The movie tells the story of the events surrounding the conception and birth of Jesus as portrayed in the Bible. It opens with Herod (Ciaran Hinds), King of Judea under Roman rule. He is afraid that he will lose his kingdom because of an ancient prophecy of the coming of a Messiah. He orders the killing of all male children under two in Bethlehem.

Flashing back to the previous year, we find Mary (Keisha Castle-Hughes) living with her parents Anna (Hiam Abass) and Joaquim (Shaun Toub) in the poor town of Nazareth. It is a time of oppression and harsh taxation enforced by Herod. Mary is betrothed to Joseph (Oscar Isaac). An angel tells her that she has been chosen by God to bear a son who will be a saviour for his people. Struggling to come to terms with this news, Mary, now pregnant, visits her cousin Elizabeth (Shohreh Aghdashloo) who is also expecting a child. This child will grow up to be John the Baptist.

When Mary returns to Nazareth, she cannot hide her pregnancy. She has a difficult confrontation with her parents and Joseph. An angel appears to Joseph in a dream and confirms Mary’s story. Joseph then vows to stand by Mary, no matter what others might say.

Meanwhile, Herod is determined to find and kill the Messiah of the prophecy. Herod decrees a census that Mary and Joseph must fulfill by making a difficult journey to Bethlehem. During this journey, we see Joseph’s selfless care and concern for Mary and a growing love and respect between the couple.

Jesus is born in a roughly made stable in Bethlehem, and local shepherds come to pay homage. Three Persian Magi also come, guided by the prophecy of the Messiah and following the path of a large star that appears when the planets converge. They find the new baby lying in a manger and bestow him with gifts. They defy Herod by returning to Persia without informing him about the child Messiah. Warned in a dream about Herod’s threat, Joseph and Mary take Jesus and flee across the desert towards the safety of Egypt.