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Hidden Christmas: The Surprising Truth Behind the Birth of Christ Paperback – October 30, 2018

by Timothy Keller (Author)

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From pastor and New York Times bestselling author Timothy Keller comes the perfect gift for the Christmas holiday—a profoundly moving and intellectually provocative examination of the nativity story

Even people who are not practicing Christians think they are familiar with the story of the nativity. Every Christmas displays of Baby Jesus resting in a manger decorate lawns and churchyards, and songs about shepherds and angels fill the air. Yet despite the abundance of these Christian references in popular culture, how many of us have examined the hard edges of this biblical story?

In his new book Timothy Keller takes readers on an illuminating journey into the surprising background of the nativity. By understanding the message of hope and salvation within the Bible’s account of Jesus’ birth, readers will experience the redeeming power of God’s grace in a deeper and more meaningful way.

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Popular Highlights in this book

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That is, that the world is a dark place, and we will never find our way or see reality unless Jesus is our Light.
Highlighted by 2,948 Kindle readers
Things are dark but we believe we can end that darkness with intellect and innovation.
Highlighted by 2,866 Kindle readers
There has never been a gift offered that makes you swallow your pride to the depths that the gift of Jesus Christ requires us to do. Christmas means that we are so lost, so unable to save ourselves, that nothing less than the death of the Son of God himself could save us. That means you are not somebody who can pull yourself together and live a moral and good life.
Highlighted by 2,825 Kindle readers

Editorial Reviews

Review

“[A] great gift book . . . Keller achieves his pastoral goal of teaching Christmas’ most important message—‘God alone has the life, truth, and joy that we lack and cannot generate ourselves’—and in doing so, provides solace for those who seek it.”
—Publishers Weekly

Praise for Timothy Keller and his other books:

“Superb . . . we should be grateful to Keller for his wisdom, scholarship, and humility.”
—The Gospel Coalition

“Tim Keller’s ministry in New York City is leading a generation of seekers and skeptics toward belief in God. I thank God for him.”
—Billy Graham

“Unlike most suburban megachurches, much of Redeemer is remarkably traditional. What is not traditional is Dr. Keller’s skill in speaking the language of his urbane audience. . . . Observing Dr. Keller’s professorial pose on stage, it is easy to understand his appeal.”
—The New York Times

“Fifty years from now, if evangelical Christians are widely known for their love of cities, their commitment to mercy and justice, and their love of their neighbors, Tim Keller will be remembered as a pioneer of the new urban Christians.”
—Christianity Today

About the Author

Timothy Keller was born and raised in Pennsylvania and educated at Bucknell University, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, and Westminster Theological Seminary. His first pastorate was in Hopewell, Virginia. In 1989 he started Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City with his wife, Kathy, and their three sons. Today, Redeemer has nearly six thousand regular Sunday attendees and has helped to start more than three hundred new churches around the world. He is the author of Making Sense of God, The Songs of Jesus, Preaching, Prayer, as well as The Meaning of Marriage, The Prodigal God, and The Reason for God, among others.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Christmas is the only Christian holy day that is also a major secular holiday—arguably our culture’s biggest. The result is two different celebrations, each observed by millions of people at the very same time. This brings some discomfort on both sides. Many Christians can’t help but notice that more and more of the public festivities surrounding Christmas studiously avoid any references to its Christian origins. The background music in stores is moving from “Joy to the World” to “Have A Holly, Jolly Christmas.” The holiday is promoted as a time for family, for giving, and for peace in the world. “Christmas is a wonderful, secular holiday,” wrote one enthusiast at the popular Web site Gawker.

On the other hand, nonreligious people can’t help but find that the older meaning of Christmas keeps intruding uninvited, for instance, through the music of traditional Christmas carols. It can be irritating to have to answer their child’s question, “What does that music mean—‘born to give them second birth’?”

As a Christian believer, I am glad to share the virtues of the day with the entirety of society. The secular Christmas is a festival of lights, a time for family gatherings, and a season to generously give to those closest to us and to those in greatest need. These practices are enriching to everyone, and they are genuinely congruent with the Christian origins of the celebration.

Because of the commercial indispensability of Christmas, it will remain with us as a secular festival. My fear is, however, that its true roots will become more and more hidden to most of the population. The emphasis on light in darkness comes from the Christian belief that the world’s hope comes from outside of it. The giving of gifts is a natural response to Jesus’ stupendous act of self-giving, when he laid aside his glory and was born into the human race. The concern for the needy recalls that the Son of God was born not into an aristocratic family but into a poor one. The Lord of the universe identified with the least and the most excluded of the human race.

These are powerful themes, but every one of them is a two-edged sword. Jesus comes as the Light because we are too spiritually blind to find our own way. Jesus became mortal and died because we are too morally ruined to be pardoned any other way. Jesus gave himself to us, and so we must give ourselves wholly to him. We are, therefore, “not [our] own” (1 Corinthians 6:19). Christmas, like God himself, is both more wondrous and more threatening than we imagine.

Every year our increasingly secular Western society becomes more unaware of its own historical roots, many of which are the fundamentals of the Christian faith. Yet once a year at Christmas these basics truths become a bit more accessible to an enormous audience. At countless gatherings, concerts, parties, and other events, even when most participants are nonreligious, the essentials of the faith can sometimes become visible. As an example, let’s ask some questions of the famous Christmas carol “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing,” heard in malls, in grocery stores, and on street corners. Who is Jesus? He is “everlasting Lord,” who from “highest heaven” comes down to be the “offspring of the virgin’s womb.” What did he come to do? His mission is to see “God and sinners reconciled.” How did he accomplish it? He “lays his glory by,” that we “no more may die." How can this life be ours? Through an inward, spiritual regeneration so radical that, as we have seen, it can be called “the second birth.” With brilliant economy of style, the carol gives us a summary of the entire Christian teaching.

While few of the most familiar Christmas songs and Bible readings are that comprehensive, it remains that one season a year hundreds of millions of people, if they would take the trouble to ask these kinds of questions, would have this same knowledge available to them. To understand Christmas is to understand basic Christianity, the Gospel.

In this book I hope to make the truths of Christmas less hidden. We will look at some passages of the Bible that are famous because they are dusted off every Christmas, at the one moment of the year when our secular society and the Christian church are, to a degree, thinking about the same thing. In the first chapters of the book, looking at the Gospel of Matthew, we will learn about the gifts God gave us at Christmas. In the following chapters, focusing on the Gospel of Luke, we will consider how we can welcome and receive those gifts.

My hope is that, when the reader is done, the true meaning of Christmas will no longer be hidden.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Penguin Books; Reprint edition (October 30, 2018)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 160 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0143133780
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0143133780
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 4.8 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 0.5 x 4.9 x 7 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #147,072 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #52 in Christmas (Books)
- #264 in Christology (Books)
- #2,233 in Christian Inspirational

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Timothy Keller

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Timothy Keller is senior pastor at Redeemer Presbyterian Church, Manhattan. He is renowned for his clear, reasoned approach to Christian apologetics and his book THE REASON FOR GOD: BELIEF IN AN AGE OF SKEPTICISM was named Book of the Year for 2008 by World Magazine.

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SmileCo

Classic Keller Packaged in Fresh Look at Christmas

Reviewed in the United States on November 3, 2016

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Quick Tip: If you have read many of Keller's previous books, you aren't likely to find any ideas here that are new or novel. What you will find is classic Keller thoughtfulness and apologetically minded application applied to the Christmas story. If you haven't read much Keller before, you might as well start here. This isn't his best book in my opinion - but it is a solid addition to his ever-growing body of work.

Detailed Description: I am a real Tim Keller fan. His books have been revolutionary for my ability to articulate difficult matters about the Christian faith. Like other brilliant writers, he is able to take complex theological and philosophical tensions and state them with clarity and simplicity. As a result, I am eager to read anything he publishes. So, I was quick to purchase Hidden Christmas when it was released.

I wasn't disappointed. In Hidden Christmas, Keller looks at the traditional Christmas texts - texts that honestly can get "old" when you think you've heard them a thousand times. But Keller has a way of putting a new light on old texts so that you see them with fresh eyes. That was exactly what I was hoping for - and I walked away with renewed excitement about the Christmas story. My favorite chapter was called The Mothers of Jesus, a chapter that looked at the women mentioned in Matthew's genealogy of Jesus. It is both shocking and deeply encouraging that women were mentioned at all when you understand the cultural setting of the original writings, and then to see that Jesus' resume included outcasts, social rejects, and people of low repute... it renews your appreciation for grace and gratitude for a humble God.

In the end, Keller clearly wants to once again make you amazed and grace and filled with gratitude in response to such a generous God. And, as usual, he hits his mark.

There are eight chapters in the book and it is an easy and enjoyable read. The whole book can be read 2-3 hours. It is, as everything Keller writes, encouraging to those who are already followers of Jesus and engaging for those who are not. So, it could make a great Christmas present for either your pastor or your unbelieving neighbor.

58 people found this helpful

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Pam R.

Great Book!

Reviewed in the United States on February 1, 2024

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A great book revealing the TRUE story about CHRISTmas and the birth of Christ! A must read!

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Bruce

Christmas meaning revealed (without platitudes)

Reviewed in the United States on November 19, 2023

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A refreshing look at the classic scriptures used at Christmas, showing a deeper meaning than the usual religious jargon. Very scholarly but also very uplifting. Worth a few hours of your time.

3 people found this helpful

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loriannwood

Perfect Combination: Keller & Christmas

Reviewed in the United States on December 8, 2023

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I love Tim Keller and my faith has been shaped by his sermons, podcasts, and books. This book was well-written, and solid. However, I only gave it four stars because for me, it lacked the "aha" moment that Keller is known for. (Perhaps I have already aha-ed too many of his thoughts by now!) A good book for those first discovering faith, and for those who need a reminder of where it all began.

2 people found this helpful

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David P.

Great book

Reviewed in the United States on January 25, 2024

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Easy read and eye opening.

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Elaine M.

Lovely book to read before Christmas

Reviewed in the United States on January 10, 2024

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We did this in a small group Bible study. There were great group discussions sparked by its content. We all enjoyed the book. Not to give too much away, but we felt a theme running thru the book was, "He knew I was worth it, so He came for me."

One person found this helpful

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Ryan Low

simple, poetic, insightful

Reviewed in the United States on December 23, 2023

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Keller gives a short simple look at the Christmas event. He has won derful insights to share that are often lost in the midst of our holiday shuffle! The concluding chapter ties the book up beautifully.

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Danielle

Beautiful advent reflections

Reviewed in the United States on December 15, 2023

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Timothy Keller is so gifted at communicating the beauty, majesty and power of the nativity story. This helped me to see Jesus, the hope of glory, with new eyes this advent season.

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Jeremy R.F. Eves

Christmas should be shocking

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 15, 2023

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So often we express frustration that the reason for the Christmas season has been obscured by our many secular and mythical traditions. Yes, we say we know that it's about the birth of Jesus and so we celebrate, maybe even with a slightly smug feeling, that we have risen above the trivial, or maybe that's just me!

In his little book, Hidden Christmas, Tim Keller takes on a journey deep into Christian doctrine simply explained. This is not hard to read or understand, but it's implications are deeply challenging. Really, why would God chose to reveal himself to humanity as a baby through a virgin birth? It's either an insane myth or true and a profound mystery. This is God coming to humanity as a gift; we neither earned it nor deserved it. The angels announced Good News to the Shepherds, they didn't provide advice on how to attain spirituality.

Any profound matter requires much thought and multiple explanations to grasp it fully. Keller's little book helps us to marinate in the truth and implications of Jesus' incarnation at Christmas. Read a chapter a day and then ponder and process it.

One person found this helpful

Eleonora L.

To be read on Xmas time

Reviewed in Italy on May 17, 2022

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Amazing essay on the meaning of Christmas

felizitas zeddies

Sehr gutes Buch

Reviewed in Germany on January 29, 2020

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Das Buch bringt es auf den Punkt. Nämlich die wahre Botschaft von Weihnachten - nicht Kommerz und Kitsch ....

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beth lamb

Amazing book (Fabuleux)

Reviewed in France on November 3, 2017

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Timothy Keller est un écrivain hors norme. C'est un Pasteur américain qui parle à un public jeune (ou jeune d'esprit). Il interprète les mots de la nativité et du Bible donc, et donne un point de vue qui ouvre les yeux et les oreilles de la signification réelle de ces mots. J'ai adore ce livre.

J'ai particulièrement apprécié son commentaire que dans chacun de nous vit le Roi Hérod qui va assassiner Jésus et ses paroles dans le sens qu'on ne veut pas laisser vivre son message en nous et prendre les actions qu'il nous dit.

Un magnifique cadeau pour Noël et à lire et relire. Petit ouvrage que j'ai croqué en une heure. (La couverture est très belle et ça ne gâche rien).

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Amazon Customer

Inspirador, No puedes terminar el libro sin enamorarte del significado de la navidad.

Reviewed in Mexico on January 7, 2017

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El autor nos presenta un mensaje fiel de lo que significa y como entenderlo en nuestro contexto con palabras simples e ilustraciones exelentes. Lei el libro en esta navidad pasada y lleno de mi corazón de una visión renovada hacia esta celebración y su significado.

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