Light of the World Parent Guide

For Zebedee the fisherman, life is hard under Roman rule. Determined to avoid a Roman prison, Zebedee keeps his head down, grudgingly pays his taxes, and encourages his sons, James and John (Dylan Leonard and Benjamin Jacobson) to stay out of trouble. At the same time, his wife Salome (Erin Mathews) fills her boys with hope of a coming Messiah who will end the darkness of the world. When John’s well-intentioned attempt to help his father results in disaster and potential imprisonment, the young lad heads off on an errand that will push him to the forefront of the Messiah’s earthly ministry.

Anyone familiar with the New Testament knows what comes next: there are encounters with John the Baptist (known in the film as The Baptizer and played by Jesse Inocalla), a variety of miracles, profound teachings (here sliced and diced as one-liners in the script), hostile encounters with Pharisees, and brief introductions to disciples, including a determined Peter (Sam Darkoh) and money-loving Judas (David Kaye). Despite Jesus’s best efforts, his followers remain convinced that he’s going to overthrow the Romans and place himself on David’s throne, which makes his arrest and death all the more crushing. If only they knew that Salome was right all along….

There are two ways to review this film – as a media critic or as a Christian. I’m going to do both, starting with a critic’s opinion.

Light of the World fits neatly into the world of Christian children’s cinema. The animation isn’t impressive but it’s competent, with high points (some lovely backdrops) and low points (why do people’s feet look like flippers?) but it is a step above Saturday morning cartoons, although nowhere near Disney/Pixar. The script is disciplined, designed to use episodes in Jesus’s life to show how his earthly mission and ministry had the power to bring an end to the darkness of death, hate, enmity, and fear. At a brisk 91 minutes, this film is a basic introduction to Christianity for non-believers and will be pleasant viewing for many Christian family audiences.

As a Christian, I must admit to mixed feelings about Light of the World. I find it impossible to dislike a movie that preaches universal love and the redemptive power of Jesus Christ. But I am mystified by much of the script. I don’t think non-canonical backstories are necessary and I’m not sure why events and teachings are thrown out of chronological order, to the point that this movie often feels like gospels-in-a-fan. The show feels rushed; like a TV series cut down to feature film length. An extra fifteen minutes would improve it by giving more space for Jesus’s teachings and miracles and a bit more personality for the undifferentiated disciples.

My biggest issue with the film lies in its distortion of biblical accounts for purely dramatic purposes. The scene of Christ’s baptism features not only a heavenly manifestation but also a parting of water in the Jordan River – a non-scriptural detail invented solely for extra drama. Christ’s death scene also shows a drop of blood hitting ground, with magical effects radiating outward – again, non-biblically. Honestly, I expect better from Christian filmmakers. The story of Jesus Christ stands on its own and has motivated believers for millennia: it doesn’t need to be gimmicked up for 21^st century audiences. If I have one message for the screenwriters, it’s this: Trust the source material. Seriously. The book is better.

About author

Kirsten Hawkes

Kirsten Hawkes has a BA in Political Science and English and has worked in international development and medical education and marketing. Kirsten enjoys reading, watching movies, and debating politics with her husband and sometimes unwilling children.