The Surprising Truth Behind the Birth of Christ - Hidden Christmas

I have read many books on the meaning of Christmas. This one is OUTSTANDING! It is both easy and deep reading. Keller's insights continue to astound. We are using for an Advent study in our Sunday School, and everyone is loving it. That says a lot since usually they only like DVD studies -- and they have to actually READ this book! :-)

This book is very well done and very well anchored in the Gospel, as one would expect from Keller. At the same time, it felt like I was reading sermon transcripts more than an original writing. Nothing wrong with reading Keller sermons. I have on many occasions done that on my own. I gave it 4 stars so I obviously really like the book. Just pointing out that each chapter ended with what felt like a close of the sermon invitation, which while not bad in any way, made it feel like a sermon rather than a book.

Absolutely loved this book. Christmas is a beautiful time, but,, stressful too. Timothy Keller brings the peace, beauty, and truths of this season to us in concise detail where we can each breathe in the joy of Christmas once again.

This book reminded me of the simplicity and wonder of Christmas and how we desperately need our Savior. Tim Keller did a fantastic job of bringing the Gospel to the forefront of the birth of Jesus. Glad I read this!

I liked that this was a thoughtful reflection and study on the Christmas stories in the gospels with many interesting observations and commentary that were illuminating and faith-strengthening. People who are familiar with the Christmas story will be amazed at what they have missed. People who are unfamiliar will get a good introduction and understand how Christianity differs from other faiths. Easy to read with great examples, scripture references and clear explanations.

Keller is trading on his reputation and that Christians will read anything he writes. There is no great revelation here. No new insights to the Birth of Christ or celebratetion of it. It looks to me that his agent said he needed to write something and he sat down and ripped this off in a few hours. Waste of money at any price.

I enjoy books that are written on themes found in the Bible. Even more enjoyable are books that are written on a subject well known to most believers but that present the subject matter in an entire new light while remaining faithful to the Scriptural text. Hidden Christmas by Timothy Keller does just that!

With brevity and yet deep, insightful truths, Keller wrote this book with both the believer and the non-believer in mind. It would make a tremendous gift this time of the year for your unbelieving friend who would read something like this. Just eight chapters comprise this short little work; however, I will argue that it is one of my favorite of his.

Keller is a master at digging beneath the surface, infusing illustrations all the while bringing out the gospel message in nearly every chapter/truth he presents. Just go and get the book and read it! You will not be disappointed!

Here is one of the many sections I underlined in the book:

"In the Bible the people who actually saw and heard Jesus never reacted indifferently or even mildly. Once they realized what he was claiming about himself, either they were scared of him or furious with him or they knelt down before him and worshipped him. But nobody simply liked him. Nobody said, 'He is so inspiring. He makes me want to live a better life.' If the baby born at Christmas is the Mighty God, then you must serve him completely." p.13

Tim Keller doesn't disappoint. This book is a delightful and easy read that is filled with poignant truths. Each chapter is laced with the richness of the Gospel, and Keller uses the nativity narrative to direct our gaze to the Word made flesh and the profound impact that His incarnation has (or should have) on the way we live. If we truly believe that God humbled Himself by becoming a newborn- if Jesus is truly who He claimed- then He is not just a great example to be admired or emulated. He is King, sovereign and Lord of our lives, and our only reasonable response is to join His mother Mary in saying, "Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.”

Keller brings newness to the Birth of Christ story in his own powerful way. It was therapeutic for me to clear some of the misconceptions I had fallen into through over-familiarity with the story we all think we know so well.

What can be said of Timothy Keller's Hidden Christmas—a very good book! A great book for Christmas.

But, I’ve come across another new book by Dr. Jeffrey Donley titled The Counterfeit Christmas: What the Gospels Really Teach About the Birth of Jesus. (Check it out on the store).

Donley far outshines Keller' work. Check it out for yourself! You decide!

Donley has a truly unique voice that is gripping, unusual, and absorbing. His writing is so effortless that you don’t realize until you race to the last sentence just how carefully he’s plotted this page-turner. The combination of Donley’s comprehensive (meticulous) research and his skill at creating credible characters of Mary, Joseph, Herod the Great, and the Wisemen, make for a factual and very exciting reading. Donley pulls everything together in a story that suits his gifts for compelling historical narrative. Donley’s book will uplift you while skillfully communicating some of life’s verities through the experiences of Mary and Joseph.

In Donley’s book the narrative he CORRECTS the counterfeit Christmas traditional nativity scene. There was no donkey for Mary to ride on! No mean innkeeper! No sweet-smelling crib for Jesus to lay in! No blue or white blanket to cover baby Jesus! No warm barn for Mary to give birth in! No Wisemen at Jesus’ birth! There were not three Wisemen! The Wisemen were not Kings. The Wisemen did not ride camels! Donley even teaches us the true identity of the Wisemen through historical documentation

Get BOTH books for Christmas!