Every great story has a villain. And, I would argue, every great story has a great villain (in the sense that they are cunning, powerful and evil). The Christmas story is no different.

We spend a lot of time talking about Mary and Joseph, the wise men, and the shepherds, but what about the villain–Herod? And did you know there are several Herods in the Bible and not just one? In this sermon, I reviewed the historical and Scriptural references to these “Christmas Villains” (the Herods), the key lessons from their lives and how they, in a counterintuitive way, point to the one, true King.

Here’s a list of the important Herods: (1) Herod the Great was the key figure in the Christmas story that killed the babies in Bethlehem, (2) Herod Antipas was the son of Herod the Great that killed John the Baptist and earned a reprimand from Christ, (3) Herod Agrippa I was the grandson of Herod the Great that arrested Peter and was eaten of worms, and (4) Herod Agrippa II was the great-grandson of Herod the Great that conversed with Paul and almost became a Christian.

Here’s a family tree:

Here’s the Outline:

1. The Monarch in the Manger
2. The Fox and the Lion
3. At Terms with the Worms
4. The Gospel to the Great

And some key takeaways:

• An explanation of the varying levels of government at the time of Christ.
• What Jesus meant when He called Herod Antipas a “fox.”
• The remarkable family history that both Paul and Agrippa knew during Paul’s sermon in Acts 26. This perspective completely changed the way I read that passage.
• Though the Herods were royally messed up, they weren’t the actual Christmas villains. I explain why.

2025 has been a somber year with a rise in politically motivated violence–including the public assassination of Charlie Kirk–and heightened tensions and conflict around the world. 2025 has also been an encouraging year with a comeback of creation order (i.e., women’s sports and the Skrmetti case allowing states to take cross-sex hormones and transition surgeries off the medical menu for minors), a renewed opportunity for and interest in church-state partnership, and the sparks of spiritual renewal. Here are five lessons from 2025.

Key Sources/Interviews:

• Os Guinness – Our Civilizational Moment: The Waning of the West and the War of the Worlds
• Indiana State Comptroller Elise Nieshalla – The National Debt Crisis and How to Respond
• Birjan Crispin – Gen Z, Gen Alpha, and Christian Citizenship
• Tim Goeglein – Stumbling Toward Utopia: How the 1960s Turned Into a National Nightmare and How We Can Revive the American Dream
• Andrew Walker – What Do I Say When
• Pastors and Politics; Review of Key 2025 SCOTUS Decisions
• Pew – Religion Holds Stead in America
• National Debt Clock

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In this episode, I share seven key lessons I learned while completing a verse-by-verse study of the book of Acts. Also, Professor Sean O’Neill joins me for an interview-style discussion on the reliability of the book of Acts (and the New Testament generally), including the accuracy of official/government titles recounted by Luke; the interplay between Herod and Rome; Paul’s Roman citizenship, and the incredible details of Paul’s sea voyage in Acts 27. This Christmas (and all year round), we can be confident that our faith is rooted in real people and real places. And we can know that God‘s Word is a sure foundation for our lives and families.

Big Idea for the Series: The early church carried the gospel throughout the known world in approximately 30 years and transformed an empire in 3 centuries. Now the church seems intimidated, uncertain amidst swift cultural changes. So, what did the early Christians, commanded by Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, do that we are not doing? Here are their Acts, and may they inspire our own.

Here are some of Professor O’Neill’s credentials:

• Bachelors, University of Michigan; — Masters and PhD, University of Cincinnati – Bronze age archeology. Egypt.
• Teaching at Hanover College since 2011 in the Dept. of Classical Studies (focusing on the archaeology, language, literature, and history of the Ancient Mediterranean world).
• Published scholarship on topics ranging from the archaeological site of Troy to the art and archaeology of Ptolemaic and Roman Egypt.
• Ancient Language and Literature studies have included working on (and teaching) texts in Latin, Greek, Aramaic, Hebrew, Hieroglyphic Egyptian, and Demotic Egyptian.
• Can read and write 11 languages.

Key Lessons:

1. Christ is King.
2. We have Holy Spirit Power.
3. Don’t Do Ministry Alone.
4. The Gospel is for All People.
5. Expect Persecution.
6. The Church is God’s Plan A.
7. The Word does the Work.

*Correction Notice: Professor O’Neill mentioned that detractors of the book of Acts hypothesize that the book was written in the 4th and early 5th centuries. He reached out to us later and asked us to included a correction: detractors of the book of Acts hypothesize that the book was written in the 3rd and early 4th centuries.

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