The Chosen Season 5 Episode 2 Recap: House of Cards

In season 5 of ‘The Chosen,’ events continue to progress toward a moment of great significance that unravels after Jesus and his disciples’ arrival in Jerusalem. Simultaneously, an out-of-time depiction of the Last Supper seems to be sprinkled throughout the storyline. Episode 2, titled ‘House of Cards,’ sees the city preparing for the upcoming festivities of Passover. While the Temple gets swept up in the hustle and bustle of devotees and visiting pilgrims, the High Priest pays King Herod Antipas a visit to discuss a certain ministry’s presence in the city. However, while the duo is entrenched in scheming self-preserving plots, Jesus makes his own unexpected move. Inevitably, his visit to the Holy Temple takes an unprecedented turn. SPOILERS AHEAD!

Jesus’ Warning During the Last Supper

In the future timeline where we follow Jesus and the Apostles having the Last Supper, the Messiah continues to impart lessons to his disciples after informing them of his impending doom. Expectedly, while the 12 men appreciate his honesty, they’re taken aback by news of his demise. In turn, Jesus warns them of the difficulties that will follow them in the days to come. While their preachings have been welcomed with open arms so far, he warns them that this would no longer be the case. He insists that when they go out on missions this time, they must equip every tool in their arsenal for their protection, even swords.

At the same time, Jesus also tells them that their safety will come from above, as the Father will extend his protection to them. When asked why he can’t simply stay with them to keep them under his protection, he tells the disciples how they’re all destined to fall away from him. It seems the Devil will be testing them in the coming days, but as Jesus tells Peter, he has prayed for his faith, and the latter can help others restore their faith once he himself returns. The time has come for a great sacrifice, one where one must lay down their life for that of their friends. Even though every Apostle insists they’re ready to make this sacrifice for their leader, Jesus tells them he’s the one who must play this role.

Some of the Disciples Take Notice of the Watcher

In the lead-up to Passover, the Apostles find themselves preparing for their missions of solo-preaching. Simon Peter, in particular, is excited about the opportunity even though he remains skeptical about his abilities. Meanwhile, John travels with his father to deliver the holy anointing oil to the Pharisees and the High Priest. There, he and another young man find themselves lamenting the exclusionary rituals and traditions of the older priests that often resort younger men like them to the sidelines. On the other hand, Thomas runs into Kafni, Ramah’s father, who continues to blame him for the death of his daughter.

Eventually, when the time comes and John finds himself in front of a crowd, his skepticism proves to be true. The young man can’t seem to remember the details of his stories and often has to turn to his brother, Andrew, who subtly fills in the blanks for him from the crowd. Nonetheless, at the end of his preaching, the others remain proud of John for the significant step. However, Simon Z, who noticed the mysterious cloaked figure taking notes in the crowd, remains on guard. He wonders if such public preaching is a wise decision when possible spies could report their actions back to Rome. This heightens the mystery surrounding the cloaked notemaker.

Jesus Cleanses the Temple of Jerusalem

Despite being a place of worship, the Temple of Jerusalem remains fairly entrenched in other, more materialistic matters. This is most evident in the arrival of the Gentiles, Leander, Fatiyah, and Dion, who have traveled to the city with intentions of meeting Jesus and participating in the Passover festivities. Consequently, the Messiah’s disciples teach them about the holy day, telling them about the sacrificial ritual in which animals are offered to cover the believer’s sins. However, this animal must not be purchased with coinage bearing the faces of pagan gods. As a result, Leander has to exchange his currency at an exorbitant exchange rate.

Most people have accepted this to be an inconvenient reality. However, when Jesus visits the Temple, he can’t overlook the disappointment at what the people have done to his Father’s place of worship. Instead of love, faith, and belief, the square is full of caged animals, haggling customers, and greedy shopkeepers. Eventually, things come to a head when he finds one merchant attempting to cut through the Temple as a shortcut to move her products. As a result, he eventually unleashes his anger, along with the whip he had been working on the previous night. Thus, Jesus destroys the markets, freeing animals, overturning tables, and cracking his whip to incite fear.

It isn’t long before this catches the attention of the Guards and the Pharisees, including Caiaphas, the High Priest. Earlier in the day, the latter had visited King Herod to discuss the growing complications in the city. Jesus’ arrival in Jerusalem on a donkey and the people’s subsequent proclamations about him being the Son of David remain a cause of concern for the High Priest. He maintains that if this continues, they’re bound to become a target for Rome. Herod suggests they deal with the issue by killing Lazarus, whose resurrection gave particular credibility to Jesus. Nonetheless, Caiaphas believes they need to confront the man himself directly. As such, it seems with the Messiah’s public demonstration, the former may have found an excuse for himself.