly points forward to Jesus. But this vision is added; it is not in the biblical accounts.

• The scene in Ezekiel’s valley of dry bones is not mentioned in the garden account either. There are a lot of liberties taken in that portion of the scene. We do know that Ezekiel was given a vision of the valley of dry bones, and that God asked him if those bones could live. While it may have been the pre-incarnate Jesus who asked this, we are not told in Scripture. Neither is there any record that whichever member of the Trinity asked this of Ezekiel cried upon Ezekiel’s shoulder. In the account of Ezekiel’s vision, God told Ezekiel to prophecy over the bones so that they would come to life. The point of Ezekiel’s vision is that the Word of God can give life to dead souls. Now, certainly, it is the living Word, Jesus, who gives life to the dead, and I think this is what the writers of the chosen were trying to portray. But there is a lot of artistic license taken with the valley of dry bones here.

• The vision of Joseph, the father of Jesus, is not found in the Bible either.

• Once again, Ramah’s family, an entirely fictional set of characters, plays a prominent role in this episode as they are involved in the arrest of Jesus.

Helpful: What We Might Be Helpful To the Watcher

• While Nicodemus would have almost certainly been involved in any meeting of the Sanhedrin, and therefore his bursting into the meeting is likely put in this episode for drama, he does ask a helpful question. Nicodemus asks a question about “this unlawful assembly.” While Scripture does not forbid trials by night, the Mishnah, a Jewish book of laws, did.

• I think the perplexity of the disciples as the Romans come to arrest Jesus is helpful to see. This must have been a wildly confusing scene for them. More of the details of this are likely to come in the next season.

Dangerous: Things That Have Been Added That Might Be Dangerous to Accept as Fact

• None

Anachronisms and Errors: Things that are out of place regarding the time, etc.

• This is probably going to continue to be said in each of the episodes in this season, but the Last Supper would have been at a table that was low to the ground with Jesus and the disciples seated on cushions on the floor and not on stools.

The Chosen Episode Guide: Season 5, Episode 7

S5, E7

We don’t often put anything in the “Dangerous” category of these posts, but we find ourselves in the position of wrestling with that in this episode…

Biblical: What We Find in Scripture

• Peter’s response to Jesus washing his feet, along with the request to be bathed entirely, is accurate. Jesus did tell them that he was setting an example for them and that they were not to lead like the Gentiles who lord authority over their people. Some of the dialogue is paraphrased.

Unbiblical: What Contradicts Scripture

• The disciples’ fear of the Roman soldiers is a bit confusing to me. The Jewish leaders clearly had a plot to kill Jesus and were seeking an occasion to arrest him, but there isn’t really any indication in the gospel that they were seeking to arrest Jesus at all, let alone publicly. Yes, they played a crucial role in his arrest and trials, but it would have been the Jews who were seeking an opportunity to arrest him. We also know that they were afraid of the people who were in support of Jesus, so they were not seeking publicly to arrest him. The plot to arrest Jesus, which included Judas, would have most likely been kept private until the actual arrest in the garden of Gethsemane was conducted.

Extra-biblical: What Is Made Up but Doesn’t Contradict Scripture

• The dialogue in the opening scene about serving both “friends and enemies” and “even tonight” is not in the account of Jesus washing the disciples’ feet in John 13. Jesus did say that one would “lift his heel against me”, but Jesus didn’t use the word “enemies.”

• We are introduced to Mark in this episode as he is preparing the upper room according to his dream. I am assuming that this is the author of the gospel of Mark since Mark, the gospel writer, was not one of the disciples. In all of the Passover accounts (Mt. 26, Mk. 14, Lk. 22), Jesus gives directions to the disciples regarding preparations for Passover. Matthew and Mark record that the disciples asked Jesus about preparation for Passover, and John adds that Jesus also told them to go. In Mark, we find that they are told that they will find someone carrying a jar of water, that they should follow him and ask about a room for the Passover, and that this man carrying the jar would show them a furnished and prepared room. Then Jesus tells them that they should prepare the Passover there. Clearly this scene from the chosen is drawn off of Scripture. However, it is speculation to think that the man carrying the jar is Mark. Is it possible that it was? Yes. Do we know that it was? No. We also are given no indication whatsoever in Scripture that Mark had any dreams about preparing the Passover, if he was even the person carrying the jar of water. There is a lot of speculation here. Any part of this episode that has Mark or his family being connected to the owner of the home with the upper room is speculation.

• Additionally, we know, as discussed in previous posts, that Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Susanna provided for Jesus out of their resources. We don’t have any knowledge from Scripture that Jesus and the disciples were staying in the house of someone named Phoebe. That name does not occur in the gospels and there is no indication that the Phoebe in Romans 16 had any dealings with anything in the gospels. Therefore, we also have no indication in Scripture that they were staying in a gentiles home.

• Judas’ sister and her interactions with Judas aren’t found in the Bible.

• The graffiti as the reason for choosing the house is fictional. Jesus only told the disciples to find a man carrying a water jar.

• We are told nothing in the gospels about what preparations were made for the Passover by the disciples, nor are we told about any conversations they may have had while making those preparations.

• Simon the Zealot’s flashback is not found in Scripture. The zealots were a political “party” that probably held some extreme views, hence the name zealot. But we know nothing from the Scriptures about who the zealots were, what they believed, nor what role “Simon Z” played in the Zealots.

• Similarly, Nathaniel’s flashback, depicted in black and white, is also not derived from the biblical record.

• Once again, the flashback of Philip and Andrew with John the Baptist isn’t from the Bible.

• The same is true for Thomas’ flashback.

• …and the same for Matthew’s.

• Also, little James’ flashback. James’ flashback includes Jesus, an encounter which is entirely fictional.

Helpful: What We Might Be Helpful To the Watcher

• In the opening scene with the upper room, the disciples say that the owner of the house was going to send someone to wash feet. This is an accurate historical depiction of this custom. Their feet would have been very dirty from walking in the streets with animals and dust. The job was considered beneath a Jew, as even Jewish slaves would not wash feet. We know that Peter declined having his feet washed, but all of the disciples would have been perplexed at this. Additionally, it is helpful to see that Jesus washed even the feet of his betrayer. John 13:1-20

• The issue of leaven in a house would have been taken quite seriously. This helps us with the historical context. Leaven is often a symbol for sin in the Bible; we might consider how seriously we seek to clean the leaven out of our lives…

Dangerous: Things That Have Been Added That Might Be Dangerous to Accept as Fact

• James and Peter’s conversation with Jesus about being followed by Ramah’s family working with the Romans isn’t in the Bible. Ramah, and her family, are entirely fictional. I have put these events in this category because of previous events with Ramah. I have not yet blogged on Season 4 at the time of the writing of this post; however, we know that when Ramah is killed in a commotion, Jesus does not heal her here. The way the episode ended with Ramah’s death felt like emotional manipulation. In part, I feel this way because there is no record anywhere in the Bible of Jesus refusing to heal someone who wanted to be healed or whose companions wanted them healed. There are some spots in Scripture where Jesus doesn’t perform miracles because the people lacked faith, but this is hardly the case with Ramah, who is the supposed fiancé of one of the disciples. Jesus never refused anyone healing in the biblical record, and for this reason, I believe it is safe to assume that Jesus never refused to heal anyone who requested healing from him.

Anachronisms and Errors: Things that are out of place regarding the time, etc.

• We are told in John 13:1-20 that Jesus took off his outer garments, plural. This means that he would likely have been wearing what amounted to nothing more than a loincloth. In this episode, Jesus is still wearing a tunic as he washes the disciples’ feet. While this could be considered unbiblical, it is not a major issue, and so I have chosen to consider it as an error.

• As stated in previous episodes, the table and candles are not according to what would have been. The scene looks like it may be drawn off of ideas like Leonardo’s Last Supper painting, which is what we know of how people would have reclined at a table.

• Again, this is a little silly, but clear glass, as shown in the upper room during the daytime, did not exist at that time in history. Romans did use glass as early as the 1st century CE, but it was not clear. This glass was translucent at best.

The Chosen Episode Guide: Season 5, Episode 6

Once again we have moved back into the realm of that which is largely fiction…with a few helpful bits along the way. Enjoy!

Biblical: What We Find in Scripture

• The opening scene of the disciples and Jesus participating in the last supper is almost entirely taken from Scripture. Of course, the Chosen has harmonized the gospel accounts in Matthew 26, Mark 14, and Luke 22. This scene also draws upon 1 Corinthians 11 where Paul gives instruction to the church that he had received directly from the Lord.

• John the Baptist was executed by one of the Herods, but we have no record in the Bible of Nicodemus caring at all about that.

Unbiblical: What Contradicts Scripture

• Nothing

Extra-biblical: What Is Made Up but Doesn’t Contradict Scripture

• We continue to see a great deal of speculation and imagination around Nicodemus. All of the opening scenes of Nicodemus and, what I imagine to be the Sanhedrin (the Jewish ruling council), are fictional. This opening scene with Mary Magdalene and others is fictional and not part of the biblical record.

• While we know that Judas made an agreement for 30 pieces of silver with the religious leaders, we have no record in Scripture of what that interaction looked like. We do not know that Judas believed or not that Jesus was the Messiah. We do not know that Judas made the arrangement to test Jesus to see if Jesus was the Messiah. All we know is that the arrangement was made.

• The scene with Judas and Caiaphas is followed by a scene with Atticus and Kafni. These two characters are extra-biblical. As such, nothing that these characters do or say comes from the pages of Scripture.

• There is no biblical record showing that Caiaphas and Pontius Pilate had conspired to bring an end to Jesus. We are told that Jesus was sent to Pilate after he was tried by the Jews, but no record of conspiracy, nor any “arrangement.”

• Atticus remains a fictional character, and so his interaction with Simon the Zealot is fictional. We also have no record that Simon the Zealot and Barabbas knew each other. Simply because Simon was part of the political party that called itself the zealots, does not mean Simon was a murderous insurrectionist as well.

• Yussif, an entirely fictional character, and his conversation with Nicodemus is fiction.

Helpful: What We Might Be Helpful To the Watcher

• Nicodemus, as previously noted, is one of the people who seeks to care for Jesus’ body after his death. While there is no biblical record of him hearing of the plot to kill Jesus in this way, nor of meeting with Mary Magdalene, Nicodemus does appear to have become a follower of Scripture. John 19:39ff

• While Nicodemus’ statement that Mary Magdalene’s healing is as convincing of who Jesus is as the prophecies is not biblical, it is most certainly helpful. Over and over again, maybe especially in the book of John, he points to the Scripture and his miracles as evidence of who he is. That statement from Nicodemus did a good job of capturing this.

• It is doubtlessly true that the religious leaders of the day believed they were doing God a service by removing Jesus from the life of the Jewish people.  They were simply doing what they believed to be best.

Dangerous: Things That Have Been Added That Might Be Dangerous to Accept as Fact

• Nothing

Anachronisms and Errors: Things that are out of place regarding the time, etc.

• This is picky, but while the opening scene in the upper room is largely accurate as mentioned above, there are some inconsistencies. Wax candles would not likely have been present. Small lamps with wicks that burned olive oil would have been on the tables. Additionally, the disciples and Jesus would not have been seated on chairs. They would have been seated on the floor and reclined against each other.

• Using boiling water for the purposes of sanitation is very unlikely to have been something that the people understood at that time.

The Chosen Episode Guide: Season 5, Episode 5

S5, E5

Several of the episodes that we have seen recently have been mostly filled with stories drawn directly from Scripture. This episode is one where most of the content is made up and not found in the biblical record.

Biblical: What We Find in Scripture

• A dispute did arise among the disciples during Jesus’ last supper with them. Jesus then tells the disciples that they will be given a kingdom in which they will reign. Luke 22:24-30

• The lesson of the fig tree is recorded in Mark 11:20-26. While the lesson is biblical, it is clearly elaborated upon. It is also not very clear in this episode that the last supper before the credits takes place after the events recorded after the opening credits. The lesson of the fig tree most likely took place on Monday or Tuesday of that week.

• Jesus does predict his death to his disciples in John 12:30-36, but the disciples’ conversation is not recorded in the Bible.

Unbiblical: What Contradicts Scripture

• The opening discussion of the disciples during the last supper in the upper room does not line up with Scripture. It is during the Passover meal that Jesus predicts his betrayal before all of the disciples and it is also during the Passover meal that Judas slips out and leaves. The disciples do ask Jesus who the betrayer is, but Jesus answers their question and identifies Judas as his betrayer. It is as this point that Judas leaves the upper room. John 13:21-30;

• Additionally, during the aforementioned conversation, Andrew states that the betrayer must not be Peter because Peter is “the foundation of Jesus’ church.” This is most likely drawn from Matthew 16 when Jesus changes Simon’s name to Peter. It is unlikely that Jesus is calling Peter (Petros in Greek) the rock (Petra) upon which the church will be built. The foundation of the church is Jesus, a view that Peter himself confirms when he calls Jesus the cornerstone. It is unlikely that Peter understood himself to be the church’s foundation when he calls Jesus the cornerstone of the church. 1 Cor. 3:10-11; Acts 4:11; Eph. 2:20; 1 Pet. 2:6-7.

• Surely the disciples were confused and bewildered by the prediction of Jesus’ death, but their conversation in this episode is not recorded in any of the gospels.

• The conversation between Shmuel (Samuel) and Caiaphas is not in the biblical record.

Extra-biblical: What Is Made Up but Doesn’t Contradict Scripture

• The conversation of the rabbis about the effects of Jesus driving people out of the temple is fictional. Ananus, son of Annas, is not a biblical character. History does record someone named Ananus in first-century Palestine after the death of Jesus, but this is entirely fictional.

• The scene with Pilate in his wife is wildly elaborated upon. In Matthew 27:19, it is recorded that Pilate’s wife desired for Jesus to be let go because she was being tormented in a dream. Any details other than that she was being tormented are not found in the pages of the Bible.

• The scene with Atticus and Pilate is not found in the pages of the Bible.

• Atticus is again seen later walking through the streets with some Roman soldiers. This too must be fictional as Atticus is not a biblical character.

• Mary Magdalene’s being blindfolded and taken away to the home of Nicodemus isn’t in the Bible, but I would guess that this is leading up to the fact that Nicodemus was among those who dealt with Jesus’ body after his crucifixion. John 19:39

Helpful: What We Might Be Helpful To the Watcher

• The conversation of Ananus, Caiaphas, and the Rabbis is helpful in understanding the illegality of the arrest of Jesus. The arrest and trials of Jesus at night were against the law.

• The Pharisees, along with the high priest, were clearly planning to arrest and execute Jesus. While much of the plot to arrest Jesus is made up, it is helpful to see that they were plotting the arrest of Jesus. It is also helpful in understanding that they probably felt constrained by time with the upcoming Passover and the fact that there could not be executions during that festival.

Dangerous: Things That Have Been Added That Might Be Dangerous to Accept as Fact

• Nothing

Anachronisms and Errors: Things that are out of place regarding the time, etc.

• Nothing

The Chosen Episode Guide: Season 5, Episode 4

S5, E4

The upper room scene in the previous episodes was clearly an attempt to harmonize the four gospel records. Since it is quite difficult to be certain of how those perfectly harmonize, I will not be focusing on too much of the order of events. I will, however, be seeking to identify what is in the biblical accounts and what is not.

Biblical- What We Find in Scripture

• Jesus did tell Judas to go and do what he was going to do quickly. Judas also left during the meal. ( Jn. 13:27-30)

• Jesus did predict his death, telling the disciples that he would not be with them longer. And he did give them the new commandment to love one another. ( Jn. 13:31-35)

• While the meeting of the Sanhedrin is fiction, the resurrection of Lazarus was a large part of why the religious leaders were seeking to kill Jesus. John also records that the Chief Priests sought to kill Lazarus. ( Jn. 12:10-11)

• Jesus did curse the fig tree. ( Mt. 21:18-19; Mk. 11:12-14.) This would have happened, as I understand the timeline of Passion Week, on Tuesday morning. Some people think that Jesus entered into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, others on Palm Monday. The former believe that there are no recorded events of Jesus on Wednesday of that week. The latter don’t have to account for a missing day. I am of the latter persuasion.

Unbiblical- What Contradicts Scripture

• I think the portrayal of the fig tree is quite inaccurate. Yes, Jesus cursed a fig tree. But he did so at a time when figs were not in season. I don’t think Jesus would have actually expected figs. I think he was using the fig tree to illustrate his coming judgment upon Jerusalem.

Extra-biblical: What Is Made Up but Doesn’t Contradict Scripture

• We do not know what the traditions of the Jews were regarding Passover meal, also called a Seder. We do not know if the current traditions were used at that time, or if they were not.

• We’re not really given any indication that Jesus whispered to any of the disciples about who would betray him. Yes, Jesus predicted his betrayal, and the disciples did ask who it was. But Jesus announced that the one who had dipped his hand with Jesus would be his betrayer. Here Jesus dips bitter herbs with charoset and hands it to Judas. I’m inclined to put this discrepancy in the unbiblical category, but I think this might be the type of pickiness that I said I would avoid.

• Mary Magdalene’s interaction with the Pharisees in the city is not found in Scripture.

• Peter and Judas’ conversation about what Jesus could have done by making swords appear in people’s hands to defend Jesus.

• Caiaphas’ conversation with the fictional character Rabbi Gedera is not found anywhere in Scripture.

• Jesus’ conversation with John about Jephthah and the painting on the wall.

• No conversation of the Sanhedrin is recorded in Scripture. Small details of Jesus’ trial before the council, his third trial, are the only record of anything in Scripture that took place in a meeting of the council. Therefore, the delay of allowing Caiaphas to enter into the temple is also speculation.

• Ananus, the son of Annas, is not a biblical character. It is true that the high priest had been Annas, and that Caiaphas was his son-in-law. But this whole scene has been added to the biblical story.

• Jesus’ conversation in the courtyard of the home where they are staying.

• The women’s conversation about leaving Jerusalem for a couple of days.

• There is no biblical record of Jesus sharing a meal in Bethany with only the women who followed him.

• Eden and Tamar are fictitious characters. We do know that Peter was married, and we know that Jesus healed Peter’s mother-in-law, but she is never named in Scripture.

• While Joanna did provide for the ministry of Jesus, there is still no biblical record of this meal with the women, nor of Jesus asking them to keep their distance from him during Passion Week.

Helpful: What We Might Be Helpful To the Watcher

• While the interactions with the Pharisees are fictional, they reveal what was no doubt going on during Passion Week. Jesus’ teachings, healings, driving people out of the temple, etc., were upsetting the religious leaders. They were forming a plot to kill him. Mt. 26:3-5; Mk. 14:1-2; Lk. 22:1-2

• In Caiaphas’ conversation with Rabbi Gedera, Caiaphas indicates that Pilate is close to losing his job. This is true. Pilate was placed at the post he had in the Bible because Caesar was unhappy with him.

• Though the conversation about the painting on the wall with John is fiction, the scene does show an affection between Jesus and John that is indicated by Scripture. 5 times John refers to himself as “the disciple whom Jesus loved.” John is also resting on Jesus when they reclined at the table for the Last Supper. Clearly they were the closest of all of the disciples. Jn. 13:23, 19:26, 20:2, 21:7, 21:20

• While many of the events in this episode are fictional, they are helpful in getting a sense of how that week may have felt to his followers. Confusion, unrest, change…it must have been a hard week for his followers to understand.

Dangerous: Things That Have Been Added That Might Be Dangerous to Accept as Fact

• Nothing

Anachronisms and Errors: Things that are out of place regarding the time, etc.

• Jesus and the disciples would not have been seated on chairs for the last supper. They would have been on cushions on the floor. This is why John records that he was reclining on Jesus at the table. It was very common to lay on one another for comfort, especially at a long meal like this one.

• Bethany would have been a relatively short walk (2 miles) up and over a short hill (the Mt. of Olives). The fig tree would have likely been in view of the city of Jerusalem, which because of the geography there, would have been quite close. The cursing of the fig tree was used to illustrate the impending judgment coming upon Israel. Additionally, there would have been no snow-capped mountains in view anywhere from Jerusalem.

The Chosen Episode Guide: Season 5, Episode 2

S5, E2

The first two episodes of season 5 have been refreshing in that it contains more actual events that I have seen in past episodes. There are still concerning elements, but some helpful things as well.

Biblical- What We Find in Scripture

• The instruction of Jesus in the upper room, to the disciples, to go out and preach the gospel, taking along a sword. Certainly there is some paraphrasing here, but this is biblically correct. (Luke 22:36)

• Jesus instruction that the sheep would be scattered, Peter’s statement that he will never fall, Jesus statement that Satan requested to sift Peter like wheat, Jesus prediction of Peter’s denial. (Luke 22:31; John 13:36-38)

• Caiaphas did prophecy that one man would die for the whole nation. The events of that prophecy are not recorded, only that it happened is recorded. Herod Antipas did execute John the Baptizer, he did think that Jesus might be John reincarnated somehow, but the conversation between Caiaphas and Herod is not recorded in Scripture. (John 18:4)

• Jesus did fashion a whip and drive out the money changers. This was not the first time that Jesus did this. He had driven out the money changers before. This might be one reason why the events of passion week were so much more upsetting this time than the last. There is no indication, however, that the disciples were not already with him when this happened. Jesus also did stop, open the cages of the birds, and let them go. This is somewhat represented in this episode. It is an indication that Jesus was not out of control as he turned over the tables and drove out the animals. Jesus interaction with the woman who he would not allow to carry anything through the temple is fictional, but Mark does record that Jesus would not allow people to carry anything through the temple, so that type of interaction could be considered to be true. (Matthew 21:12-13; Mark 11:15-19; Luke 19:45-48)

• Pilate would have had a palace overlooking the temple.

• The Jews refusal to enter Pilate’s house in order to keep from being defiled, which means ceremonially unclean, is recorded in John 18:28.

Unbiblical- What Contradicts Scripture

• I think there is reason to believe that Jesus attitude toward the people, even the Pharisees, was one of compassion. I think the context of this exchange indicates that Jesus was sad over all of Israels rejection of him. He seems to be more hostile and out of control in this episode that the gospels might permit us to believe.

Extra-biblical: What Is Made Up but Doesn’t Contradict Scripture

• The character Ramah is fictional.

• Thomas background is entirely fictional. It seems they present him as having been an orphan. Scripture teaches us nothing about his background other than that he was called “Didymus” which means twin.

• At points Gentiles come seeking Jesus, even from the Decapolis. The Gentiles that come here seeking to understand the Passover, is not recorded in Scripture. This scene is helpful because there was a need to change money from foreign to Jewish, however that was only for the temple tax. Sacrifices would likely have been able to be purchased with foreign currency.

• While James and John are recorded to be the son of Zebedee, at no point does Zebedee appear as a character in the Scriptures.

• Caiaphas conversation with Herod Antipater is fictitious.

• There is no record of anything being set fire in the temple when Jesus turned over tables and drove out money changers.

Helpful: What We Might Be Helpful To the Watcher

• The need to change foreign currency for Hebrew currency is accurate, but only for the temple tax. While the exact exchange rates aren’t recorded in Scripture, the money changers were taking advantage of foreigners who came for the Passover.

• The use of incense to cover up the stench of blood is helpful. What must be understood here is the seriousness of death.

• Gentiles were limited to the court of Gentiles. They would not have been allowed to enter the temple proper. Inside that would have been been the court of women. Only Jewish men could have gone into the inner portions of the temple.

• Though  we have no record of John being ceremonially unclean in the gospels, that scene does show accurately some of the things that would make someone unclean.

• Malchus telling John that Caiaphas was worried about a certain rabbi is not found in Scripture.

Dangerous: Things That Have Been Added That Might Be Dangerous to Accept as Fact

• This goes back to last season, and the death of Ramah, but there is so much of the storyline connected to that character. The character Ramah is completely fictional, and I believe in some ways problematic. There is record of Jesus leaving areas that rejected him, but there is no record of Jesus refusing to heal anyone who asked him for healing. To have an entirely fictional character carry so much emotional weight in this series isn’t helpful. To have her death be such a cliffhanger in season 4 feels like spiritual manipulation to me. When the extra-biblical elements outweigh the true events, there is danger in focusing on the wrong things.

Anachronisms and errors- Things that are out of place regarding the time, etc.

• It seem highly unlikely that Peter would need someone to coach him in preaching. Both in the gospels and in Acts, Peter seems to be the spokesman of the disciples. In the Gospels, he is curious and constantly asking questions. He certainly didn’t seem to understand things before the resurrection, but he appears to be an able communicator from the start.

• Somewhere in this episode was the statement that trials were forbidden during passover. I don’t think there is any biblical precedence for that. This may be drawn on historical tradition, but I don’t know. The Mishnah forbids capital trials at night, but it is unknown as to whether or not this rule existed at the time of Jesus death.

Where did Jesus say, no greater love than to lay down one’s life for his friends??

Trial cannot be held during Passover???? Trails could not be held at night, but I am unsure about a law saying that they couldn’t be held during Passover.

Plot to kill Lazarus????

Did Jesus call the Pharisees a brood of vipers in this exchange?

The Chosen Episode Guide: Season 5, Episode 1

S5, E1

Even thought I’m just starting to blog my way through this series, I want to include the most recent episodes for Season 5, which is in theaters now. Here is episode 1.

Biblical- What We Find in Scripture

• Jesus instruction to his disciples at the last supper in the upper room is a pretty good summary of John’s record of these events. I’m not saying that all of Jesus words in this episode were taken directly from Scripture, but it is a close representation. For the Chosen, it seems like much of the upper room discourse is taken from John’s Gospel, which is by far the most detailed account of the last supper and the upper room discourse. (Matthew 26; Mark 14; Luke 22; John 13-17)

• Waving palm branches would have been a celebration for a conquering king, laying down their cloaks in the road would have been an act of submission to a king.

• The religious leaders did send spies to watch what Jesus was doing. (Luke 20:20)

Unbiblical- What Contradicts Scripture

• Jesus prayer while the disciples are singing is actually a portion of his prayer in the garden after the last supper. His words here are a very small part of that prayer, but he prayed them from the Garden of Gethsemane, not the upper room. Jesus did talk about glory in the upper room in John 13, but not as a prayer. While the prayer is actually a small portion of Jesus’ prayer in John 17, I’m putting it in this category because it happened in the garden of Gethsemane and not in the upper room.

• Jesus weeping over Jerusalem and announcement of its destruction happened when he was entering Jerusalem with the disciples, not when he was wandering the city by night. There is no record of Jesus wandering about the city at night during passion week. (Luke 19:41-44)

• As Jesus was teaching in the temple there was lightning that some people thought may have been a voice from heaven. The Bible explicitly teaches that there was a voice that came from heaven, and that some people thought it was thunder. This is exactly the opposite of the way it is depicted in the Chosen. (John 12:28-29)

Extra-biblical: What Is Made Up but Doesn’t Contradict Scripture

• The request of Jesus to Andrew to have him lead a song during the last supper. They may well have sung but we have no record of that.

• The request of some of the Pharisees that Jesus turn around and not come into Jerusalem for the triumphal entry is not found in Scripture.

• The disciples conversation about bing fishers of men in the temple and the taking of the women to the court of women. Neither of these are recorded in Scripture.

• Pilate’s conversation with Caiaphas and others the praetorian.

• While shellfish and pork are not kosher, there is no indication in Scripture that Pilate ate these things to offend.

• There is no indication that Pilate cared for the high priests robes.

• Lightning in the temple as an indication that there would be rain.

• Mary Magdalene’s conversation with John about their concern for Jesus and his teaching.

• The command of Jesus for the disciples to go out and teach during passion week isn’t found in Scripture. It is also unlikely to be true as Jesus seems to be focused primarily on preparing his disciples for his departure. There are quite a few conversations between the disciples, some including the women who followed, about what Jesus was doing and talking about. While there may have been curiosity, we are not given any indication of these conversations in Scripture.

• The “family” of people coming into Jerusalem chanting about fire and sulfur is a not found in scripture. Also their conversation about the death of John the Baptist.

• Jesus’ wandering the streets of Jerusalem and coming upon a wedding celebration. It is called a betrothal in the episode, the Jews would have thought of is as a Wedding. The whole scene, including his recognition as the Messiah and his blessing of the couple, is fictional.

• Jesus requests one of the disciples to take someone back to Bethany. I did not catch the name of this person, and watching this in the theater means I cannot rewind, but this appeared to be something that was added.

• No where in the Bible are we told that Joanna provided a house for Jesus during the final week of his life. We are told in Luke 8:3 that Joanna, the wife of Chuza, provided for Jesus and the disciples, so that much is true. I have decided to put this in the this category because it is speculative that she provided any kind of lodging that week. We do know that she was one of the people who was in the garden to find the tomb empty, so she was likely still around and likely still helping to provide, we just don’t know what she provided, if anything, that week.

Helpful: What We Might Be Helpful To the Watcher

• Jesus entrance into Jerusalem on a donkey was a presentation of himself as the messiah.

• While the Bible doesn’t tell us that Jesus stopped to consider what was happening as he entered the temple, it is likely that the reality of his impending death weighed heavily on him. We are shown that it did weigh on him by his sweating blood in the Garden on Thursday night of passion week after the last supper.

• The impressive nature of Herod’s temple is captured here. I don’t know if it is to scale, it seems a little large to me, having been there, but I am unsure.

• Pilate’s concern for a rebellion is historically accurate, though not recorded in Scripture. He was assigned to govern that area likely as a punishment for other insurrections that happened under his authority.

• While not drawn directly from quotes of Scripture, the disciples did fail to understand that Jesus had been predicting his death.

• The vast majority of people, including the Pharisees, didn’t have a problem with Jesus stating that he was the Messiah. It is his claim to be God that upset the religious rulers so much. In this episode, many of the people in Jerusalem are shown as being favorable to Jesus as the Messiah early on in the week. This is clearly accurate from the biblical accounts. I did not put this in the biblical category because most of the scenes where Jesus is being accepted by the people are fictional, which lands them in the helpful category but not the biblical category.

• Jesus must have had concern for the money changers and merchants in the temple before he turned over the tables because he must have fashioned the whip ahead of time.

Dangerous: Things That Have Been Added That Might Be Dangerous to Accept as Fact

• Nothing

Anachronisms and errors- Things that are out of place regarding the time, etc.

• Jesus and the disciples are sitting on chairs in the upper room. The table would have been closer to the floor, the disciples lying on their sides. This is why John tells us that he was lying on Jesus breast in the upper room. (John 13:23-25)

• The crowd that welcomed Jesus into Jerusalem that day would have likely been much larger than represented in this episode.

• The donkey that Jesus is riding in on does not appear to be a foal that would have been with its mother upon which nobody has sat on. This donkey appears to be older. (Matthew 21:1-5)

• This might seem silly, but the tall snow peaked mountains in the background are not part of the geography of Jerusalem. Jerusalem is situated atop Mt. Moriah with the Mount of olives to the East and Mt. Zion to the South. You have to go much further North to find that king of mountain.