Light of the World 2025

John, Benjamin Jacobson and his older brother James, Dylan Leonard, grow up under their father Zebedee, Dave Pettitt, who insists that they must listen to the Romans and pay their taxes. The family’s world is quiet but tense, caught between faith and pressure from the occupying power. A market day brings a sharp turn: John is sent to sell fish and bring back the money, while Matthew, the tax collector, imposes an even heavier burden on the household. On that crowded street, a chance encounter with a carpenter prompts John to stray from the familiar path, and trouble quickly follows as he returns with only a single coin. To help, he enlists Andrew, Vincent Tong, and together they try to trade hardship for hope.

A glimmer of change appears when John meets the Baptizer, Jesse Inocalla, who speaks of a messiah on the horizon. This encounter leads John to a wedding where they meet Jesus, Ian Hanlin, and witness a miracle as Jesus turns water into wine. The moment is transformative: John and Andrew bring Jesus to Zebedee, and a miraculous catch of fish seems to answer their debts and fears at once. The family’s luck shifts, and the pathway to a new purpose unfolds.

As the circle of followers grows, John, James, Peter, and Andrew decide to follow Jesus, drawing in others who seek meaning, including Salome, Erin Mathews, who is healed by Jesus. Word of miraculous healings spreads quickly, and a dramatic moment finds a man lowered through a ceiling so Jesus can heal him. When a Roman centurion asks for help for his ailing servant, Jesus responds with mercy, challenging the disciples’ assumptions about power and justice by teaching them to love their enemies through the parable of the Good Samaritan. In time, John chooses kindness toward Matthew, who joins Jesus as a disciple, deepening the sense that this new movement is broader than anyone first imagined.

Jesus performs more signs and wonders, including the famous feeding of the five thousand, which astonishes crowds and deepens conversations about what the Messiah will do. Yet political and religious leaders are hostile. Nicodemus, Michael Benyaer, and Joseph of Arimathea, though not always fully aligned with the others, work with high priest Caiaphas, Adam Nurada, in a plot to silence Jesus. The tension culminates in the violent act against John the Baptizer, and danger closes in on Jesus as his followers scatter in fear, taking to boats to escape. In a moment of courage, Jesus walks on the water and invites Peter, Sam Darkoh, to come out and share the mystery of faith beyond the shore.

Jerusalem approaches with heavy footsteps. The disciples ride into the city proudly, and the journey toward the Last Supper begins with a sense that something monumental is at hand. Jesus prays in Gethsemane, and Peter, still learning to trust, denies knowing him in the shadow of impending danger. Jesus faces the authorities in a sequence that tests loyalty and belief, and the crowd’s roar leads to a cruel choice that grants Barabbas freedom while sending Jesus to the cross. The sky darkens, the temple shakes, and those who loved Jesus mourn his crucifixion, while Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus honor his burial with care and reverence.

When Mary Magdalene discovers the tomb is empty, hope resurfaces in a surprising way. Jesus appears again, this time by the shore as the disciples fish once more, and a remarkable catch of fish signals a renewed sense of purpose. After these encounters, Jesus ascends to heaven, leaving behind a transformed group of followers who carry the message forward. Zebedee, moved and inspired by his sons’ faith, makes a personal decision to follow Jesus as well, completing a circle of faith that begins with a simple family story and grows into a shared mission.