Light of the World (film)

Plot

The story begins with John and his older brother James learning from their mother about a promised Messiah who would free people from darkness, though their father Zebedee rejects the idea. Matthew, a tax collector working for the Romans, comes to collect payment. Since John is too young to help with fishing, he is sent to sell fish at the marketplace and bring the money to Matthew. There he meets a carpenter who is not well known.

When John returns with only one coin, Matthew demands double the amount within three days. The next day, John encounters John the Baptizer, who declares that Jesus is the Messiah. That evening, Andrew and John attend a wedding where Jesus turns water into wine. Seeing John's interest, Mary, Jesus's mother, confirms that she knew Jesus was the Messiah and recounts the Nativity.

The following morning, John and Andrew bring Jesus to Zebedee, who then catches an enormous number of fish, enough to pay the taxes. John, James, Peter, and Andrew decide to follow Jesus, joined by others including Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot. As Jesus's ministry grows, he heals Mary Magdalene, a woman possessed by demons, then heals a paralyzed man and a servant of a Roman centurion. When the disciples question why he helped a Roman, Jesus teaches them to love their enemies through the parable of the Good Samaritan.

John chooses to be kind to Matthew, who becomes a disciple. Jesus performs more miracles, such as feeding five thousand people. The Pharisees, except for Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea, conspire with the high priest Caiaphas to eliminate Jesus. John the Baptist is arrested and later executed, deeply affecting Jesus, who recalls his own baptism in the Jordan River.

When temple soldiers come to arrest Jesus, he stays behind while the disciples escape by boat. Later, Jesus walks on water and invites Peter to join him; Peter becomes frightened and starts to sink, but Jesus rescues him. All twelve disciples then recognize Jesus as the Son of God. They enter Jerusalem in triumph, but Jesus feels a heavy burden.

At the Last Supper, Jesus tells the disciples that one of them will betray him, then instructs Judas to proceed. He also predicts that Peter will deny him three times. In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus prays in great distress but accepts his mission to the end.

Release

Light of the World had its world premiere at the THSC State Convention on June 6, 2025, followed by a premiere at the Bible Museum in Washington, D.C., on August 22. It was released in the United States and Canada on September 5, and a day early in Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, and Samoa. International releases included Puerto Rico on September 11, Bolivia on September 18, the Philippines on December 10, Nigeria and Ghana on November 14, Brazil on December 11, and Germany, Austria, and Switzerland on March 12, 2026.

Did You Know?

• Epipheo, a Cincinnati studio that launched its film division in 2022, helped develop the film's 'children's storybook come to life' aesthetic.
• Production designer Luke Lehenbauer noted the creators wanted a 'hand of the artist feel', achieved partly by applying real painting textures to digitally painted backgrounds.
• The animation was provided by Irish animation studio Lighthouse Studios.