Also by this author: Essential Christianity: The Heart of the Gospel in Ten Words, Essential Christianity: The Heart of the Gospel in Ten Words (What is Christianity - an introduction to Christian beliefs and meaning)
Published by Good Book Company on November 11, 2020
Genres: Non-Fiction, Christian Life, Theology
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Most of us are familiar the the events of the first Christmas - manger, shepherds, angels, wise men... but what if there's more to the story than we realize?
This book looks behind the birth of the baby in a manger to discover how the deeper truths of the Christmas story offer the hope, peace, and belonging we're all searching for, one way or another.
In this short, simple book, J.D. Greear explains who Jesus is, using the titles prophesied by Isaiah to show how Jesus is our wonderful counselor, mighty God, prince of peace, and everlasting father. Greear writes in a way that is accessible to both skeptics and Christians, providing a fresh view of the Nativity in his emphasis on how Jesus offers us the belonging, understanding, and love that we have always been looking for. Searching for Christmas is a quick, easy read in a conversational style, and Greear explains theological concepts in simple, modern language, illustrating his points with personal stories.
This is a great resource for seekers who are interested in Jesus but don’t have a church background, and it is also a good option for someone who isn’t personally interested in faith, but wants to understand why Christmas is an important religious holiday. Greear writes with sensitivity to people who have negative associations with religion, and also includes information related to the historicity of Jesus and other hang-ups that readers may have. He does this in a simple and direct way, covering an amazing number of questions and topics in just over sixty pages. As a writer who struggles to be concise, I greatly admire his ability to explain the Christian faith with such brevity and simplicity.
Even though Greear wrote this with seekers and skeptics in mind, I would also recommend it to Christians. Searching for Christmas blows the dust away from a familiar story, presenting it in a fresh way with an emphasis on how Jesus offers peace, salvation, comfort, and understanding. As Greear acknowledges at the beginning of the book, 2020 has been an incredibly hard year for many people, and I cannot think of anything that would be more comforting and encouraging to read before this Christmas. I enjoyed this book very much, and will return to it in years to come.
