Since the first episode of The Chosen, the end of Jesus' story has been a major theme. And with the highly anticipated fourth season just around the corner, creator Dallas Jenkins wants audiences to know that things are about to get rough.

“There’s no way around the fact that the story is getting bigger,” he says. “The stakes are huge.” Katherine Warnock, vice president of original content at The Chosen, adds: “This [season] is the reality of the consequences of what [Jesus and his disciples] went through, what they built.”

Season 4 opens with John the Baptist (David Amito) in the dungeon prison of King Herod (Paul Ben-Victor) and, according to Jenkins, a revelation about what led up to that moment. In addition to King Herod, new faces are introduced, including Herod's wife Herodias (Shereen Khan). Key biblical moments are also brought to life, such as Jesus' (Jonathan Roumie) childhood friend Lazarus (Demetrios Troy) rising from the dead. What that Lazarus looks like after his resurrection is something Troy is eager for fans to see. One of the questions he hopes they ask is, "Who is this man? What has he been through? How does he deal with this man who is not only his friend, but also the Son of God?"

Lazarus isn’t the only character facing major changes. “I love that Matthew is always trying to be the best version of himself,” Paras Patel says of his tax collector-turned-disciple. “Even though there are a lot of challenges, you see Matthew struggle through them to learn from them and become a stronger person.”