The Chosen + BibleProject | Season 5 Reading PlanNäide

Judas and the Two Trees of Eden
We value intelligence, competence, and wisdom. And on our best days, we want to do the right thing. But who decides what’s truly wise or good? Conflicting perspectives on major issues remind us that distinguishing good from bad is never simple.
Consider the Garden of Eden in Genesis 2-3. In the middle of the garden, God places two trees: the Tree of Life, from which humans are free to eat, and the Tree of Knowing Good and Bad, which God warns will lead to death.
Why? Was the fruit poisonous?
Genesis 3:6 says the tree was “good for food,” so the problem wasn’t toxins. The whole story is about an essential choice every person faces, a choice we see throughout the biblical story and one that Judas wrestles with in the scene from The Chosen you just watched.
Choosing the Tree of Life symbolizes trusting God’s wisdom and following his instruction. Eating from the Tree of Knowing Good and Bad, however, means rejecting God’s instruction and defining life on one’s own terms. (Sadly, Judas’ choice is like eating from that second tree).
Adam and Eve “see” something desirable and, rather than receiving goodness as a gift from God, they attempt to “take” what they think is good—despite God’s warning. It seems wise, but rejecting God’s wisdom leads to the loss of life itself.
In The Chosen, the imagined conversation between Jesus and Judas echoes this theme. Scripture doesn’t record their private talks, but we know that Judas, like Adam and Eve, faced a choice: follow God’s way or trust his own wisdom. Judas no doubt wanted goodness—freedom, peace, purpose—but Jesus’ path didn’t make sense to him.
One of your readings today, Deuteronomy 30, connects to this same theme of humanity’s essential choice. After years of wandering in the wilderness, Israel faces a choice presented by God: they can either embrace a flourishing life or face disaster. Choosing life means loving God, walking in his ways, and obeying his instruction (Deut. 30:15-16).
Judas, like all of us, longs for the good life but struggles to trust God’s way of getting there. It’s understandable. Jesus’ way includes suffering and often looks foolish—but as the story ultimately shows, it leads to real victory over death.
That’s the shocking truth: God’s wisdom may seem weak or illogical, yet it leads to life. Can we trust that even death is less dangerous than turning from God’s good instruction?

Reflection Questions
Where do you find it most challenging to trust and follow Jesus’ way of life?

Reflecting back on your own life, where do you see examples of trying to take hold of the good life on your own terms, and what resulted from those choices? What does taking life on your own terms versus receiving life on God’s terms look like when working, spending money, parenting, or engaging in any other activity in your daily life?