The True Meaning of Christmas

• Amazing Scriptural insights on the Christmas Story
• Biblical scholarship and historical references
• Inspiring look at the details most of us never learned about Christmas
• Topics you never considered, and things you always wanted to know
• Distinctive and wonderful Christmas gift for any faithful believer

What does the Bible really say about the birth of Jesus? How did the celebration of Christmas
become associated with things like Santa Claus and decorated trees? In The True Meaning of
Christmas: The Birth of Jesus and the Origins of the Season, biblical scholar Michael Patrick
Barber offers an inspiring look at the Bible’s accounts of Jesus’ birth and the development of the
Christmas season. Along the way, he answers numerous questions, including:

• How is the Christmas story related to ancient Jewish expectations?
• Why is Jesus said to be laid in a “manger”?
• Who are the Magi?
• What is the mysterious Christmas star?
• How did December 25th become the date of Christmas?
• How did Saint Nicholas become “Santa Claus”?

As Barber explains, though some of the answers to these questions may be surprising, only by
understanding the message at the heart of Christmas can we fully enter into the joy it promises.

Contents Summary

1. “I’ll Be Home for Christmas”: An Introduction
   
   
2. “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel”: Ancient Jewish Hopes for a Messiah
   
   
3. “Let Nothing You Dismay”: Gabriel’s Announcement to Zechariah
   
   
4. “Christ Is Born of Mary”: Gabriel’s Announcement to Mary
   
   
5. “Round Yon Virgin”: Why a Virgin Mother
   
   
6. “What Child Is This?”: Joseph and His Dilemma
   
   
7. “Away in a Manger”: Jesus’ Birth in Bethlehem
   
   
8. “Angels We Have Heard on High”: The Shepherds in the Fields
   
   
9. “Star of Wonder”: The Mysterious Magi
   
   
10. “Christ Our God to Earth Descending”: The Historical Figure of Jesus
    
    
11. “The First Nowell”: How December 25 Became Christmas
    
    
12. “It’s Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas”: The Development of the Christmas Celebration