Starting with Jesus’ Palm Sunday ride into Jerusalem, the events written in the Bible’s New Testament leading up to the Crucifixion will play out in the fifth season of The Chosen, which will premiere its first two episodes in theaters on March 27, 2025.

This emotional season, in which Jesus’ love for mankind is tested most severely, was particularly challenging for series star Jonathan Roumie, 50. “Ultimately, when we get to the part where there is the betrayal by Judas — the sorrow, the sadness and the devastation [I felt] for Judas,” says Jonathan. “That was something that had more empathy than I was ready for.”

Jonathan confides that before filming the Last Supper scenes, he suffered heart palpitations and pain in his jaw on the set. The symptoms subsided with prayer. “This season I’ve had to let go of so much, and it’s still a struggle,” he admits of the grueling shoot in Utah and Texas that wrapped last summer.

The emotional struggles of Pontius Pilate, the Roman who condemns Jesus to death, and Judas are also explored in depth this season. “I don’t see him as a villain,” says Luke Dimyan, 28, who portrays Judas. “He wouldn’t have been a part of this group, fighting so hard to spread the word of Christ, if he did not love and care for Him. What happens?”

Jonathan Roumie Thinks Jesus Is A Guiding Light

As this season winds toward Jesus’ ultimate sacrifice, Jonathan has tried to express the human side of the Son of God. “I hope that [viewers] take away that Jesus lived as one of us,” he says. “He went through every aspect of life, except old age … Hopefully we all can feel closer to Jesus through our struggles and trials.”