From Suffering to Scripture: How Amanda Jenkins and ‘The Chosen’ Are Transforming Faith Through Pain
In a world where suffering often feels like an unwelcome guest, Amanda Jenkins, the wife of The Chosen showrunner Dallas Jenkins, shines a profound light on how faith intertwines with our deepest struggles. Her latest project, God’s Goodness for the Chosen: An Interactive Bible Study Season 4, mirrors the raw reality portrayed in Season 4 of The Chosen—a season that focuses on human suffering and Jesus’ allowance of hardship in the lives of His followers.
“The truth is that I’m not sure I’ve ever learned about the goodness of the Lord outside of suffering,” she said. “I don’t think I learn it in abundance; I think I’m more selfish in abundance. I think I run ahead of Him in times of peace. I think our nature is that suffering is where we draw near to the Lord. Otherwise, I think we get really distracted at best.”
This Bible study isn’t just another religious resource; it’s a lifeline to those grappling with their faith amidst suffering. As Jenkins candidly shared in her interview with CBN News, her personal journey of watching her daughter suffer from a chronic illness forced her to wrestle with the same questions many viewers of The Chosen are asking: Why does God allow suffering, and how do we reconcile our faith in His goodness with the pain in our lives?
Jenkins, alongside her co-writer, faced these challenges while working on the Bible study, a dynamic that added layers of authenticity to the project. Her realization that “seasons of suffering really are more about God in the suffering and how His goodness eclipses our suffering” reflects a deeply biblical truth that resonates with believers and skeptics alike.
This authenticity is what makes The Chosen such a unique and impactful platform in the Christian entertainment space. The show isn’t just about biblical characters; it’s about real-life experiences—experiences that Jenkins herself and many viewers face every day. The Chosen doesn’t sugarcoat the hardships of faith. Instead, it brings to life the tension of believing in a good God while walking through dark valleys.
For the Christian audience, Jenkins’ Bible study is a tool to bridge the gap between watching the show and engaging with Scripture. It invites viewers to explore the very real, sometimes uncomfortable, truths of the Christian faith—particularly how suffering is not a sign of God’s absence but often a space where His presence is most deeply felt.
Jenkins’ personal story and the underlying message of Season 4 remind us of a profound reality: faith is not a path around suffering but a journey through it. Jenkins herself confessed to feeling as if she was doing something wrong in the midst of her daughter’s illness, even as she was pouring her heart into a Bible study meant to inspire others. But through that struggle, she came to a realization that is both painful and beautiful—that the goodness of the Lord is most powerfully learned in the crucible of suffering.
This is the essence of The Chosen’s impact. It reintroduces Jesus to a modern audience, one that is often jaded by religious clichés or disconnected from Scripture. Amanda Jenkins, through her work, is helping Christians and non-believers alike see suffering not as a failure of faith but as a conduit to deeper intimacy with God. Her Bible study echoes the message of Season 4—suffering doesn’t diminish God’s goodness, it amplifies it.
What’s remarkable is how The Chosen is crossing generational, cultural, and even religious boundaries. As Jenkins shared, the show is drawing people back to Jesus—from those who have drifted from the faith to those who are encountering Him for the first time. The show’s impact spans age, culture, and ability, transcending the limitations of typical Christian media.
But Jenkins is clear on one point: The Chosen is a tool, not the destination. “It’s not the word of God,” she reminds us. The ultimate goal of both the show and her Bible study is to drive people back to Scripture, where they can encounter the living Word of God and not just a television portrayal of Him.
In the end, Amanda Jenkins’ journey—both in her personal life and through The Chosen—is a testimony to the redemptive power of suffering. It’s a reminder that, as Christians, we are not called to preach the Gospel from a high place but from the valleys where we ourselves cling to Jesus for dear life. And in those valleys, we find that His goodness, indeed, eclipses our suffering.
Through projects like the Bible study, Amanda Jenkins is giving believers the tools to not only endure suffering but to find God in it. And in doing so, she is helping to reshape how modern audiences engage with faith, Scripture, and ultimately, Jesus Himself.
