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bhapp's review
A quick read and great way to kick off December! Extra points for the Doctor Who references
christopherchandler's review
4.0
Simple book that basically tackles a few questions about the Gospels.
shelfreflectionofficial's review
5.0
We all know the Christmas story.
But do we believe the Christmas story?
Rebecca McLaughlin, author of Confronting Christianity: 12 Hard Questions for the World’s Largest Religion, has written this super short (64 page) book outlining briefly, yet convincingly, why we can believe the Christmas story.
“I hope this little book will help you think a little more about the man who landed in our world 2,000 years ago, I hope it will persuade you that he’s more important than you thought. And I hope it will make you wonder if his unbelievable claim that he’d come to save the world… might just be true.”
The four questions mentioned in the subtitle of this book are these:
1. Was Jesus even a real person?
2. Can we take the Gospels seriously?
3. How can you believe in a virgin birth?
4. Why does it matter?
The logic follows:
If the main character of the Christmas story is Jesus, then first of all— did he really exist? The answer to that one is easy— yes. She gives three extra-biblical historical sources that name Jesus and confirm claims made by the gospel accounts.
If Jesus is real then can we trust what was written about him? She talks here about eyewitness accounts and pokes holes in the theory that the authors of the Gospels would have made all of it up.
So then if we can trust that the authors were telling the truth, then we must accept a virgin birth? Yes. Here she poses that if we believe in a God who created the universe then it would not be irrational to believe in a virgin birth. So we must consider the origins of the universe.
I like the quote she includes from Australian author, Glen Scrivener: “Christians believe in the virgin birth of Jesus. Atheists believe in the virgin birth of the universe. Choose your miracle.”
And at this point, if we are thinking through all of this we must ask- why does it matter? Here she talks about what we lose if we remove God from our moral structures that undoubtedly are influenced from biblical principles.
Consider why we believe universal human rights exist— where do those come from? (She talks about this further in her book ‘The Secular Creed: Engaging Five Contemporary Claims.’)
Does your life have worth and meaning? It matters because life matters and we should know why.
And of course she ends with the message of the gospel. Because the reality is, if Jesus is real, if the Bible is trustworthy, and if Jesus, fully God and fully man, truly died and rose again, then we must believe all that the Bible tells us.
Which is bad news. And good news.
The Bible tells us that we are sinners deserving of death who cannot save ourselves. We are doomed. Yet there is a path to redemption and that path is in Christ alone by grace alone through faith alone.
We therefore have two choices: Either we accept this gift of salvation and choose to trust and follow Christ. Or we reject it.
That’s why considering whether the Christmas story is believable matters. Because if it is true, your choice is a choice of life or death.
That sounds dramatic. But it’s the truth.
This is a great, concise, sufficient resource to consider these questions but it is by no means exhaustive. Her first book I linked may provide more depth to questions you have about Christianity.
Don’t let the familiarity of the Christmas story numb you to the reality of the Christmas story.
Do you believe it?
[Spoiler Alert: This spring she is releasing a follow-up book called ‘Is Easter Unbelievable?’ where she will go more in-depth on the resurrection than she did in this book]
Book Review Blog: www.shelfreflection.com
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But do we believe the Christmas story?
Rebecca McLaughlin, author of Confronting Christianity: 12 Hard Questions for the World’s Largest Religion, has written this super short (64 page) book outlining briefly, yet convincingly, why we can believe the Christmas story.
“I hope this little book will help you think a little more about the man who landed in our world 2,000 years ago, I hope it will persuade you that he’s more important than you thought. And I hope it will make you wonder if his unbelievable claim that he’d come to save the world… might just be true.”
The four questions mentioned in the subtitle of this book are these:
1. Was Jesus even a real person?
2. Can we take the Gospels seriously?
3. How can you believe in a virgin birth?
4. Why does it matter?
The logic follows:
If the main character of the Christmas story is Jesus, then first of all— did he really exist? The answer to that one is easy— yes. She gives three extra-biblical historical sources that name Jesus and confirm claims made by the gospel accounts.
If Jesus is real then can we trust what was written about him? She talks here about eyewitness accounts and pokes holes in the theory that the authors of the Gospels would have made all of it up.
So then if we can trust that the authors were telling the truth, then we must accept a virgin birth? Yes. Here she poses that if we believe in a God who created the universe then it would not be irrational to believe in a virgin birth. So we must consider the origins of the universe.
I like the quote she includes from Australian author, Glen Scrivener: “Christians believe in the virgin birth of Jesus. Atheists believe in the virgin birth of the universe. Choose your miracle.”
And at this point, if we are thinking through all of this we must ask- why does it matter? Here she talks about what we lose if we remove God from our moral structures that undoubtedly are influenced from biblical principles.
Consider why we believe universal human rights exist— where do those come from? (She talks about this further in her book ‘The Secular Creed: Engaging Five Contemporary Claims.’)
Does your life have worth and meaning? It matters because life matters and we should know why.
And of course she ends with the message of the gospel. Because the reality is, if Jesus is real, if the Bible is trustworthy, and if Jesus, fully God and fully man, truly died and rose again, then we must believe all that the Bible tells us.
Which is bad news. And good news.
The Bible tells us that we are sinners deserving of death who cannot save ourselves. We are doomed. Yet there is a path to redemption and that path is in Christ alone by grace alone through faith alone.
We therefore have two choices: Either we accept this gift of salvation and choose to trust and follow Christ. Or we reject it.
That’s why considering whether the Christmas story is believable matters. Because if it is true, your choice is a choice of life or death.
That sounds dramatic. But it’s the truth.
This is a great, concise, sufficient resource to consider these questions but it is by no means exhaustive. Her first book I linked may provide more depth to questions you have about Christianity.
Don’t let the familiarity of the Christmas story numb you to the reality of the Christmas story.
Do you believe it?
[Spoiler Alert: This spring she is releasing a follow-up book called ‘Is Easter Unbelievable?’ where she will go more in-depth on the resurrection than she did in this book]
Book Review Blog: www.shelfreflection.com
Facebook: www.Facebook.com/shelfreflection
Pinterest: www.Pinterest.com/shelfreflectionblog
mrshharrold's review
5.0
An articulate, short read for those who might have questions about the story of the very first Christmas. It is the perfect book for people to give to friends, family, or strangers who might have reservations about the birth of Jesus Christ. For people who question whether it is historically accurate to say Jesus Christ even lived. For people who question whether science undermines the virgin birth. McLaughlin faithfully writes about the birth of Jesus Christ, specifically to speak into the hearts of an audience questioning the validity of the birth of Christ.
panda_incognito's review
5.0
This book opens and closes with powerful illustrations from Doctor Who, so of course I loved it. However, even if someone doesn't connect with the pop culture references that contrast with or illustrate Christian concepts, this book is well worth reading for its brief, succinct arguments for Jesus's historicity and the accuracy of the gospel narratives as eyewitness accounts. Rebecca McLaughlin respectfully addresses common questions that people have about the Christmas story, whether they are adult skeptics or her own small children.
Is Christmas Unbelievable? is only sixty-three pages long, including the endnotes, but this isn't because it is light on content. It's because Rebecca McLaughlin has the gift of brevity, and can express complex concepts in simple, well-chosen words, without any extra rambling. This incredibly succinct, well-argued book is great for adults and teenagers, regardless of their existing faith backgrounds or commitments. Because the book is so brief and easy to read, it is accessible to people who are busy with the usual holiday rush, and those who aren't sure if they're even interested in evaluating the claims of Christianity can do so in very short order.
This is a great book for skeptics who want to think more about faith, Christians who want to learn more about the historical basis for their beliefs, and teenagers who are ready to understand familiar Bible stories on a deeper level. Some families could also read through this together over a few nights, and if someone is going to ask a non-Christian friend to read an Christian book with them, this would be an excellent choice, since it is so brief, well-argued, and fully focused on the essentials of faith. I really appreciated this book, and highly recommend it.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Is Christmas Unbelievable? is only sixty-three pages long, including the endnotes, but this isn't because it is light on content. It's because Rebecca McLaughlin has the gift of brevity, and can express complex concepts in simple, well-chosen words, without any extra rambling. This incredibly succinct, well-argued book is great for adults and teenagers, regardless of their existing faith backgrounds or commitments. Because the book is so brief and easy to read, it is accessible to people who are busy with the usual holiday rush, and those who aren't sure if they're even interested in evaluating the claims of Christianity can do so in very short order.
This is a great book for skeptics who want to think more about faith, Christians who want to learn more about the historical basis for their beliefs, and teenagers who are ready to understand familiar Bible stories on a deeper level. Some families could also read through this together over a few nights, and if someone is going to ask a non-Christian friend to read an Christian book with them, this would be an excellent choice, since it is so brief, well-argued, and fully focused on the essentials of faith. I really appreciated this book, and highly recommend it.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.