The Chosen Season 6 Episode 1: Recap, Review, & Analysis
Episode 1 of The Chosen Season 6 (“Dawning”) picks up in the dark hours of Holy Week with Jesus' arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:47-56, Mark 14:43-52, Luke 22:47-53, John 18:1-12). The episode follows the biblical account closely, but adds a supernatural dimension, pulling back the veil to show us the angels standing ready to defend Jesus. Meanwhile, we see the outcome of Nicodemus’ surprise appearance at the late-night meeting of the Sanhedrin, and the scattered disciples regrouping at Lazarus' house. Below I'll offer an in-depth recap of the plot (SPOILER WARNING) and then review The Chosen Season 6 Episode 1 and analyze its key themes.
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What Happened in The Chosen Season 6 Episode 1? (Plot Summary)
Nicodemus & the Sanhedrin in The Chosen Season 6 Episode 1
The episode opens late at night in the Sanhedrin, where Caiaphas has convened an assembly to deal with Jesus. With no one left to oppose them, the members assume the matter is all but finished – until Nicodemus arrives.
After Caiaphas sarcastically welcomes him back, Nicodemus pointedly questions whether the assembly is lawful, reminding the council that for generations the Sanhedrin has been so fair and principled that it has earned the forbearance of even their Roman captors. By convening at night, just before a sacred holiday, in a city pulsing with fervor, they risk maiming that reputation. When accused of sympathizing with the Galilean, Nicodemus insists he's defending the Sanhedrin from violating the Torah, which states clearly that no man is to be condemned without a fair hearing (Deuteronomy 1:16-17; see also John 7:51). Tradition also requires capital trials to span two consecutive days, which the coming Shabbat makes impossible. And why arrest Jesus now, when he's been teaching openly in the Temple all week? Nicodemus insists something nefarious must be at work, motives that cannot stand up to scrutiny in the light of day. After Ozem, a Sadducee, whispers in his ear, Caiaphas notes Nicodemus' objections and quite suddenly adjourns until later that morning.
Afterward, Yussif and Nicodemus recognize their victory is tenuous. Shmuel has been asking about Nicodemus' beliefs, and anyone who openly sympathizes with Jesus will be shut out of the conversation. Instead, Nicodemus must argue from law and tradition, the things the council is invested in. Yussif expresses concern over the quick end to the assembly and agrees to help Nicodemus prepare.
Jesus' Arrest in The Chosen Season 6 Episode 1
After the title sequence, three silver angels race ahead of the heavenly host and take their position on the walls of Gethsemane. As the temple guards approach to arrest him, the angels ready themselves to attack but at a nod from Jesus, they stand down.
Judas greets Jesus as "Rabbi," and Jesus responds, "Friend, do what you came to do" (Matthew 26:49-50). Jesus asks why they've come with swords and clubs as if against a violent thief, when they could have arrested him in the Temple, but acknowledges it must happen this way to fulfill the Scriptures (Matthew 26:55-56). Malchus, leading the guards, is surprised to see John (see John 18:15-16) and urges them not to resist, while John pleads with him not to do this. When a guard spots a young Mark hiding in the trees and he runs, Peter seizes the moment and cuts off Malchus' ear (John 18:10).
Jesus immediately puts a stop to the violence (Luke 22:51). Kneeling beside a frightened Malchus, who protests that they were promised no bloodshed, Jesus asks him to “Trust me,” and heals his ear. Malchus can only stammer, "How did you… what did you…"
Peter is still eying Judas fiercely, so Jesus orders him to step back, insisting that those who take up the sword will die by it, and that if he wanted to stop this, his Father would send more than twelve legions of angels (Matthew 26:52-54). Hearing this, the angels lower their weapons. Jesus asks whom the guards seek. When they ask for Jesus of Nazareth, he answers "I am he," and a shockwave knocks the guards to the ground (John 18:4-6). In a much-needed moment of levity, Nathanael begs Jesus to do it again.
Judas hopes that this is the start of Jesus unleashing his full power, but Jesus insists that he must drink the cup the Father has given him (John 18:11). He tells the guards to let the disciples go (John 18:8-9), and Malchus agrees. Some of the disciples are still hoping to push back against the arrest, but Jesus urges them not to fight or follow but to focus on his teachings instead. Chastened by Jesus’ words, Peter drops his sword, but still follows the procession of guards at a distance. Afraid of what he might do, John goes to keep Peter from making things worse.
On the march to Jerusalem, Jesus and Judas exchange a painful look. Meanwhile, the guards ask Malchus about his ear and he insists that he doesn't need a doctor. At the gate of the city, Malchus is stopped and questioned by a Roman sentry. Insisting that detaining and questioning someone is perfectly normal, he urges the guard to prevent any crowds from entering after them and causing trouble.
Peter & John in The Chosen Season 6 Episode 1
When John catches up with Peter, he points out that following is exactly what Jesus told them not to do. And yet he agrees to go along since he doesn't trust Peter – and Peter doesn't even trust himself. When Peter claims he knew Judas was the betrayer, John shoots back that he didn't, even though Jesus told them. Peter asks how John knows Malchus, and John explains that Malchus serves Caiaphas, whose household his family sold oil to earlier that week.
Outside the city, they find Shula and Barnaby at their camp. Seeing Jesus led by the guards, Peter urges them to spread the word: Jesus has been arrested illegally. There are no trials at night, and the leaders aren't following their own rules. If they want to do something for Jesus, now is the time.
Peter and John trail the procession to the gate of Jerusalem, where Malchus asks the guards to block anyone else from entering. Unable to follow through the gate, Peter and John find another route and climb up over the wall. On a rooftop, they watch Jesus being brought into the house of Caiaphas.
The Disciples in The Chosen Season 6 Episode 1
Back in the garden, Thomas notes that Judas clearly didn't leave the supper to buy more food (John 13:29). Nathanael wants to find out where Jesus is being held, while Andrew wants Simon Z to deal with Judas. Matthew reminds them that Jesus' instruction was to turn to his teachings – not to hunt down Judas. They decide to head to Lazarus' house to tell the women what happened. When someone suggests splitting up, James insists they can't separate anymore.
On the road, the disciples argue about the betrayal and whether they missed clues, whether Jesus knew, why Judas did it. Nathanael urges them to stop obsessing over the past and to focus on action. Meanwhile, Matthew begins reciting the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-12). When the others criticize him, he empathizes with their fear and confusion but insists on using the only tool Jesus gave them. In a bit of comic relief, Matthew then heads the wrong way and has to be redirected. As the disciples argue about physical directions, Andrew insists they need a roadmap, a callback to how Jesus described the Beatitudes in Season 2 Episode 8. Taking this as a sign, he joins Matthew in reciting the Beatitudes.
At Lazarus' house, Thomas and Little James hover awkwardly outside, not sure they can handle sharing the news with Mother Mary and the other women. After they hear wails from within, however, they realize they can't leave the others alone.
Inside, as the disciples debate what to do, Mary (of Bethany) asks where Judas is and the room goes quiet. Although the disciples aren't sure about Judas’ intentions, Mary recalls how Judas stormed out after she anointed Jesus, who said she had anointed his body for burial (Mark 14:8). Unable to stand around idly, Mother Mary insists on immediately going to find her son. Mary Magdalene and the other women decide to join her, with Joanna suggesting they seek out Claudia for more information. Nervous, Lazarus asks them to bring his sisters back as soon as possible.
With nothing else to do, Matthew suggests they obey Jesus' command to pray for their enemies (Matthew 5:44). Annoyed, Nathanael refuses to pray for Judas. The others remind him that one of Jesus' last prayers was for their unity (John 17:20-23). Although Nathanael insists loving Jesus demands action, Matthew pushes back that they need prayer to determine the best course of action. As Lazarus and the other disciples circle up to pray, Nathanael turns away, insisting that he cannot offer a genuine prayer to God in this moment.
One by one, the disciples pray: for wisdom when they've reached their wits end; for Jesus' safe return; for the women, Peter and John, and even for Malchus and their enemies. Finally, Thomas prays for Judas, asking whether God can forgive him. Moved, Nathanael joins in, recognizing that whatever led Judas to this could only have come from the Evil One. Mourning for Judas, he insists only God can save him. As Little James leads them in reciting Psalm 91 ("He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High…"), we see that the angels who were originally watching Jesus are now guarding the disciples in Lazarus’ house and the women on the road.
The Chosen Season 6 Episode 1 Review
This may be the most important season of The Chosen. Thankfully, Episode 1 gets The Chosen Season 6 off to a good start with a well-paced plot and emotionally resonant performances. A few things that stood out:
Pacing: Overall, this episode zips along at a good pace, keeping us engaged, while still making space for emotional moments.
Nicodemus vs. the World: The initial confrontation between Nicodemus and the Sanhedrin is a gripping start to the action. Eric Avari and Richard Fancy both bring strong performances that ground the chaotic scene.
The Angels: I don't love everything about the angel bits (more on that below). But the wordless exchange between Jesus and his angelic guardian is emotionally charged. Moreover, I appreciate how the show uses the angelic guardians to show (not tell) a key gospel truth: Jesus relinquished the divine protection he deserved so that he could have mercy on his enemies and offer divine protection to his unworthy followers. It also reflects how Jesus’ way of salvation was apparently a mystery even to the angels themselves (1 Peter 1:12).
Judas, Peter, and Jesus: Shahar Isaac, Luke Dimyan, and Jonathan Roumie communicate a lot non-verbally and offer emotionally-persuasive performances during the fateful exchange.
The Roadmap: We don't know what Jesus told his disciples to do after he was detained or what they actually did. But The Chosen offers a plausible and theologically-informed vision. It seems quite likely that Jesus would want his followers to focus on trusting his teachings instead of taking matters into their own hands. And it's also likely that they would struggle to do so. But for those that did, the teachings of the Sermon on the Mount would be a quite useful roadmap for seeking Jesus. I love how all of this calls back to Season 2 Episode 8.
Mary’s Fierce Devotion: Mother Mary’s reaction to the arrest and her determination to find Jesus at all cost was quite moving.
Nathanael and Praying for Enemies: Nathanael has never really made much of an impression on me, good or bad. I appreciate that he gets a moment to shine, as the disciple most determined to take action and least open to praying, especially for Judas. His turn during the prayer resonated with me and was a great close to the episode.
Like usual, there were a few bits of the episode that I didn't love:
The Angels’ Look: I get what the show is trying to do with its portrayal of angels. And I appreciate the creative risk that it is taking by doing something different instead of going with something familiar and safe. I even think the look of the angels can fit with what Scripture says – and I like that the angels reflect multiple ethnicities and cultures (as I've pointed out elsewhere, the idea that this is some hidden LDS message is ridiculous). But with all of that said, I still don't like the silver-blue look. Some people won't mind, but for me it was a distraction. I think part of my reaction is because the depiction of the angels feels like a major departure from the show’s general approach and aesthetic. But I think it also feels just a little too much like something out of sci-fi or Marvel.
The I Am Shockwave: I think the I Am Shockwave either needed to be a bigger deal or a smaller deal. If they wanted to depict Jesus supernaturally bowling over the entire crowd of guards, they needed to up the reaction of everyone involved, especially the guards. They should have been freaking out a lot more, so much so that their commander would have to cajole and threaten them into continuing. But the biblical text doesn't require a shockwave. I actually think it's more likely that this moment happened earlier in the arrest, before Judas identified Jesus with a kiss. The guards are probably surprised when Jesus steps out of the dark and they stumble into each other, unintentionally/ironically falling down in worship.
Neither of these issues ruined the episode for me. Both were matters of interpretation and aesthetic judgment, not theological problems. But it is interesting that they both involved epic supernatural spectacle – something we haven't gotten much of in The Chosen thus far. Perhaps the team hasn't built up quite as much experience and expertise in that area as it has in grounded character building.
Fortunately, the episode is still dominated by what The Chosen does best: relatable characterization and emotionally-resonant storytelling. Looking ahead, I'm hopeful that The Chosen Season 6 will live up to the high expectations of the audience and the heavy demands of the source material.
The Chosen Season 6 Episode 1 Themes and Analysis
The Counterintuitive Teaching of Jesus vs. Taking Matters into Our Own Hands
When we face persecution, betrayal, or other forms of stress and confusion, we naturally want to act and take matters into our own hands. Unfortunately, what seems intuitive and natural to us at such times is often completely wrong. Throughout Episode 1, we see the disciples (and angels) reacting in ways that make sense but are also clearly misguided:
Judas thinks that what he's doing makes complete sense. And there is a logic to his plan: if Jesus really is who he says he is, you would think he would do what he has to in order to protect himself and his mission. So Judas thinks he can force Jesus’ hand. But if he had paid better attention to Jesus’ teaching, he would have trusted his master to bring the kingdom in a small and surprising way, not through force.
It's natural for the angels to want to step in to defend their master. And it's natural for Peter to want to defend his rabbi by force. But doing so would violate Jesus’ teaching about loving our enemies, like Jesus does when he orders the angels to stand down and even heals Malchus’ ear.
It's also natural for Peter to want to punish Judas for betraying their rabbi. But Jesus’ teaching calls us to forgive and have mercy, as Jesus does when he addresses Judas as his friend.
In moments of total confusion and stress, it's natural for the disciples to argue and worry and want to fix things and recriminate one another. But Jesus’ teaching calls us to pray first and seek guidance and peace from the Father, as Jesus seems to be doing as he is dragged away by the guards.
Back in Season 2 Episode 8, Jesus described the Beatitudes as a roadmap that points to where he can be found. As Matthew and eventually Andrew and the other disciples realize, this is precisely why they need to turn to Jesus’ teachings in their trials. The teachings aren't simply a collection of good moral behaviors. They are a guide that leads us away from self-trust and toward trust in God’s grace.
When we find our safety in God, we no longer have to take matters into our own hands or be filled with worry and confusion, even when matters are dire. Like the disciples at the end of the episode, we can hand the Lord our cares – and even the fate of our enemies and those who have hurt us. But this path only becomes clear to us when we slow down and take the time to meditate on the roadmap that Jesus has given us.
The Counterintuitive Divinity of Jesus
I'm not sure we've ever seen Jesus display his divinity as clearly as he does in Season 6 Episode 1:
Commanding an army of angels with a mere nod
Reattaching an ear without a word
Declaring himself to be the “I am” and causing a shockwave to knock his enemies to the ground in worship.
But what's really astounding about Jesus’ displays of divinity is that it's used in a way that's the opposite of how we would use it:
Jesus’ command to the angels is for them to stand back so that he can give himself over to his enemies. If any of us had command over angels, we would use them to protect ourselves and punish our enemies.
Jesus reattaches the ear of a man who is capturing him. If we had such power, we would only use it to bless our friends
When Jesus declares, “I am,” he is in the process of handing himself over to be detained and eventually killed. If we had such power and such an identity, we would use it to aggrandize ourselves, as Judas hopes that Jesus will
What we misunderstand about divinity is that it's not just about having the power to do what you want. Jesus is revealed most clearly as divine not in a moment of self-assertion but rather in a moment of self-giving. Because divinity isn't just power over the world – it's also the power of self-giving love and grace.
Divine Protection
The Chosen rarely shows us what lies within the unseen realm. Why does it do so in Season 6? The answer seems to be that the show wants to show us the nature of the Gospel and not just tell us. Most Christians have heard that Jesus surrendered his divine safety in order to bring sinners safe into heaven. By peeling back the curtain, Episode 1 gives us a concrete picture of this: by turning aside his angelic body guard, Jesus is able to set them as a wall of protection around his followers.
What did you think of the episode? Let me know if there's anything I missed and if you agree – or disagree – with my The Chosen Season 6 Episode 1 review and analysis. And remember to check out our video review as well.
More The Chosen Season 6 Resources
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