WHAT THE HELL? A Christmas Reflection on Sin, Judgment, and Mercy

Hell is not a comfortable topic, and Christmas is not usually when we want to think about judgment, sin, or eternity. But the birth of Christ only makes sense if we are honest about what went wrong, what we cannot fix, and what God has done to rescue us.

In this episode of Bad Fruit Podcast, we walk through the full arc of Christian theology, starting with creation, moving through the Fall, exile, judgment, and hell, and ending with the Gospel hope of Christ’s incarnation, cross, and resurrection. This is not a debate episode and not a reaction video. It is a careful, Scripture-centered reflection on why hell exists, what the Bible actually says about it, and why mercy can only be understood through Christ.

We address questions about annihilationism, eternal punishment, the “second death,” post-death repentance, and the common “Hitler vs. grandma” framing, while keeping the focus where Scripture keeps it: not on comparative morality, but on Christ alone. This is a Law-heavy episode that ends where it must end, with the Gospel, with the manger, and with the promise that God has entered our exile to bring us home.

A sobering, pastoral, and unexpected Christmas episode that reminds us why the angels’ announcement was truly good news. Merry Christmas!

Bob joins me this week to share how God miraculously healed him. And we also talk about his time on the James River prayer team. And an interesting interaction he had with John Lindell.

As always you can email me at badfruitpodcast@gmail.com

Zach attended the James River College when Bill Johnson and his Bethel team came to visit, and he shares his experiences and perspective on his time there. It is a great conversation and we have a few laughs along the way. If you would like to get in touch please email me at badfruitpodcast@gmail.com