The Bible Said This Was Coming, But THE CHOSEN Still Left Us Speechless

Published: July 24, 2024

The Bible Said This Was Coming, But THE CHOSEN Still Left Us Speechless

By Movieguide® Contributor

Some of THE CHOSEN series’ cast members recently got together to talk about the emotional last scene of Season 4.

The last scene shows Jesus on a donkey as he and his disciples go to Jerusalem.

“The lead character of any television series riding a donkey as he’s about to face his tragic prophesized fate is not the way most shows would end its season — but there aren’t a lot of series like faith-based drama THE CHOSEN, which ended its fourth season [in June],” Variety reported June 30.

“The scene depicts the heaviness that Jesus and his followers, including his mother, feel as his death draws near. Joey Vahedi, who plays Thomas, pointed out the music tells viewers ‘you just know they’re headed towards doom,’” Church Leaders reported.

“It’s so incredibly sad to think of a mother knowing where she’s leading her son to,” said Amber Shana Williams, who plays Tamar.

Though it’s a sad scene, it’s Elizabeth Tabish’s (Mary Magdalene) favorite because the cast was all together.

Alaa Safi, who plays Simon the Zealot, said when Jesus put the bridle on the donkey, it “was a one-take thing.”

Jesus says to his followers, “The time has come. I must do the will of my Father in heaven.”

“No matter what happens this week,” he continued, “no matter what you see or feel or think or do, I want you to know that in this world I loved you as my own. And I will love you till the end.”

It was a heavy, emotional moment for everyone, but especially for Jonathon Roumie, who plays Jesus.

“Just being friends with Jonathan and knowing what he’s going to have to go through, performing this, and seeing the weight of this role on him,” said Tabish, “is just like devastating, you know?…It does take a toll on our hearts in a lot of ways, but to get to do it with wonderful people that take care of each other is everything. It’s wonderful.”

“There’s like an honor in doing it and a cost,” Noah James agreed. “You can’t forget the cost, but it is an honor to be able to bring this to life.”

In the finale, the show’s creator, Dallas Jenkins, wanted to show Jesus’ humbleness and human side.

Movieguide® reported:

“The story of Jesus is so interesting when you consider how humble he was, and how humble his kingship was,” THE CHOSEN’s creator told Variety. “They expected an earthly king. They expected him to take over and fight the Romans, and he was doing the opposite of that. We definitely wanted to contrast that [in the show’s portrayal of Jesus riding a donkey through Jerusalem].”

“Jesus shows in the gospels multiple personality traits, and while we believe He didn’t sin, we also know that He felt all the things that we feel,” Jenkins said.

“It shouldn’t be a surprise that there are other moments in His life where He’s frustrated by the lack of understanding of the people around Him,” he continued. “He’s frustrated maybe even by His own humanity sometimes.”

The show’s fifth season is almost done with filming, which has been ongoing since April 2024. There’s no release date yet, but given the show’s previous release dates, Collider estimates an early to mid-2025 release, if not sooner.