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Searching for Christmas: What If There's More to the Story Than You Thought?
Most of us are familiar with the events of the first Christmas—the manger scene, shepherds watching sheep, angels singing their songs, and wise men arriving—but what if there’s more to the story? What if the birth of Jesus is actually the most significant event in all of history and can transform our lives? This evangelistic book goes beyond the birth of Jesus to look at what he did when he grew up and how he fulfilled the names given to him centuries beforehand by the prophet Isaiah. In a compelling, insightful, winsome and personal way, J.D. Greear shows that if we get to know the God who lies behind the Christmas story and at the heart of the Christmas story, we'll discover the joy, hope, purpose and belonging we're all searching for. Readers will see that Jesus is the Wonderful Counsellor, who can guide them in all truth; the Mighty God, who made and owns everything; the Eternal Father, who they can trust to love them for ever; and the Prince of Peace, who died in their place so that they can be forgiven and accepted eternally.
54 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 1, 2020
45 people are currently reading
165 people want to read
About the author
J.D. Greear
69 books222 followersJ.D. Greear, Ph.D., did his degree work in Christian and Islamic theology at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, NC. He is Lead Pastor of The Summit Church in Raleigh-Durham, NC. The Summit’s vision is to plant 1,000 churches in by the year 2040. Currently, they have planted 11 and have several church planting teams stationed around the world.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
December 27, 2023
Good!
This is a nice little giveaway book that reads somewhat like a sermon, but it was good as a resource to study the words from Isaiah 9:6. It was thoughtful and funny, with a few little ideas that were helpful, though not really a book I'll be reusing much.
This is a nice little giveaway book that reads somewhat like a sermon, but it was good as a resource to study the words from Isaiah 9:6. It was thoughtful and funny, with a few little ideas that were helpful, though not really a book I'll be reusing much.
December 22, 2023
A few thoughts:
- Maybe I’m just too cynical right now to attempt books like this. Or maybe it’s the incessant failures of white male pastors and the way they have all the same freakin lingo that turns me away. — attempting a little Jesus Christmas book was a fail, hate to break it to you!
- I tried this though because it was short so that was fine. It gave hardly any information about the Jesus Christmas story and was more so an effort at convincing the reader to believe that Jesus was all these things, based from the Isaiah passage. (I simply always go back to Thames’ classes when someone says that passage was about Jesus)
- How do I know if this is just another scandalized male pastor? Lol
- Last and certainly not least, maybe Bart Ehrman had a point when he said “if he had kept his promise” about peace on earth? Maybe there was a better way to answer this for people?
- Maybe I’m just too cynical right now to attempt books like this. Or maybe it’s the incessant failures of white male pastors and the way they have all the same freakin lingo that turns me away. — attempting a little Jesus Christmas book was a fail, hate to break it to you!
- I tried this though because it was short so that was fine. It gave hardly any information about the Jesus Christmas story and was more so an effort at convincing the reader to believe that Jesus was all these things, based from the Isaiah passage. (I simply always go back to Thames’ classes when someone says that passage was about Jesus)
- How do I know if this is just another scandalized male pastor? Lol
- Last and certainly not least, maybe Bart Ehrman had a point when he said “if he had kept his promise” about peace on earth? Maybe there was a better way to answer this for people?
December 19, 2020
Typical JD. Super easy to read, really engaging, funny illustrations and deep gospel truth. This is the #1 resource I would recommend to share with an unbelieving friend around Christmas time because of how engaging and accessible it is.
He goes thru the 4 names of God in Isaiah 9: Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Only about 50 pages and i would recommend it to everyone!
He goes thru the 4 names of God in Isaiah 9: Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Only about 50 pages and i would recommend it to everyone!
January 25, 2022
Really enjoyed this one. Short and straight to the point and some funny examples too.
December 23, 2020
This is a helpful book-length (mini-book?) Christmas tract, walking through the four names of Christ in Isaiah 9:6. Could be great resource for evangelism, particularly evangelism done at Christmas time.
November 29, 2020
Great, small book to hand off to an unbeliever during Christmas or even go through with them.
October 31, 2020
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. This book 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.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
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.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
December 19, 2023
In trademark plain, relatable and reasonable language, J.D. Greear how the prophecy of Isaiah 9:6 was fulfilled in Jesus. He is our Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. (If you're thinking Wonderful! Counselor! it's because you are under the infuence of Handel's "Messiah," not that that's such a bad thing.)
Greear, the pastor of the multi-campus Summit Church in North Carolina's Triangle Region, holds a doctorate and could blow us away with theological language, but instead writes in language that even I can understand. He's not hesistant about turning to the culture to help make his point, citing such sources as the playwright Arthur Miller, Madonna and the skeptic Bart Ehrman.
Full disclosure. My copy of this little book was free. I moved to the Triangle at the beginning of January 2022 and on my first Sunday attended the nearest Summit campus. This book was included in my visitor's swag bag. Since it was after Christmas, I set it aside and forgot about it. I happened to come across it during Advent 2023 and decided it was time to give it a read.
It is such a short book that you could read it in an evening and still have time to bake a batch of brownies. Or you could do as I did and read each of the chapters separately, savoring them one at a time. Either way, I hope it helps you find Christmas.
Greear, the pastor of the multi-campus Summit Church in North Carolina's Triangle Region, holds a doctorate and could blow us away with theological language, but instead writes in language that even I can understand. He's not hesistant about turning to the culture to help make his point, citing such sources as the playwright Arthur Miller, Madonna and the skeptic Bart Ehrman.
Full disclosure. My copy of this little book was free. I moved to the Triangle at the beginning of January 2022 and on my first Sunday attended the nearest Summit campus. This book was included in my visitor's swag bag. Since it was after Christmas, I set it aside and forgot about it. I happened to come across it during Advent 2023 and decided it was time to give it a read.
It is such a short book that you could read it in an evening and still have time to bake a batch of brownies. Or you could do as I did and read each of the chapters separately, savoring them one at a time. Either way, I hope it helps you find Christmas.
December 10, 2020
‘Searching for Christmas’ is a quick and encouraging read for believers and unbelievers alike; AND it’s @thegoodbookcompany’s FREE ebook this month!
“As we come to the end of this year, we too know how it feels for everything we thought was certain to become suddenly uncertain. We know the sensation of the ground shifting and even sinking beneath us. We’ve experienced the sense that there is no way to put things back together the way they used to be. We’re aware more than ever, and perhaps for the first time, that prosperity, state-of-the-art medical systems, our nation’s economy, and even our own lives are more fragile than we’d like them to be” (9, ePub on iPhone)
Greear offers gospel hope to the confused, the hurting, the lonely, the exhausted, the fatherless, the marginalized, the victim, the weary, the perfectionist, the skeptic as he walks through the four names for the Messiah as outlined in the biblical book of Isaiah and shows how Jesus is truly the fulfillment of Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, and Prince of Peace. This book (or more like pamphlet) would be a fantastic addition to you neighbor and teacher gifts as it’s $5 and can literally fit in your back pocket.
“As we come to the end of this year, we too know how it feels for everything we thought was certain to become suddenly uncertain. We know the sensation of the ground shifting and even sinking beneath us. We’ve experienced the sense that there is no way to put things back together the way they used to be. We’re aware more than ever, and perhaps for the first time, that prosperity, state-of-the-art medical systems, our nation’s economy, and even our own lives are more fragile than we’d like them to be” (9, ePub on iPhone)
Greear offers gospel hope to the confused, the hurting, the lonely, the exhausted, the fatherless, the marginalized, the victim, the weary, the perfectionist, the skeptic as he walks through the four names for the Messiah as outlined in the biblical book of Isaiah and shows how Jesus is truly the fulfillment of Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, and Prince of Peace. This book (or more like pamphlet) would be a fantastic addition to you neighbor and teacher gifts as it’s $5 and can literally fit in your back pocket.
January 3, 2023
Greear presents a very helpful explanation of the names given to the Messiah in Isaiah 9:6. It is a helpful apologetic/evangelistic tool for Christmas as he is clear on the gospel, engaging in style and accessible in language. His treatment for this purpose would have been helped by not referring to Greek terms from Scripture. While this may appeal to some, it does not help it to be accessible on a popular level. The book would also have been helped if he had of explained that these 4 names come from Scripture themselves, that they were a prophecy and that Jesus fulfilled them. This only becomes apparent, but is never fully explained, on the last page of the book. The book will still be of much use to our church.
July 9, 2023
Greear is a pastor I routinely read and listen to. He is an engaging speaker, and he has a sharp gospel focus in everything he says. In this book, Greear unpacks the four names of God (Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace) from Isaiah 9 in order to illuminate certain aspects of what the Christmas story says about God and about us. In the first two names (WC, MG), Greear takes unique perspectives on their meanings. On the latter 2 (EF, PoP), he takes the standard positions on those name meanings, but relates them in his typically engaging manner. A quick, encouraging Christmas read.
November 22, 2021
J.D. Greear takes readers on a journey to look at the spiritual aspects of Christmas and unpacks why that is relevant to our lives.
Whether you are curious about what Christians celebrate at Christmas, or if you are a Christian who needs a reminder about what is most important to focus on this time of year, Greear makes this a quick, succinct, and very readable journey into the meaning of Christmas that still manages to have depth and richness. A good re-orienting read for me as we head into the craziness that can be the holiday season. Definitely recommended.
Whether you are curious about what Christians celebrate at Christmas, or if you are a Christian who needs a reminder about what is most important to focus on this time of year, Greear makes this a quick, succinct, and very readable journey into the meaning of Christmas that still manages to have depth and richness. A good re-orienting read for me as we head into the craziness that can be the holiday season. Definitely recommended.
November 29, 2020
Absolutely Incredible and profound. JD Greer is also on right now media, YouTube, as well as the Bible app. He is so well spoken in the book is written incredibly. He brings in the things that were missing about Christmas to what and who Jesus is as well as a combination of God in the spirit. But above all he brings that Christmas and lightning of the four things Isaiah said that Jesus or the son of God is. You have got to read it I highly highly suggested it!
December 26, 2020
Deeply insightful, whilst being super easy to read.
Spent a fantastic couple of hours on Christmas Day reading this wonderful little book.
I especially loved Chapter 5 Accepted and Welcomed, which explains the need for Jesus’ sacrificial death in such a clear way.
This book has not only been beneficial to me, but will also help me to have meaningful conversations about God with new and non-believers.
Spent a fantastic couple of hours on Christmas Day reading this wonderful little book.
I especially loved Chapter 5 Accepted and Welcomed, which explains the need for Jesus’ sacrificial death in such a clear way.
This book has not only been beneficial to me, but will also help me to have meaningful conversations about God with new and non-believers.
December 25, 2021
A witty book bringing to light the real meaning of Christmas. If you've ever panic bought a cheap gift, considered the Nativity story bonkers or approach the Christmas season with trepidation. J.D Greear points us to a hope longer-lasting than any Christmas Pudding... A king born in a lowly stable, granting us access to our Heavenly Father through Grace poured out to us and how Christmas points so clearly to that truth.
December 17, 2020
Short little book looking at the four names prophesied about Jesus in Isaiah 9:6. It was a fun read moving into Christmas. The book is designed to give a clear presentation of the essence of the gospel. I would say the intended audience would be a young Christian, a not yet Christian, or someone who has been walking with God for awhile and is looking for an easy read...so really anyone.
November 11, 2021
I liked this one fine, but it didn't offer any fresh takes. If you want a little Christmas book along these lines, I'd recommend HIDDEN CHRISTMAS by Timothy Keller before this one, but this was nice too.
Favorite line:
"When somebody finds peace with God, they start displaying the peace of God. The vertical transforms the horizontal."
Favorite line:
"When somebody finds peace with God, they start displaying the peace of God. The vertical transforms the horizontal."
October 14, 2025
Nothing too remarkable about this book. Solid, biblical theology mixed with witty stories and analogies. Trademark JD Greear.
I will say that I appreciated how short a read this was. You can get through this in about 45 mins to an hour, probably. And it also reads like a sermon unpacking Isaiah 9.6, and concluding with an invitation to follow Jesus.
Really good.
I will say that I appreciated how short a read this was. You can get through this in about 45 mins to an hour, probably. And it also reads like a sermon unpacking Isaiah 9.6, and concluding with an invitation to follow Jesus.
Really good.
December 17, 2020
This is a helpful evangelistic resource focused on Christmas. It is an explanation of the four titles given to the Messiah in Isaiah 9. At less than 100 pages, it would be a good gift for someone questioning the meaning of Christmas.
Read
December 24, 2020Грийър е пастир и това ясно личи от начина по който пише. Книгата се чете като проповед - всъщнсот доста добра. В това отношение тя постига целта си. Повече от това не очаквайте.
П.П. Не мога да кажа защо, но доакто я четях тя по някакъв начин ми напомни за стилът на Били Греъм.
П.П. Не мога да кажа защо, но доакто я четях тя по някакъв начин ми напомни за стилът на Били Греъм.
December 11, 2023
A great, fresh view of who God is and the reason we celebrate and need Christmas. This is a quick read, and an appropriate gift for anyone searching for meaning in their life and questioning who God is.
November 25, 2024
we’ll Done
This little book is full of wisdom. It’s a great reminder for Christians and a good resource for non-believers or those that just aren’t sure. It’s worth 2 hours of anyone’s time to read this thoughtful and well written book.
This little book is full of wisdom. It’s a great reminder for Christians and a good resource for non-believers or those that just aren’t sure. It’s worth 2 hours of anyone’s time to read this thoughtful and well written book.
December 5, 2020
A good evangelistic book. Would recommend
December 7, 2020
Another waste of my time. I’m glad I only paid 3$ for it but even that wasn’t worth the money. Wondering if somebody asked Mr Greear to write a Christmas essay and have it done in 3 days.
December 25, 2020
Solid Gospel message.
I listened to it on audiobook.
I listened to it on audiobook.
January 4, 2021
My husband and I read this together and enjoyed it very much. It brings in new and fresh aspects of age old truths. Will likely read again as our Christmas Advent reading.
December 29, 2021
This is a great little book. It is written to unbelievers or to those who are unversed in Christianese. I appreciated the basic and loving style of this writing.
Read
December 4, 2022I was really expecting more of an Advent study or devotional, and this was really a tract. But, it was a short easy read and I did gain a tidbit or two from it.
December 25, 2022
High quality Christmas Eve read that can easily be done in a single night
December 5, 2023
Excellent small book about Christmas. The names of God and how Christmas ties in with Easter. It’s one of the best Christmas books I’ve read.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews