BEMA Episode Link: 250: The Chosen S1E0 — “The Shepherd”
Episode Length: 38:11
Published Date: Thu, 23 Dec 2021 01:00:00 -0800
Session 6
About this episode:

Marty Solomon and Brent Billings go back to where it all started for The Chosen, reviewing what essentially became the pilot episode. “The Shepherd” was created as a short film for Dallas’s church in 2017 and took off like a wildfire.

(No) Discussion Video for BEMA 250

The Chosen

The Chosen (TV Series) — Wikipedia

The Chosen (2017 TV Series) — IMDb

The Nativity Story (2006 film)

Transcript for BEMA 250

Notes

*Note: The following notes are handwritten by me, Adam, and I reserve the right to be wrong.

BEMA 250: The Chosen S1E0 - “The Shepherd” - Study Notes

Title & Source Summary

Episode: BEMA 250: The Chosen S1E0 - “The Shepherd” Hosts: Marty Solomon and Brent Billings Focus: The Chosen pilot episode (2017 short film based on Luke 2)

This episode provides detailed analysis of the pilot episode of The Chosen series, originally created as a 22-minute short film for Dallas Jenkins’ church in 2017. The hosts examine the historical accuracy, theological themes, and creative choices in portraying the nativity story from the perspective of shepherds, particularly focusing on a disabled shepherd named Simon who encounters the newborn Jesus.

Key Takeaways

  • The pilot episode was created with limited budget and crew compared to the full series, but contains important seeds of what The Chosen would become
  • Priests (Sadducees) would not have been reading messianic prophecies, as they only viewed Torah as inspired Scripture - this would have been Pharisees
  • The portrayal of male shepherds is historically plausible for Bethlehem, where the priesthood raised sacrificial lambs, though typically shepherding was done by children or outcasts
  • The Christmas narrative centers on marginalized people (shepherds, particularly a disabled shepherd) being the first witnesses to the Messiah
  • The general populace missed the arrival of the Messiah while outcasts saw and believed - an important Advent lesson about not missing Christ today
  • The depiction of the birth setting as the lower floor of a house (where animals were kept) aligns with one scholarly view of the historical context
  • The use of prophecy from Micah, Isaiah, and other passages as backdrop to the visual narrative effectively connects Old Testament expectations to the birth event

Main Concepts & Theories

Historical and Religious Context

Priesthood vs. Pharisees The episode’s opening text mistakenly attributes messianic prophecy reading to priests. Historically, the priesthood (Sadducees) during this period:

  • Only accepted Torah as inspired Scripture
  • Utilized Psalms for temple liturgy
  • Did not believe in or promote prophetic messianic expectations
  • Had no interest in messianic worldviews during the time of Ananias

The Pharisees, in contrast:

  • Were very interested in prophetic texts
  • Held messianic expectations
  • Were antagonistic toward the priesthood
  • Would have been reading and discussing messianic prophecies in synagogues

Messianic Expectations The hosts clarify that while there was heightened messianic longing during this period due to Roman oppression, it was not as universal as Christians often assume. The expectation was more prominent among:

  • Fringe groups
  • Those experiencing desperate oppression
  • Some Pharisaic circles

However, it was not a dominant or monolithic Jewish expectation, and Christians should avoid oversimplifying this in supersessionist ways.

Bethlehem Shepherds Male shepherds in Bethlehem are historically plausible because:

  • The priesthood (house of Ananias) raised sheep for Temple sacrifice
  • Bethlehem was less than three miles from Jerusalem
  • These sacrificial shepherds would have been more “acceptable” than typical shepherds
  • They were still considered lower class but not as marginal as child shepherds elsewhere
Birth Location

Lower Floor of a House The episode depicts Mary giving birth in what appears to be the lower floor of a house, which represents one scholarly view:

  • Not a wooden barn with golden straw (historically inaccurate)
  • Not necessarily a shepherd’s cave (though that’s possible in other contexts)
  • Likely the ground floor where animals were kept
  • This setting can be seen in ruins at Hazor

Important clarifications:

  • Mary was still isolated and pushed to the margins
  • She was not “surrounded by loving community” during birth
  • Being in the lower animal area of a house is still a setting of rejection and hardship
  • The manure-covered animal stalls would have been dirty and unpleasant
Theological Themes

The Marginalized as First Witnesses The episode emphasizes that:

  • Shepherds were social outcasts
  • A disabled shepherd (Simon) is the central character
  • These “mamzers” (outcasts/illegitimate ones) were first to see the Messiah
  • The general populace missed or didn’t believe the announcement
  • Even a Roman soldier was told (ironically, given Isaiah 9’s message about kingdom expansion)

The Danger of Missing Christ The Advent invitation presented is:

  • The Messiah came “under people’s noses” but was missed by most
  • Outcasts and unexpected people saw while the religious establishment didn’t
  • Modern believers face the same danger of missing Christ during Advent
  • The Christmas narrative calls us to pay attention to where Jesus appears
Prophecy as Narrative Framework

The episode uses several prophetic passages as voiceover and backdrop:

  • Micah - The Bethlehem prophecy (particularly relevant as they’re in Bethlehem)
  • Isaiah 35 - Read as Simon wanders with his lamb
  • Isaiah 7 - Accompanies the birth scene
  • Isaiah 9 - Plays as shepherds try to tell others (including a Roman soldier)

This technique:

  • Connects Old Testament expectations to the events
  • Provides ironic counterpoint to what’s happening visually
  • Was used effectively despite the limited budget

Examples & Applications

Character Development and Social Outcasts

Simon the Shepherd Simon represents the marginalized recipients of God’s kingdom:

  • Has a disabled/injured leg (appears to be long-term, not properly treated)
  • Is treated cruelly by other shepherds despite being one of them
  • Shows kindness to Mary and Joseph by giving them water
  • Studies Torah and asks theological questions (which are dismissed by religious leaders)
  • Brings a blemished lamb to be inspected (showing his desperate situation)
  • Is the one Joseph chooses to hold baby Jesus first
  • Receives care from Mary (bandaging his wounded arm)

This reversal shows the kingdom pattern: the last shall be first, the outcasts are welcomed, the broken are valued.

Crude Shepherds as Realistic Portrayal

The other shepherds are portrayed as:

  • Making crass jokes (about divorce, women’s appearance)
  • Joking about Pharisees being cheap
  • Excluding and mocking Simon
  • Generally unimpressive characters

This realistic portrayal:

  • Avoids romanticizing the shepherds
  • Shows that God’s kingdom comes to imperfect people
  • Demonstrates authentic transformation (the lead shepherd hugs Simon after the angel encounter)
  • Reflects the actual social reality of shepherd life
Religious Leaders’ Response

The Pharisee (or religious inspector) character demonstrates:

  • Blame-shifting: “Messiah hasn’t come because of people like you with your stains”
  • Dismissal of genuine spiritual seeking (when Simon asks questions)
  • Focus on external purity rather than hearts
  • The irony of missing the Messiah’s arrival while claiming to wait for him

This connects to Gospel themes of religious leaders missing what God is doing while claiming to serve Him.

The Birth Scene

The realistic portrayal of birth:

  • A genuinely newborn-looking baby (not a six-month-old)
  • Bloody and dirty, as appropriate
  • Dark, minimal lighting
  • Dirty, lower-level setting

This authenticity:

  • Honors the incarnation’s humility
  • Avoids sanitizing the Christmas story
  • Makes the scene more emotionally impactful
  • Breaks from traditional, romanticized nativity scenes
Spreading the News

The shepherds’ attempt to tell everyone:

  • Run through the streets excitedly
  • People don’t listen or believe them
  • Even tell a Roman soldier (ironic given the kingdom message)
  • They’re dismissed as crazy

This reflects:

  • How radical Gospel announcements sound to the status quo
  • The challenge of being a witness to what others haven’t seen
  • Social location affecting credibility
  • The pattern of God’s kingdom coming in unexpected ways

Potential Areas for Further Exploration

  1. Theological Development of Messianic Expectations: Study the various Jewish views of Messiah during the Second Temple period, including differences between Pharisees, Sadducees, Essenes, Zealots, and common people

  2. Social Status of Shepherds: Examine archaeological and textual evidence for the social position of shepherds in first-century Judea, including the distinction between Temple shepherds and common shepherds

  3. Birth Narratives in Matthew and Luke: Compare and contrast the different elements emphasized in each Gospel’s nativity account and what they reveal about authorial intent

  4. Sacrificial Lamb System: Research how the Temple system worked regarding sacrificial animals, inspection processes, and the role of Bethlehem in providing sacrificial lambs

  5. Advent and Incarnation Theology: Explore how the circumstances of Jesus’s birth (marginalized location, outcast witnesses) connect to broader theological themes of incarnation and God’s kingdom values

  6. Archaeological Evidence for First-Century Bethlehem: Investigate what archaeological discoveries reveal about daily life, housing structures, and religious practices in first-century Bethlehem

  7. Angels in Scripture and Tradition: Study biblical descriptions of angelic appearances and how they’ve been portrayed in art, literature, and film throughout church history

  8. Disability in Ancient Jewish Culture: Research attitudes toward disability and physical impairment in Second Temple Judaism and how the Gospel challenges those attitudes

  9. Prophecy Fulfillment Interpretation: Examine how the Gospel writers used Old Testament prophecies and whether first-century Jews would have connected these passages to Messiah

  10. The Hasmonean Dynasty and Priestly Politics: Study the political and religious developments from the Maccabean period through the time of Jesus to understand priestly versus Pharisaic worldviews

Comprehension Questions

  1. Why do the hosts argue that priests would not have been reading messianic prophecies in synagogues, and which Jewish group would have been doing this instead? What are the theological differences between these groups?

  2. How does the episode’s portrayal of male shepherds in Bethlehem differ from typical shepherding contexts, and why is this historically plausible for this specific location?

  3. What is significant about Simon the disabled shepherd being given the baby Jesus to hold first, and how does this scene illustrate broader themes about God’s kingdom values?

  4. What are the different scholarly views about where Jesus was born, and what are the strengths and limitations of the “lower floor of a house” interpretation shown in the episode?

  5. How does the episode illustrate the theme that outcasts saw and believed the Messiah while the general populace missed it, and what is the Advent application for modern believers?

Summary

This episode of BEMA analyzes The Chosen’s pilot film, which tells the nativity story through the eyes of shepherds, particularly Simon, a disabled shepherd who faces rejection and cruelty from both religious leaders and his peers. Despite some historical inaccuracies regarding priests versus Pharisees reading prophecies, the episode effectively portrays the marginalized nature of the first witnesses to Christ’s birth.

The hosts appreciate the realistic depiction of the birth setting, likely the lower floor of a house where animals were kept, which maintains the hardship and rejection Mary faced without romanticizing the scene. The use of Old Testament prophecy as narrative backdrop connects messianic expectations to the fulfillment happening on screen.

The central theological message emphasizes that God’s kingdom comes to outcasts and unexpected people while the general populace and religious establishment miss it. Simon’s kindness to Mary and Joseph is rewarded when he becomes the first to hold Jesus, and his wounded arm is then cared for by Mary - a beautiful reversal showing kingdom values. The crude, imperfect shepherds who encounter angels and try to tell others (but aren’t believed) illustrate the challenge of witnessing to what others haven’t seen.

The episode concludes with an Advent invitation: just as the Messiah came under people’s noses but was missed by most, modern believers must be attentive to not miss Christ during Christmas or any time of year. The Christmas narrative calls us to look for Jesus among the marginalized and unexpected places, not just in the comfortable and religious spaces we might expect.

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