The Why of Crucifixion in The Chosen Season 6
- Kevin Keating
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
The Chosen Season 6 will officially premiere on November 15, 2026, with weekly releases of the first six episodes of the season through December 6, and the remaining two episodes being released theatrically in Spring of 2027. But what I found even more interesting in the Season 6 announcement was a statement by Dallas Jenkins:
“Everyone knows the basics of this part of the story, but not everyone knows the ‘why’ of the crucifixion and the extraordinary events of these 24 hours. We realized this not only deserved a season of television but a standalone full-length theatrical event as well. We wrote and filmed all of it with this in mind."
What does it look like for a show like The Chosen to demonstrate the "why" of the crucifixion in a visual medium like television? In the latest episode of The Bible Artist Podcast, Victor and I discussed what this might look like. A couple questions that we discussed that I want to highlight:
How will the flashbacks/flashforwards in Season 6 demonstrate the "why" of crucifixion?
In some of the promotional material for The Chosen Season 6, there have been mentions of historical flashbacks that will highlight the need for Jesus' crucifixion. As Victor and I discuss, there are a few ways The Chosen could do this:
The Biblical-Thematic Route
We could get a bunch of scenes from biblical history highlighting the sinfulness of humanity and the need for a savior. They could even be organized thematically around the Ten Commandments or Jesus' Sermon on the Mount. If this is the route The Chosen Season 6 takes, expect scenes like Cain killing Abel, Saul persecuting David, or David taking Bathsheba, etc.
The Biblical-Historical Route
Another biblical approach would be to highlight how God has worked redemptively throughout human history - and yet how humanity fails to partner with him faithfully. In this case, The Chosen Season 6 would show scenes highlighting the redemptive institutions that God has instituted (e.g. the family of Abraham, the priesthood, the kingship, the prophets) - and the ways that they have been corrupted and ruined (e.g. the kings promoting false worship, false prophets, etc.).
The Prior-History Thematic Route
Instead of just getting scenes from biblical history highlighting the sinfulness of humanity, we could get scenes from cultures across the globe, demonstrating the universal need for a savior. If this is the route The Chosen Season 6 takes, I would expect to get biblical scenes that highlight a particular sin (e.g. Cain murdering Abel) followed by a montage of scenes showing similar sins in other cultural settings.
The All of History Thematic Route
Instead of confining itself to events that take place prior to the crucifixion, we could also get scenes from all of world history, again demonstrating the universal need for a savior. Again, I would expect to see a montage that starts with a biblical scene, establishing the sin/theme, and then cuts to scenes across the globe and throughout history, including events like slavery, the Holocaust, and nuclear war.
Who will be the point of view for The Chosen Season 6 flashbacks and flashforwards?
If these flashbacks/flashforwards are meant to explain the why of crucifixion, that raises the question of whether there will be a distinct point of view for them. We considered a few options:
No POV
We could just go into scenes cold, kind of like the episode openings for The Chosen Seasons 1-4.
Jesus POV
We could see these events from Jesus' perspective. In this case, by recalling all of humanity's sin, Jesus would be reminding himself of why he needs to go through with the crucifixion.
Disciple POV
It's also possible that one of the disciples of Jesus (or Nicodemus) could be reflecting on these past moments in history as he/she realizes why Jesus needs to die.
I'd be curious to hear your theories on what you're expecting in The Chosen Season 6. Feel free to reach out by email on in the comments below!
