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Hidden Christmas: The Surprising Truth behind the Birth of Christ
One of bestselling New York pastor Tim Keller's most popular Christmas sermons, expanded and published in a beautiful gift edition.
The New Testament begins not with a dramatic narrative or lofty poetry but with a genealogy. Provocatively, Matthew's gospel includes women in Jesus' family line - something that wasn't customary in an ancient culture, where women were largely powerless and uninfluential.
In this surprising take on the Christmas story, Tim Keller reveals how, by focusing on the women in Jesus' birth narratives, a colourful, scandalous, and refreshing tale of grace emerges.
162 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 1, 2016
1741 people are currently reading
5389 people want to read
About the author
Timothy J. Keller
396 books5,728 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Timothy Keller was the founding pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Manhattan, which he started in 1989 with his wife, Kathy, and three young sons. For over twenty years he has led a diverse congregation of young professionals that has grown to a weekly attendance of over 5,000.
He was also Chairman of Redeemer City to City, which starts new churches in New York and other global cities, and publishes books and resources for faith in an urban culture. In over ten years they have helped to launch over 250 churches in 48 cities. More recently, Dr. Keller’s books, including the New York Times bestselling The Reason for God and The Prodigal God, have sold over 1 million copies and been translated into 15 languages.
Christianity Today has said, “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.”
Dr. Keller was born and raised in Pennsylvania, and educated at Bucknell University, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, and Westminster Theological Seminary. He previously served as the pastor of West Hopewell Presbyterian Church in Hopewell, Virginia, Associate Professor of Practical Theology at Westminster Theological Seminary, and Director of Mercy Ministries for the Presbyterian Church in America.
Timothy Keller was the founding pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Manhattan, which he started in 1989 with his wife, Kathy, and three young sons. For over twenty years he has led a diverse congregation of young professionals that has grown to a weekly attendance of over 5,000.
He was also Chairman of Redeemer City to City, which starts new churches in New York and other global cities, and publishes books and resources for faith in an urban culture. In over ten years they have helped to launch over 250 churches in 48 cities. More recently, Dr. Keller’s books, including the New York Times bestselling The Reason for God and The Prodigal God, have sold over 1 million copies and been translated into 15 languages.
Christianity Today has said, “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.”
Dr. Keller was born and raised in Pennsylvania, and educated at Bucknell University, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, and Westminster Theological Seminary. He previously served as the pastor of West Hopewell Presbyterian Church in Hopewell, Virginia, Associate Professor of Practical Theology at Westminster Theological Seminary, and Director of Mercy Ministries for the Presbyterian Church in America.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 768 reviews
October 28, 2016
Two things impressed me most about this book: the warmth and engaging call of the gospel in every chapter, and Keller’s skillful way of handling complex theological topics with wonderful precision. Keller’s treatment of the favorite Christmas passages is complete with God’s sovereign grace, man’s corruption and sin, the need to respond in faith, the fact that faith is something only God gives, the Lordship that salvation demands, and on and on. I’ve never seen it put so humbly, so gently, so clearly, so accurately, so concisely. But the average reader won’t even know he’s reading a theological tour de force—it’s just the Christmas story, well told, suffused with the gospel. Keller writes like a modern-day C. S. Lewis, wrapping profound theology in the language of Everyman. There is no jargon in this book.
Keller manages to get beyond the matters that divide in our current social scene and strikes right to the heart of our brokenness and sin. You can hand Hidden Christmas to the most radical leftist, or to a Constitutional conservative, and neither will be offended by anything but the presentation of the cross itself.
I’ve read a few, not all, of Keller’s books. This is the best so far, which is saying a lot since the others have been so good. In Hidden Christmas the author takes the Christmas texts from Matthew and Luke and carefully unfolds their meanings. A Liberty and Westminster grad, I’ve been preaching and teaching since 1978, and in every chapter Keller is writing about things I’ve never noticed in these passages of Scripture, and they are powerful and profound!
Hidden Christmas is the gospel presentation you’ve been waiting for. Get a copy, enjoy it yourself, and then pass it on to a loved one.
Keller manages to get beyond the matters that divide in our current social scene and strikes right to the heart of our brokenness and sin. You can hand Hidden Christmas to the most radical leftist, or to a Constitutional conservative, and neither will be offended by anything but the presentation of the cross itself.
I’ve read a few, not all, of Keller’s books. This is the best so far, which is saying a lot since the others have been so good. In Hidden Christmas the author takes the Christmas texts from Matthew and Luke and carefully unfolds their meanings. A Liberty and Westminster grad, I’ve been preaching and teaching since 1978, and in every chapter Keller is writing about things I’ve never noticed in these passages of Scripture, and they are powerful and profound!
Hidden Christmas is the gospel presentation you’ve been waiting for. Get a copy, enjoy it yourself, and then pass it on to a loved one.
December 19, 2019
An outstanding examination of the Christmas story as told in the gospels (drawing too on biblical carols, Simeon’s blessing and the opening of 1 John).
A book perhaps ideally read at Advent - and one I therefore revisited during that season - but full of truth all year round.
Its particular strength for the Christian is the author’s ability to present new perspectives and pose powerful challenges in passages which are familiar (perhaps overly familiar).
Also I think a book which could be given to a non-Christian interested in exploring the truth behind the carols and nativity plays.
Highly recommended.
A book perhaps ideally read at Advent - and one I therefore revisited during that season - but full of truth all year round.
Its particular strength for the Christian is the author’s ability to present new perspectives and pose powerful challenges in passages which are familiar (perhaps overly familiar).
Also I think a book which could be given to a non-Christian interested in exploring the truth behind the carols and nativity plays.
Highly recommended.
December 13, 2019
Outstanding! Wonderful insights pulled from Christmas stories to remind us of the truths that are the foundation for this special time of year. Would be worth rereading every year as Keller gives you so many nuggets to digest.
It took me a few years to get around to rereading this, but I am reminded of the value of including this little volume into my advent preparations. In the Introduction, Timothy J. Keller summarizes the book in this way: "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 gits 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 not longer be hidden."
He nailed it!
It took me a few years to get around to rereading this, but I am reminded of the value of including this little volume into my advent preparations. In the Introduction, Timothy J. Keller summarizes the book in this way: "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 gits 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 not longer be hidden."
He nailed it!
December 5, 2017
Tim Keller, pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Manhattan, has a powerful gift for writing clearly and intelligently about the gospel, in a way that reaches nonbelievers and shakes things up for believers. I've yet to come across a Keller book that isn't worth reading. And, though this one is short, it's far from an exception. This pint-size volume is the perfect meditation on the real meaning and importance on Christmas - a must-read during the Advent season, as we get ready for the big day.
In the eight chapters of Hidden Christmas, Keller boils down decades of Christmas sermons into reflections on key passages from the Old and New Testaments that deal with Christmas themes. As prone as our culture oft is to conceive of Christmas as merely a nice, sentimental holiday, Keller unravels that: Christmas is subversive; Christmas is realistic; Christmas is honest; and, above all, Christmas is full of the life-disrupting grace of God.
In the first chapter ("Light Has Dawned," rooted in Isaiah 9:2-7), Keller notes that Christmas implies that "the world is a dark place, and we will never find our way or see reality unless Jesus is our Light" (6). Christmas does not mean we can brighten the world if we merely come together. To the contrary, Christmas means that our human resources can never fix the world - but yet we have hope from outside the world. Jesus cannot merely be liked; he must be accepted or rejected. He "brings a new life to replace our spiritual deadness, ... he shows us the truth that heals our spiritual blindness, and ... he is the beauty that breaks our addictions to money, sex, and power" (15). His birth is a gift that makes us swallow our pride to receive him: "To accept the true Christmas gift, you have to admit you're a sinner. You need to be saved by grace" (17).
In the second chapter ("The Mothers of Jesus," based on Matthew 1:1-17), Keller aims to elucidate the difference between good advice (what most religions offer) and good news (what Jesus is). Jesus doesn't simply tell us what to do; the good news is what he has done. Keller highlights the numerous Gentile women appearing in the Matthean genealogy: "The grace of God is so pervasive that even the begats of the Bible are dripping with God's mercy" (33). Matthew's genealogy, structured as six sets of seven generations, "makes Jesus the beginning of the seventh seven," the promised Jubilee rest, showing what Christ will bring (37-39).
In the third chapter ("The Fathers of Jesus," based on Matthew 1:18-23), Keller meditates on the significance of the title 'Immanuel,' Jesus being God-become-human present with his people, as a way of inaugurating a deep and genuine relationship with us. Using Joseph as an example, Keller outlines the three kinds of courage requisite for believers: courage to take the world's disdain, courage to surrender our right to self-determination, and courage to admit we're sinners; and the only place to find that sort of courage is to look to Jesus himself.
Later chapters are no less incisive. The fourth ("Where is the King?", based on Matthew 2:1-23) reflects on how Christ's kingdom threatens worldly powers like Herod, especially the 'little King Herod' in our own hearts that wants to be master of our own lives (68). The fifth chapter ("Mary's Faith," based on Luke 1:27-38) reflects on Mary's attitude toward Gabriel's announcement: she responds thoughtfully, gradually, in wonder, and in willing surrender. The sixth chapter ("The Shepherds' Faith," based on Luke 2:8-20) considers the need to hear well, make peace, fear not, and behold the gospel. The seventh ("A Sword in the Soul," based on Luke 2:33-35) reminds us that living out the message of Christmas will lead to conflict in a fallen world and requires the 'sword' of repentance within our own souls. The final chapter ("The Doctrine of Christmas," based on 1 John 1:1-4) returns to the message that Jesus himself is eternal life, so salvation can only be "by grace alone through faith in Christ alone" (131).
The book, brief though it is, is full of well-spoken truth. Get it and read it during the Advent season; perhaps buy more copies to disseminate among your friends!
In the eight chapters of Hidden Christmas, Keller boils down decades of Christmas sermons into reflections on key passages from the Old and New Testaments that deal with Christmas themes. As prone as our culture oft is to conceive of Christmas as merely a nice, sentimental holiday, Keller unravels that: Christmas is subversive; Christmas is realistic; Christmas is honest; and, above all, Christmas is full of the life-disrupting grace of God.
In the first chapter ("Light Has Dawned," rooted in Isaiah 9:2-7), Keller notes that Christmas implies that "the world is a dark place, and we will never find our way or see reality unless Jesus is our Light" (6). Christmas does not mean we can brighten the world if we merely come together. To the contrary, Christmas means that our human resources can never fix the world - but yet we have hope from outside the world. Jesus cannot merely be liked; he must be accepted or rejected. He "brings a new life to replace our spiritual deadness, ... he shows us the truth that heals our spiritual blindness, and ... he is the beauty that breaks our addictions to money, sex, and power" (15). His birth is a gift that makes us swallow our pride to receive him: "To accept the true Christmas gift, you have to admit you're a sinner. You need to be saved by grace" (17).
In the second chapter ("The Mothers of Jesus," based on Matthew 1:1-17), Keller aims to elucidate the difference between good advice (what most religions offer) and good news (what Jesus is). Jesus doesn't simply tell us what to do; the good news is what he has done. Keller highlights the numerous Gentile women appearing in the Matthean genealogy: "The grace of God is so pervasive that even the begats of the Bible are dripping with God's mercy" (33). Matthew's genealogy, structured as six sets of seven generations, "makes Jesus the beginning of the seventh seven," the promised Jubilee rest, showing what Christ will bring (37-39).
In the third chapter ("The Fathers of Jesus," based on Matthew 1:18-23), Keller meditates on the significance of the title 'Immanuel,' Jesus being God-become-human present with his people, as a way of inaugurating a deep and genuine relationship with us. Using Joseph as an example, Keller outlines the three kinds of courage requisite for believers: courage to take the world's disdain, courage to surrender our right to self-determination, and courage to admit we're sinners; and the only place to find that sort of courage is to look to Jesus himself.
Later chapters are no less incisive. The fourth ("Where is the King?", based on Matthew 2:1-23) reflects on how Christ's kingdom threatens worldly powers like Herod, especially the 'little King Herod' in our own hearts that wants to be master of our own lives (68). The fifth chapter ("Mary's Faith," based on Luke 1:27-38) reflects on Mary's attitude toward Gabriel's announcement: she responds thoughtfully, gradually, in wonder, and in willing surrender. The sixth chapter ("The Shepherds' Faith," based on Luke 2:8-20) considers the need to hear well, make peace, fear not, and behold the gospel. The seventh ("A Sword in the Soul," based on Luke 2:33-35) reminds us that living out the message of Christmas will lead to conflict in a fallen world and requires the 'sword' of repentance within our own souls. The final chapter ("The Doctrine of Christmas," based on 1 John 1:1-4) returns to the message that Jesus himself is eternal life, so salvation can only be "by grace alone through faith in Christ alone" (131).
The book, brief though it is, is full of well-spoken truth. Get it and read it during the Advent season; perhaps buy more copies to disseminate among your friends!
December 22, 2017
This was a brilliant read, This is not just a book for Christmas, there is loads on the pages for all the year around.
November 30, 2021
This was fantastic. The way Keller delivered this was simple and profound. I loved it!
December 24, 2016
I've observed Advent the last few years and will read a few books each time. This is the best book I've read on Christmas simply because it shares the Gospel in such a powerful way. Keller is a master theologian and has the great skill of being able to communicate Scripture in everyday terms.
I thought I knew all there was to know about Advent, however, Keller manages to draw the reader into new perspectives and insights about the wonder and grace of Christmas. There are only 8 chapters but don't be fooled by the shortness of the book; there is much treasure to ponder upon which makes the reading slow and thoughtful in order to allow such insights to go deep in one's heart.
Each chapter starts with a passage from one of the gospels, except for the last one which draws from 1 John 1. The first 4 chapters discuss the great things God gives us in Christmas and the second half Keller shares how we should respond and how to receive what God has given us. My favourite chapter was Chapter 5 which focuses on Mary's faith. She is a model of what "responsive Christian faith looks like." Keller compares Zechariah's doubts to that of Mary's: both are incredulous but Mary simply accepts what Gabriel has to say. Further, using Mary as the example Keller demonstrates how faith only comes from God revealing Himself to us. It was when Mary visited Elizabeth and the intervention of the Holy Spirit through Elizabeth's words confirming everything Gabriel said that Mary "knew" in her heart she carried the Messiah in her womb.
Mary shows us how to live. "Mary surrendered her will to God." Becoming a Christian "means to take your hands off your life." Yes. Yes.
I've read a few of Keller's books but I think this is my favourite due to its conciseness and depth of theological insight of the Gospel. Don't wait till Christmas to read this as its fruit is so plentiful and relevant it can be consumed at any time of the year.
Very highly recommended.
I thought I knew all there was to know about Advent, however, Keller manages to draw the reader into new perspectives and insights about the wonder and grace of Christmas. There are only 8 chapters but don't be fooled by the shortness of the book; there is much treasure to ponder upon which makes the reading slow and thoughtful in order to allow such insights to go deep in one's heart.
Each chapter starts with a passage from one of the gospels, except for the last one which draws from 1 John 1. The first 4 chapters discuss the great things God gives us in Christmas and the second half Keller shares how we should respond and how to receive what God has given us. My favourite chapter was Chapter 5 which focuses on Mary's faith. She is a model of what "responsive Christian faith looks like." Keller compares Zechariah's doubts to that of Mary's: both are incredulous but Mary simply accepts what Gabriel has to say. Further, using Mary as the example Keller demonstrates how faith only comes from God revealing Himself to us. It was when Mary visited Elizabeth and the intervention of the Holy Spirit through Elizabeth's words confirming everything Gabriel said that Mary "knew" in her heart she carried the Messiah in her womb.
Mary shows us how to live. "Mary surrendered her will to God." Becoming a Christian "means to take your hands off your life." Yes. Yes.
I've read a few of Keller's books but I think this is my favourite due to its conciseness and depth of theological insight of the Gospel. Don't wait till Christmas to read this as its fruit is so plentiful and relevant it can be consumed at any time of the year.
Very highly recommended.
November 5, 2016
Tim Keller states that the ideas expressed in this short book were forged not in writing but in preaching. Each chapter represents at least 10 or so meditations and sermons on each biblical text that he delivered in Christmas services across the decades.
He tells us writes that Christmas is the only Christian holy day that is also a major secular holiday, resulting in two different celebrations, each observed by millions of people, which brings some discomfort on both sides. His fear is that the true roots of Christmas will become more and more hidden to most of the population. In this book he aims to make the truths of Christmas less hidden. He looks at some passages of the Bible that are popular because they are read each Christmas.
In the first chapters of the book, looking at the Gospel of Matthew, we learn about the gifts God gave us at Christmas. In the following chapters, looking at the Gospel of Luke, we consider how we can welcome and receive those gifts.
Through the Christmas story, Keller tells us about the Gospel. This is a book that I recommend you read and discuss with others, which I am doing with friends in a book club at work. Keller says many things about Christmas and the Gospel that I appreciated. A few of them are:
• To accept the true Christmas gift, you have to admit you’re a sinner. You need to be saved by grace.
• Christmas is not simply about a birth but about a coming.
• Christmas shows us that Christianity is not good advice. It is good news.
• Christmas means that God is working out his purposes. He will fulfill his promises.
• Christmas tells us that despite appearances to the contrary, God is in control of history, and that someday he will put everything right.
• Christmas means that for those that are believers in Christ, there is all the hope in the world.
• The doctrine of Christmas, of the incarnation, is that Jesus was truly and fully God and truly and fully human.
• No one is really neutral about whether Christmas is true. If the Son of God was really born in a manger, then we have lost the right to be in charge of our lives.
• Christmas means that the King has come into the world. But the Bible tells us that Jesus comes as King twice, not once.
• Christmas means that race, pedigree, wealth, and status do not ultimately matter.
• Christmas means illumination and spiritual light from God; it means reconciliation and peace with God by grace; it means God taking on a human nature.
• Christmas means the increase of peace, both with God and between people.
• The manger at Christmas means that, if you live like Jesus, there won’t be room for you in a lot of inns.
• Christmas means that salvation is by grace.
• Christmas means you can have fellowship with God.
• Christmas and the incarnation mean that God went to infinite lengths to make himself one whom we can know personally.
• The incarnation, Christmas, means that God is not content to be a concept or just someone you know from a distance.
• The joy that Christmas brings, the assurance of God’s love and care will always reinvigorate you no matter the circumstances of your life.
He tells us writes that Christmas is the only Christian holy day that is also a major secular holiday, resulting in two different celebrations, each observed by millions of people, which brings some discomfort on both sides. His fear is that the true roots of Christmas will become more and more hidden to most of the population. In this book he aims to make the truths of Christmas less hidden. He looks at some passages of the Bible that are popular because they are read each Christmas.
In the first chapters of the book, looking at the Gospel of Matthew, we learn about the gifts God gave us at Christmas. In the following chapters, looking at the Gospel of Luke, we consider how we can welcome and receive those gifts.
Through the Christmas story, Keller tells us about the Gospel. This is a book that I recommend you read and discuss with others, which I am doing with friends in a book club at work. Keller says many things about Christmas and the Gospel that I appreciated. A few of them are:
• To accept the true Christmas gift, you have to admit you’re a sinner. You need to be saved by grace.
• Christmas is not simply about a birth but about a coming.
• Christmas shows us that Christianity is not good advice. It is good news.
• Christmas means that God is working out his purposes. He will fulfill his promises.
• Christmas tells us that despite appearances to the contrary, God is in control of history, and that someday he will put everything right.
• Christmas means that for those that are believers in Christ, there is all the hope in the world.
• The doctrine of Christmas, of the incarnation, is that Jesus was truly and fully God and truly and fully human.
• No one is really neutral about whether Christmas is true. If the Son of God was really born in a manger, then we have lost the right to be in charge of our lives.
• Christmas means that the King has come into the world. But the Bible tells us that Jesus comes as King twice, not once.
• Christmas means that race, pedigree, wealth, and status do not ultimately matter.
• Christmas means illumination and spiritual light from God; it means reconciliation and peace with God by grace; it means God taking on a human nature.
• Christmas means the increase of peace, both with God and between people.
• The manger at Christmas means that, if you live like Jesus, there won’t be room for you in a lot of inns.
• Christmas means that salvation is by grace.
• Christmas means you can have fellowship with God.
• Christmas and the incarnation mean that God went to infinite lengths to make himself one whom we can know personally.
• The incarnation, Christmas, means that God is not content to be a concept or just someone you know from a distance.
• The joy that Christmas brings, the assurance of God’s love and care will always reinvigorate you no matter the circumstances of your life.
February 5, 2017
I feel like adding a disclaimer that I am a huge Tim Keller fan. Two of my favorite Christian books ever were written by him (Prodigal God and Center Church). I am subscribed to his podcast. I think he is the most insightful and thoughtful preacher alive. In all of his speaking and writing, Keller does a tremendous job of tackling difficult questions; he invites skeptics to confront their arguments head-on; and he manages to bring new insights to even the most familiar Bible passages. In Hidden Christmas, Keller does all three of these things and manages to unpack the great truths of Christmas: how the gospel is the central truth of Christmas, the powerful meaning of the Incarnation, how Mary and the shepherds demonstrate faithful responses to the gospel, and so much more. I’ve been a believer for three decades and this book opened my eyes to new things. Another essential read from Tim Keller. Highly recommended.
December 28, 2019
This was a nice advent devotional. Each chapter deals with a different historical person at the time of Jesus' birth. Provides insight into scripture in ways I hadn't looked at it before. And I must say I really appreciated all the scripture pertaining to the prophecy and birth of Christ. There are certain Christmas Advent devotionals I read in the past and, while nice scriptural meditations, I failed to see what they had to do with the Christmas season. I recommend this for anyone seeking a good devotional to prepare their hearts and minds for the season or anytime, really.
December 18, 2024
This book is OUTSTANDING and is certainly the best that I have read from Keller. It comes through in a very pastoral way that enriches the heart in just the right way before Christmas. It’s short, deep, and easily comprehensible. It’s altogether lovely.
“The incarnation, Christmas, means that God is not content to be a concept or just someone you know from a distance. Do what it takes to get close to him. Christmas is a challenge as well as a promise about fellowship with God.” - pg. 136
It’s full of refreshing quotes such as that that are understood by the average Christian, but never ever understood on the deepest of deep levels. Take up and read… this book, because it is just so, so good.
“The incarnation, Christmas, means that God is not content to be a concept or just someone you know from a distance. Do what it takes to get close to him. Christmas is a challenge as well as a promise about fellowship with God.” - pg. 136
It’s full of refreshing quotes such as that that are understood by the average Christian, but never ever understood on the deepest of deep levels. Take up and read… this book, because it is just so, so good.
December 11, 2024
The gospel was woven into every page in the most encouraging way. A quick read that I really enjoyed amidst this season. “If the baby born in the manger was the Son of God, we no longer deserve full authority over our lives.”
December 24, 2025
Just finished another read of this book. Highly recommend to every believer and non believer alike to read. Christmas is about joy, but it’s not the joy of presents or spending time with friends and family. While those might be fine things, the truth is the joy of Christmas is that God clothed himself in humanity in the greatest display of humility ever. He did it so save His people from their sins. As such, we can have fellowship with a God who knows our struggles and have a real relationship which fundamentally changes our lives as that is our only possible response when one encounters the Gospel. Highly recommend everyone read at this time of year as it centers the season on what it should be.
December 13, 2018
2nd read through and I loved it even more!!! I think this could be used for a dual purpose: something to read at Christmas to help celebrate The Reason :) and secondly, I think this so clearly and wonderfully explains The Gospel, it would be great for any new Christian or those contemplating Christianity and its implications for humanity to read!!
January 11, 2021
I find Tim Keller's books very insightful, very convicting, and very encouraging. This book was no exception. There was a time when I tried to read Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" every December. I think my new goal will be to read this book. It's a good reminder of what Christmas is really all about and what we should be celebrating.
December 17, 2018
Excellent way to get some perspective away from all the "Xmas" madness.
http://khad.com/post/196009755/xmas-a...
http://khad.com/post/196009755/xmas-a...
December 25, 2023
4.5/5- I didn’t finish this book in time for Christmas, but the Gospel is all year long!!
December 31, 2024
Timothy Keller is a master at making biblical truths come alive in personal and applicable ways. This book was no exception, using hymns, popular culture references and more to reveal important and often neglected lessons from the Christmas story.
At times he echoed ideas from Encounters with Jesus (his own book), Jordan Peterson (how fantasy/myths can carry Truth), and the BEMA discipleship podcast (Matthew’s gospel and his representation of the “outsider”).
I think his definition of a personal relationship with Christ consisting in…
1. Having candid, regular and loving communication with Him
2. Receiving communication from Him through reading and meditating on His word (on the individual level) and through corporate worship and prayer
3. Having courage to deny yourself, withstand the world’s scorn and admit yourself a sinner
… To be particularly incisive! Definitely worth the short read/3 hour listen.
At times he echoed ideas from Encounters with Jesus (his own book), Jordan Peterson (how fantasy/myths can carry Truth), and the BEMA discipleship podcast (Matthew’s gospel and his representation of the “outsider”).
I think his definition of a personal relationship with Christ consisting in…
1. Having candid, regular and loving communication with Him
2. Receiving communication from Him through reading and meditating on His word (on the individual level) and through corporate worship and prayer
3. Having courage to deny yourself, withstand the world’s scorn and admit yourself a sinner
… To be particularly incisive! Definitely worth the short read/3 hour listen.
December 12, 2024
Amidst the modern trappings and hustle of Christmas, it's easy to lose sight of its true meaning and significance. However, this book brings those core elements into sharp focus.
Keller reminds us of the true and practical implications of Jesus coming, what it means for the world, and the reality of what it looks like to accept it and respond with joy. In his signature style, Keller deals with both head and heart, the intellect and the emotions, reconciling truth of scripture with the human experience in a relatable and persuasive way.
Keller reminds us of the true and practical implications of Jesus coming, what it means for the world, and the reality of what it looks like to accept it and respond with joy. In his signature style, Keller deals with both head and heart, the intellect and the emotions, reconciling truth of scripture with the human experience in a relatable and persuasive way.
December 27, 2021
I’ve been a disciple of Jesus for ten years. I’ve been attending worship gatherings for even longer — which means I feel both nostalgic and a little bit bored when I read the classic Christmas passages.
This book helped me sit in awe and wonder at the Christmas story. It’s true! It’s really true. And the way Tim Keller takes these familiar passages, but forces you to slowly digest them is astounding.
I nearly wept at his chapter on the genealogy of Jesus. I mean COME ON! Only a masterful writer could do such a thing.
This book helped me sit in awe and wonder at the Christmas story. It’s true! It’s really true. And the way Tim Keller takes these familiar passages, but forces you to slowly digest them is astounding.
I nearly wept at his chapter on the genealogy of Jesus. I mean COME ON! Only a masterful writer could do such a thing.
December 24, 2025
Keller never disappoints. A book I think I’ll plan to read every year around this time. The last sentences of the book really got me: “Don’t be put off by the ordinariness of the means of joy, for in that ordinariness is hidden the extraordinary riches of the Gospel. Don’t make the mistake the world has always made.”
December 26, 2024
Read a chapter a day leading up to Christmas- great way to prepare my heart for this season! Learned so much about the true meaning of Christmas and was able to reflect a lot. Everyone needs to read this
December 30, 2023
Tim Keller is a theological giant. His writing and life is a call to higher living in relationship with God. “Hidden Christmas” explores the incarnation in ways we might have missed. It gives us pause at the manger to really see the smallest and largest of God’s pictures. It is a powerful read. Keller will be one to speak for generations to come.
December 22, 2017
This book was a great disappointment and sub-par at best. I thought that “Hidden Christmas” would shed light on some of the deeper contextual and cultural roots of the nativity story, and from there draw lessons and application. It didn’t. What it was instead was a shallow, very platitudinous evangelical look at the Christmas story, with little insight or depth beyond what most churches preach, and very typically conservative, evangelical lessons soaked in substitutionary atonement theory. The book even resorted to lamenting how Christmas sometimes called us to have views labeled by “culture” as “intolerant” but that Christmas meant we had to hold those views with conviction and not give in. Really? The deepest message we can take from Jesus’ birth is that any movement by culture to be more open and accepting is what we should resist? And in the same book, there is no mention or even the slightest implication that because Jesus was a refugee (which is the label used, to be fair), Christmas might mean that we value others and their comfort more than our scruples or inclinations toward self-preservation.
All that said, it is not so much the ideology of the book that I found sub-par. I’ve read enough of Keller to expect these views; part of why I continue to read him is because I respect the depth of thought and study from which he espouses his beliefs. But lately his books have lacked the depth I had come to appreciate. As he continues to pump out books at an astonishing rate, the quality seems to be ever decreasing. I wish I could say that this book presented a conservative, evangelical reading of the Christmas story in ways that showed its merit and complexity. This is what Keller is know for and I truly appreciate and respect him for that; part of how critical this critique my be has something to do with the fact that I know Keller is capable of so much more.
What it amounted to is the exegetical insight of a first year seminary student and snippets of personal anecdote with a very slanted and imported modern agenda. How disappointing.
All that said, it is not so much the ideology of the book that I found sub-par. I’ve read enough of Keller to expect these views; part of why I continue to read him is because I respect the depth of thought and study from which he espouses his beliefs. But lately his books have lacked the depth I had come to appreciate. As he continues to pump out books at an astonishing rate, the quality seems to be ever decreasing. I wish I could say that this book presented a conservative, evangelical reading of the Christmas story in ways that showed its merit and complexity. This is what Keller is know for and I truly appreciate and respect him for that; part of how critical this critique my be has something to do with the fact that I know Keller is capable of so much more.
What it amounted to is the exegetical insight of a first year seminary student and snippets of personal anecdote with a very slanted and imported modern agenda. How disappointing.
December 17, 2023
Just when I thought there were no more original thoughts regarding the Christmas story, I picked up this book. Keller packs a lot of insights into a slim volume.
December 31, 2024
**Third read of this, and I love it so much. Keller does a great job weaving the Christmas narrative in a secularized culture by drawing out the roots of all the traditions we take for granted. For example, he has a chapter that talks a lot about the symbolism of Christmas lights, and I think about it every year in how those lights are symbolic of the light of Christ being placed on Earth to show us the Way. Love it...
Simply amazing. I'm a huge Tim Keller fan, and this book has completely transformed the Christmas season for me. I will read and re-read this for years to come.
Book rating criteria; to help objectify my ratings.
1. I would read again?
Yes... I'm planning to read it again this season and every Christmas from here on. Such a beautiful book.
2. I would recommend to others?
Yes, anyone who celebrates Christmas should read this book. Anyone who wants to take their perspective of Jesus to the next level should read this.
3. I am smarter, better or wiser as a result of this book?
Yes.
4. I was entertained while reading this/it kept my attention?
Yes, very quick and delightful read.
5. This book was just the right length?
Yes.
Simply amazing. I'm a huge Tim Keller fan, and this book has completely transformed the Christmas season for me. I will read and re-read this for years to come.
Book rating criteria; to help objectify my ratings.
1. I would read again?
Yes... I'm planning to read it again this season and every Christmas from here on. Such a beautiful book.
2. I would recommend to others?
Yes, anyone who celebrates Christmas should read this book. Anyone who wants to take their perspective of Jesus to the next level should read this.
3. I am smarter, better or wiser as a result of this book?
Yes.
4. I was entertained while reading this/it kept my attention?
Yes, very quick and delightful read.
5. This book was just the right length?
Yes.
December 18, 2024
Not much to say except that Tim Keller is perhaps one of the most humble and insightful disciples of Jesus, simply ever. He takes the gospel message in all its (seeming) simplicity and familiarity, and somehow manages to show it to the reader in a new light, so they’ll consider the incarnation of Jesus (the circumstances of his birth, the faithfulness of his mother and adopted father, etc.) in an even more joyful and glorifying way.
Ultimately a very grounding (and quick!) read for the advent season. Would recommend even post-holidays. The Christmas story is so great and means so many wonderful things for believers, it shouldn’t be limited to being told just once a year.
Ultimately a very grounding (and quick!) read for the advent season. Would recommend even post-holidays. The Christmas story is so great and means so many wonderful things for believers, it shouldn’t be limited to being told just once a year.
December 28, 2023
*4.5 stars* Going in, I thought this was going to be a nice little instructional book for new Christians on the true meaning of the Bible’s Christmas passages. But it turned out to be an incredibly theologically rich message wrapped in easy to understand language. The title is a bit of a misnomer; it’s not that Keller is revealing previously unknown truths about Christmas. Instead, he is clarifying what the world leaves out in its Christmas celebrations, what new Christians may not know and what older Christians may have forgotten or never realized.
December 6, 2025
I wrote this in 2021: I first read this book 5 years ago when it helped me through a very difficult Christmas. Full of truth and grace and shows that the message of Christmas is more wonderful than we could ever imagine. Throughly recommended.
December 2, 2021
Esse livro foi muito melhor do que eu já achava que seria. Keller nos conduz a conhecer mais da Palavra e adorar ao Senhor por enviar seu filho, k Natal. É também um livro evangelístico e de fácil leitura e entendimento para descrentes.
Eu amei!
Eu amei!
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