The Chosen – Season 1 – Episode 2 Rewind

This episode is all about Shabbat and observing the sabbath. It is an interesting episode because we get to see a couple of Shabbat dinners in action! And The Chosen doesn’t just tell us about it; it lets us peek into several Shabbat dinners happening all at once.

Mary is healed and ready to host her very own Shabbat dinner for the first time ever and little does she know, but she will have the most important dinner guest there is. She has undergone a drastic change and is no longer is tormented by demons. She is happy, enjoying life and ready to observe her Jewish traditions and host Shabbat.

Meanwhile, Nicodemus hears rumors that Mary is healed and immediately goes into detective mode. He has to see it with his own eyes. When he finds her, he’s stunned—not just by her transformation, but by the fact that she credits her healing to a mysterious man who didn’t even give his name. Nicodemus can’t wrap his mind around someone performing a miracle and not wanting the spotlight. Little does he know… this is going to be a recurring theme with Jesus.

Two of our other main characters, Matthew and Simon both don’t get to celebrate Shabbat. They have very different reasons, but both situations provide insight into their lives. Matthew as a tax collector is rejected by the Jewish people and has no where to celebrate Shabbat. He goes to someone’s home, but doesn’t have the courage to knock on the door and attend the dinner. He is used to rejection and assumes the same will happen this Shabbat.

Simon has gotten himself into a pickle where he needs to deliver the merchant fishermen who are fishing on the Sabbath or he will be in big trouble with the Roman officers. He attempts to butter up the fishermen at the bar to understand who is fishing on the Sabbath and then ends up having to leave the Shabbat dinner to catch the fisherman in the act. Andrew and Eden are both upset with Simon and it ruins their Shabbat dinner as well.

As Christians, we don’t celebrate Shabbat with a traditional Friday‑night dinner, but we are called to honor the Sabbath and rest (Exodus 20:8–11). Watching this episode raises a pretty convicting question: how are we actually spending our Sundays? Are we resting the way God designed us to? Are we slowing down, reconnecting with family, and making space for Him?

It’s worth pausing to take inventory. Not out of guilt, but out of invitation. God built rest into creation long before He ever commanded it. Maybe it’s time to reclaim it.

If you want to dig deeper into the scriptures behind this episode, download the Bible study I’ve attached. Test everything against the Word. Let the show inspire you—but let Scripture shape you.

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