A minor controversy occurred when some viewers believed that Satan (played by Mohamen Mehdi Ouazanni) was portrayed to look similar to President Barack Obama. Executive producer Mark Burnett explicitly denied this. Ouazanni's scenes were deleted from the condensed feature film version, Son of God (2014).
The production consulted 47 theological advisers, including Rick Warren, the pastor of Los Angeles' Saddleback Church, and one rabbi.
Roma Downey, who performed as Mary in this television miniseries, worked as executive producer alongside her husband. She previously portrayed an angel named Monica on Les anges du bonheur (1994).
A shorter, edited version of the mini-series will be released as a feature film.
Robert Powell (narrator in the version released in the UK) previously performed as Christ Jesus in the television miniseries Jésus de Nazareth (1977)