Bear Grylls Retraces Jesus' Footsteps in the Holy Land in New TV Series
Watch this week's final episodes of Jesus: Refugee Renegade Redeemer on TBN & TBN+ to witness history come to life! Don't miss Bear Grylls embark on a powerful journey through Jerusalem, retracing Jesus' final days.
I had the opportunity to ask Grylls about the new series recently, why the topic of Jesus is so intriguing to him, and how filming the series gave him a fresh perspective on the transformational figure that Jesus Christ is.
If you were trying to convince a friend to watch an episode or hopefully the entire series of Jesus: Refugee, Renegade, Redeemer, what would you say to encourage them?
Ha! Well, hopefully it doesn’t need too much convincing but in short it’s been the most exciting, humbling, revealing series I’ve ever done - by miles. And it took me to the edge in so many ways. Essentially I take a motorbike, a tent, a parachute and go to Israel and travel the country to discover some hard truths about who Jesus really was. I wanted to find out why He is the most influential person to have ever lived. The series is a revelation - it lifts the lid on who the real person of Jesus was - away from the fairy tale type story and into the raw real grit of who he was, what his hard life was like, why every day people loved him and why the elite feared him - then ultimately to discover what he came to achieve.
The title of this series speaks volumes as Jesus has been seen as many different things over the last 2,000 years, but Refugee, Renegade, and Redeemer seems to encapsulate his life and ministry well. Do you see any one of these three as the most intriguing to you?
The renegade nature of his life is so appealing. What a fun living but wild character He must have been. And so tough physically no doubt. He broke every rule and convention and custom for the better - and His miracles, if true, will melt your heart. Moments like when He holds the leper’s hands and heals him. That was a death wish in those days. So many beautiful powerful moments, calming storms, walking on water, turning water to wine… it goes on and on.
Are there any topics that you could have liked to cover but they didn’t make it into the show? If so, what are they?
Yes. To be honest we could have made 100 episodes on His life. But I wanted it to be fast and easy to watch and totally absorbing and life enhancing.
You are recognized as one of the world’s top adventurers. In shooting this series, were you forced to incorporate your signature survival skills into what we see in the finished product? What was your greatest challenge in filming this series?
The Israel desert is brutal and getting a small insight into what Jesus went through in that desert for 40 days alone with nothing was intense. I tried to bring a cool survival and adventure element to the whole series. It felt so natural to do and so much of the Jesus story is rooted in adventure at heart. The climbs, the storms, the hikes, the fishing, the fights and sleeping rough… the story has it all.
Obviously, you have immersed yourself in retracing the footsteps of Jesus in Israel. In working on this series, did you learn anything new about Jesus that you never knew before? If so, how did this challenge your faith?
I got reminded at every turn that the Jesus we think we know is so different from the real Jesus. He was more fun, more radical, wilder and more accepting and less judging than anyone who has ever lived! That faith isn’t church. That love doesn’t condemn. And that Jesus will give us water of life in our hearts. The way of Jesus is so different from what we often grow up to believe. It’s not about rules but about freedom.
To me, the evidence is clear that Jesus truly did walk the face of this earth but is more than just a historical character to be studied. What is something in this series that you think will pierce the hearts of someone who might be on the fence about who Jesus truly is?
Just watch and hear how He transformed the lives of the most outcast and broken in society and see how you feel then… the series reminded me that the relevance of Jesus today is just as compelling as it was 2,000 years ago. Maybe more.
After people have had a chance to watch an episode or the entire series of Jesus: Refugee Renegade Redeemer what would you like audiences to take away from the viewing experience? What is your greatest hope for the series?
To know that Jesus still lives and still transforms and heals our lives to this day. If He is who He said he was then all is going to be ok! He is God with us and that changes everything in how we approach life.
You always seem to be working on something new and outside the box. Are you working on anything coming up in 2025 that you can share about?
Our new series on Netflix airs this month called BearHunt. It’s a full on jungle survival series where I drop 12 celebrities into the jungle and have to track them down. What can possibly go wrong!?
WATCH A TRAILER FOR JESUS: REFUGEE RENEGADE REDEEMER:
