Original subtitles

Previously on the Bible...

Jerusalem,

our new home.

The Jewish people have forged a kingdom, in the promised land.

But their survival has been

a constant struggle.

Surrounded by great superpowers,

they have been oppressed,

enslaved...

and exiled.

Each time, a great Jewish hero

has come to their aid.

Lord!

But now...

they've succumbed to the might of Rome.

Forward!

Israel suffers like never before.

The people crave a savior,

a Messiah.

Rebellion in Jerusalem.

This way.

A Roman eagle soars above

the Jews' new Holy Temple.

An abomination to their faith.

Be quick!

It must be removed.

- Guards! - Arrest them!

Hold them off!

Hurry!

Bring them!

The eagle was put on the Temple

by the king of the Jews, Herod the Great.

A nobleman placed on the throne by the Romans.

Just one more.

There...

Enough! Enough!

Take your butchering hands off me

or I will have them removed!

Ah, the "bird-men". Come!

My little rebels who think I am not clean enough

or pure enough, or Jewish enough

for your Holy Temple!

Well, let me tell you something, I built the Holy Temple!

I built it!

And if I choose to put a bird on the top

to keep my Roman friends happy, be grateful!

Because if you think that I'm hard to live with,

you should try living with them!

Out!

The Jews long for freedom in their own land.

From the capital Jerusalem

to the provincial backwater of Galilee,

the people take comfort in their faith and each other.

Mary, my betrothed,

you have the most beautiful eyes I've ever seen,

and the sweetest smile.

In the name of Herod and Rome

taxes are owed!

- What is this? - We will take this man.

Can't you see you're interrupting the Scriptures?

- And you. - No!

This must be a mistake.

We're worshipping God here.

Your God, your problem.

Joseph!

Come on!

This is the house of God!

Get back to your father's house,

be quick.

Get out of my way!

Mary...

Give that back!

Mary...

The Lord is with you.

Don't be afraid.

You will soon give birth to a son.

He will be the son of the Most High.

The holy spirit will move in you.

Don't be afraid.

I am the Lord's servant.

The holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.

Mary!

Mary?

Tell me what's going on, Mary, please!

Not here!

You're pregnant.

What have you done?

What on earth have you done?

There's been no one, I swear.

Well, there's been someone, I'm not stupid!

I'm still a virgin.

This is the work of God.

I don't know why I've been chosen,

but I am telling you the truth.

You must believe me.

I thought I knew you.

Please, Joseph.

I need you to be my husband.

I need you to be the father of this child.

The child of God.

Please, my love, please trust me.

Mary, God doesn't do this to people like us.

If this be your work, Lord,

please help.

Help us...

Joseph, son of David,

be at peace.

Take Mary as your wife.

She is pure.

The child she carries is from God.

- Jezebel! - Shameless! Shameless whore!

It's not my fault, God chose me,

I didn't ask for this to happen!

What does she know about anything?

She knows enough to get pregnant.

- Who'll have you now? - I will!

I believe her!

And I will take her as my wife.

If she'll still have me.

Within a few months of marrying,

Joseph and Mary are forced to leave Nazareth.

Mary! Are you ready?

To better control their subjects,

Rome has ordered a census.

All men must return to the town of their birth.

Joseph takes his new wife to Bethlehem.

A hundred miles of treacherous open road,

with a baby due any day.

Mary and Joseph are alone against the world.

But others are being drawn towards them.

A prophecy from the time of Moses

predicts the birth of a great king of the Jews.

Announced in the heavens.

A star shall come out of Jacob,

and a scepter shall rise out of Israel.

Hold on!

He's coming now! Joseph, he's coming!

Hold on, I'm going to find somewhere.

Hello?

Stop! He's coming!

Can anybody help us?

He's coming, Joseph, now!

I'm coming! All right, come on!

Hold on!

Stay with me!

Sire, the astrologer, Balthazar.

Balthazar. Come.

Wine?

You're very gracious, your majesty.

I'd rather not.

I wonder, what can you tell me of the new king?

- King? - Of the Jews.

What news of him?

King of the Jews?

Am I missing something?

Did you not come here to see the King of the Jews?

Are you not looking at Herod,

King of the Jews?

Of course.

Then who is claiming to be king?

No one. He is not born yet.

It is a prophecy, heralded by the star.

Surely your scribes have received the revelation...

Stars? Prophecies?

You interrupt my meal for this?

Now please, if you don't mind...

Herod knows nothing.

We follow the star.

Where is this traitorous prophecy?

Have you found it?

- Ah, here! - Read it!

"Isaiah..."

"Therefore the Lord himself will give a sign."

Look, look there!

"A young woman will conceive and give birth to a son."

Help us, please!

"He will be called Wonderful..."

Mary! I've got you.

"Counselor..."

Help us, please.

"Mighty God..."

"Eerlasting Father..."

"Prince of Peace."

But I am the one who brings peace!

Do you think some child could do that?

Is it written where this mighty prince

will be born?

Micah says it will be Bethlehem.

Bethlehem! Gather the troops!

Our son...

Thanks be to God.

Lady,

I believe your son is the promised king of his people.

What is his name?

Jesus.

His name is Jesus.

Mary!

Mary!

Mary!

Mary!

We have to leave. Now.

I can't explain, just trust me.

When Herod hears a new king is being born in Bethlehem

He orders the murder of every infant boy.

Kill any you find!

This way!

- Get them all! - My son!

Get the boy!

The massacre of the innocents.

One child escapes.

Herod will never know that the slaughter in Bethlehem

was for nothing.

He's dying.

His last paranoid act

the execution of his eldest son for plotting against him.

Father, please!

When Herod dies,

the people sense an opportunity to win their freedom.

Israel explodes.

But the Roman response is brutal.

The uprising is crushed.

In Galilee alone two thousand are crucified.

Jesus and his family return from Egypt.

We're nearly there, Jesus. We're almost home.

A decade of darkness has fallen over Israel.

Joseph!

What have they done?

We must trust in God's plan.

As he trusts in us.

Rome has taken direct control of Jerusalem and Judea.

Herod's son Antipas awaits the arrival

of the fourth Roman governor in twenty years,

the arrogant and ruthless Pontius Pilate.

Greetings, Prefect.

Welcome to Judea.

I hope your time here will be prosperous and peaceful.

I intend to make sure it is.

Orders from Caesar. This dissent must stop.

For Pilate and Antipas,

any gathering of people is a threat.

Repent and your sins shall be forgiven.

At the river Jordan,

crowds flock to John the Baptist.

I baptize you, ready for the new kingdom.

As you are cleansed...

... so all Israel shall be cleansed!

- You said there was trouble. - In the desert.

The people are flocking to this wild man, John.

They think he's a prophet.

Some even call him the 'Messiah'.

Do you truly repent?

God's axe is ready.

Every tree that does not produce good fruit

will be cut down and thrown into the fire.

All flesh shall see the salvation of God!

And what is a Messiah?

The redeemer of the Jews.

Anointed by God to set them free.

Then you need to keep an eye on your 'Messiah'.

There is one to come, greater than me,

who will baptize with fire.

I am just the voice in the wilderness,

preparing the way for the...

...Lord.

Don't stop.

Surely I need you to baptize me.

John, what you are doing is right.

Baptize me.

After his baptism, Jesus enters the wilderness.

For forty days his spirit is tested,

preparing him for the challenges to come.

Satan...

If you are the 'Son of God',

command that this stone becomes bread.

Man shall not live by bread alone,

but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.

If God loves you, throw yourself down.

His angels will lift you up in their hands.

How dare you put God to the test!

If you will bow down and worship me,

I will give you the whole world.

Crucify him!

Get away from me, Satan.

I worship the Lord,

my God.

and serve him only!

Jesus resists Satan's temptations

and prepares to begin his mission.

But it will be without John the Baptist.

He has been arrested by Antipas.

Come on, scum!

Get in!

Do you need help?

I'm not looking for any help.

And besides, there's nothing to help with.

Hey, what are you doing?

You can't just climb into my boat!

Yeah, you're right. Give me a helping hand.

What do you think you're doing?

We're going fishing.

There are no fish out there this time of day.

In fact, there are no fish out there any time of day.

Peter...

just give me an hour,

and I will give you a whole new life.

Who says I want one?

I tell you,

there's no fish out there.

What am I going to do with you?

You and your dangerous mouth.

Listen.

To a seditious fool? I don't think so.

To God's message.

'The Kingdom of Heaven is near.'

So you do claim to be the Messiah?

No.

But you think he's coming.

No.

He's already here.

He's here.

Out there.

Speaking God's truth,

opening the hearts of all men.

How did this happen?

What did you do?

I'm giving you the chance to change your life.

Peter, come with me.

Give up catching fish and I will make you a fisher of men.

What are we going to do?

Change the world.

He will bring a new age of righteousness and justice!

His power will draw all men to a new world!

All people!

Next time on the Bible...

Mary! He's here!

Who?

Jesus! He's back.

I've had reports of a young prophet,

a Jesus of Nazareth.

He has a big following in Galilee.

It's rumored he'll come to Jerusalem.

He works miracles.

They all do.

Blessed are the poor, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

What are you saying?

That you are the Messiah,

the chosen one sent by God?

No!

It has begun.

Five thousand came to see him.

Five thousand.

They say this Jesus has raised a man from the dead.

Whoever believes in me shall never die.

You'll pay the price for this!

Like your friend John the Baptist!

Soon we go to Jerusalem.

It's too dangerous.

The Messiah from Galilee in Jerusalem at Passover.

How timely.

What if he comes with thousands of supporters,

the city will already be breaking at the seams

with those arriving for the festival.

King of the Jews!

You can lead us like an army.

We are strong enough to beat the Romans!

No, this is not the way.

Roman scum! Roman thieves! Let's show them!

Roman thieves!

They want you to be their king.

We must not allow this miracle man,

this fraud, to disrupt Passover.

If you hunger for righteousness,

you will be filled... through me.

Does Pilate know?