The Hebrew judge Joseph of Arimathea and his son Jonathan are troubled by the Roman occupation of their land, Judea. Both have listened to the words of the prophet Jesus and Joseph sees the man of Nazareth as the Messiah, sent to give the people hope without stirring up revolution. Young Jonathan, filled with the same seething resentments as his friends, hears a different message. He interprets Jesus's words as a call to arms.