"The Chosen": A Timely Series for Gen Z, A Generation Under Spiritual Attack
Are you hopeful for the next generation and their faith in Christ?
The Psalmist wrote, “So even to old age and gray hairs, O God, do not forsake me, until I proclaim your might to another generation, your power to all those to come” (Psalm 71:18, ESV).
Every generation feels the burning desire to ensure that the upcoming generation is equipped for the spiritual battle through a saving relationship with Jesus and knowledge of His Word.
The conversation now is around Gen Z. These are people born between 1999 and 2015, which includes many of today’s teens.
In October, Christianity Today wrote about this group of young people and had some hopeful news. “Half of teenagers around the world say that Jesus is loving, trustworthy, and wise.”
“The rumors of Christianity’s demise among younger people are greatly exaggerated,” said David Kinnaman, CEO of Barna Group. “That’s, I think, a really important story.”
Barna’s latest study, according to CT, has shown that 65 percent of teenagers identify as Christians. The majority of these had positive things to say about Jesus.
That may be, in part, to the rise of the popular TV series, “The Chosen.”
The Christian Post interviewed the cast and crew who were eager to discuss the faith of these young people. Jordan Walker Ross, who plays the role of Little James, had this to say:
“I think one great thing about Gen Z is they’re open to having these difficult conversations and asking the tough questions, and ‘The Chosen’ is the same.”
In July, the creators gathered nine strangers who didn’t identify with any particular faith and recorded their reactions as they binge-watched the series. They posted Gen Z’s reaction to YouTube.
“With Gen Z, I see one of the most amazing generations that ever walked the face of the Earth. They just need to identify, they need to know where they identify. And my heart is that they are able to see that what they’re craving is something authentic, something true, and very disruptive. And that’s what Jesus taught,” said Derral Eves, co-founder of “The Chosen.”
While Gen Z faces unprecedented social challenges and global spiritual warfare, many are looking to them as a Generation of Hope. The Barna study found that around 60 percent want to know more about Jesus and the same percentage trust the Bible.
That’s an ideal combination for viewers encountering the unique and engaging series that is “The Chosen,” based on the life of Jesus, communicated in biblical and authentic storytelling.
Eves concludes, “I think we’re on the verge of seeing a revolution, where people are going to come behind Jesus like we’ve never seen before. And it’s that generation, Gen Z, that is going to make that happen … they know how to assemble, they know how to communicate, they know how to share, and the world really needs to know the Gospel of what Jesus actually taught because in the world we’re living in right now, there’s a lot of issues.”
Can he get an Amen?
