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The First Christmas
Every winter during Christmastime, we celebrate the birth of Jesus and revisit the story of the Nativity. However, followers of modern Christianity may be surprised to learn that there are different versions of the cherished Nativity story that we tell and retell. This is due to the varying interpretations that are present in the New Testament.
There are two accounts of the first Christmas that offer differing details and context for which it occurred. Many people are unaware that Luke and Matthew offer completely separate genealogies regarding Jesus.
This is why Marcus J. Borg and John Dominic Crossan, two leading scholars, collaborated to write The First Christmas. This book unravels the two Nativity stories of Jesus in a uniquely fresh way that fits well into modern Christianity.
As these authors point out, neither story really lends itself to being able to be combined.
Moreover, both stories lose some of their distinctiveness through the tradition of “harmonizing.” As Borg and Crossan seek to bring forth once more the distinctiveness of these stories, they aim to understand what exactly the Nativity stories meant back in the first century and what they could still mean for modern Christianity today. Rather than argue over every detail that offers contradiction, Borg and Crossan offer insights as to why they vary and how the authors sought to slant their stories to fulfill prophecies and reach their desired audience. Borg and Crossan emphasize the importance of not whether the details are historically accurate, but how first century Christians viewed Jesus, and that the message of the story is what mattered most.
Book Overview
Modern Christianity can always benefit from introspective reading into various translations of the New Testament, and this book examines many details that may have been glanced over by most. The First Christmas consists of three parts:
Part I: Parable, Overture, and Context
Part II: Genealogy, Conception, and Birth
Part III: Light, Fulfillment, and Joy
Each section is broken down into various chapters that Borg and Crossan expand upon as they analyze the two Nativity narratives. They focus on the truth about what the gospels teach about the birth of Jesus and how it affects modern Christianity.
From the very first chapter, “The Stories of the First Christmas,” it is clear that the authors are not trying to pit the stories against each other. Instead of trying to establish fact or fiction, they examine the controversies and issues surrounding the differences. This process is what modern Christianity is all about, and Borg and Crossan are able to reveal the meanings and the parallels of the stories of the first Christmas. Buy this book if you are interested in learning more about how these different stories affect our modern Christianity today.
About the Authors: Experts on Modern Christianity
This book is a follow-up to the previous collaboration by the authors, titled The Last Week. Similar to that book, The First Christmas approaches Jesus’ early years and birth, such as his resurrection. The two books together form an essential set of readings on the story of Jesus. Readers are able to learn more about the power and richness of the Bible as well as how practitioners of modern Christianity can better live by the message. Through their books, Borg and Crossan give refreshing new takes on beloved Biblical stories for followers and scholars of modern Christianity.