CHRISTMAS WITH THE CHOSEN: THE MESSENGERS

This one is easy. CHRISTMAS WITH THE CHOSEN: THE MESSENGERS brings together beloved worship artists, Scripture-soaked monologues, and a brand-new episode of THE CHOSEN retelling Jesus's birth through Mary and Joseph's eyes — and it holds together as one cohesive, joyful whole rather than a grab-bag of Christmas content.

There is nothing here to caution against. No language, no violence beyond a little blood in the nativity's dramatic staging, nothing sexual, nothing you'd think twice about with children in the room. What's here instead is worship: classic carols alongside modern songs, monologues that meditate on the names of God, and a tender re-telling of Luke's Christmas story.

If your family wants a Christmas special that actually points to Christ, this is it.

This special weaves together three threads: live performances from artists like Phil Wickham, Maverick City Music, for KING & COUNTRY, and Brandon Lake; four Scripture-filled monologues from THE CHOSEN's cast, reflecting on the names of God; and a brand-new episode of the series depicting the birth of Jesus from Mary and Joseph's perspective, set against a conversation between Mary and Mary Magdalene. Together they build toward one purpose — celebrating the arrival of Emmanuel, God With Us.

Four stars means the filmmakers pulled off something genuinely hard: braiding concert performances, spoken-word Scripture reflection, and narrative drama into a single, cohesive experience without it feeling disjointed. The monologues are described as beautifully written, each one meditating on a name of God and what it means for humanity. The new episode's choice to juxtapose the stable in Bethlehem with a quiet conversation between Mary and Mary Magdalene gives the birth story added emotional depth. As the highest-earning Fathom Event in history, it also found an audience — evidence the craft connected.

This special exalts exactly what Christmas should exalt: the birth of Jesus Christ as the hinge of God's plan to save a weary, sinful world. Every element — the songs, the monologues on the names of God, the retelling of Luke's nativity — points toward worship rather than sentiment. There's no distortion to flag here, no competing worldview smuggled in. The filmmakers trust the story itself, told through Scripture and song, to move hearts.

What it offers your family is simple and rare: an hour and fifty minutes designed entirely to turn eyes toward Christ, born in a feeding trough, mercy wrapped in flesh. The special's own language — Emmanuel, "God With Us" — echoes the prophecy fulfilled at the manger: "Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel" (Matthew 1:23).

This is a Christmas special built entirely to point your family toward the manger — and it succeeds, beautifully. Songs, Scripture, and story work together instead of competing, and nothing here should give a parent pause. Our answer: worth the trip. Gather the family, turn down the lights, and let it point you to Christ this Advent.