​Chapter Seven
“A Sword in the Soul”
 
You don’t have to be Jesus Christ to get people furious at being exposed for what they are. Just living an honest, moral life will expose gossip in the office, corruption in government, racism in the neighborhood. The manger at Christmas means that, if you live like Jesus, there won’t be room for you in a lot of inns. (119)
Have you ever experienced this type of rejection because of living like Jesus?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
What might be some of the “inns” that don’t have rooms for Christ followers?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
 
In our secular society today, non-Christians do not fear divine reprisal, but increasingly our culture also sees Christians as a threat to the social order. Traditional Christian beliefs are once again seen as dangerously intolerant, and some kinds of restrictions and exclusions may be in our future as well. So, the Gospel message brings hostility because it is seen – now as then – as intolerant. (120-121)
What traditional Christian beliefs today are seen as intolerant?  How are Christians to respond to those who feel the Gospel message is intolerant?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
 
But Simeon is saying that there is an offensiveness to Jesus himself, and in every time and place it will find expression, and anyone who identifies with him will be seen as offensive too. (121-122)
If the very picture we see of Jesus in the Gospels is love, mercy, grace and forgiveness – just what is it that makes him so “offensive”?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
 
J.C Ryle writes: There are thousands of men and women who go to church and chapels every Sunday and call themselves Christians. Their names are in the baptismal register. They are reckoned Christians while they live. They are married with a Christian marriage service. They are buried as Christians when they die. But you never see any “fight” about their religion! Of spiritual strife, and exertion, and conflict, and self-denial, and watching, and warring they know literally nothing at all. Such Christianity…is not the Christianity of the Bible. It is not the religion which the Lord Jesus founded, and His Apostles preached. True Christianity is “a fight.” (124-125)
J.C Ryle says True Christianity is a fight – which best represents you in this season of your life”? Why?
ð        I’ll watch the fight
ð        Push and shove
ð        Scuffle
ð        Trading punches
ð        Fight
What other word might you use to describe “True Christianity?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
 
Chapter Eight
“The Doctrine of Christmas”
 
In every other religion the founder points to eternal life, but because Jesus is God come in the flesh, he is eternal life. To unite with him by faith, to know him in love, is to have this life. Period, full stop. There is nothing else for you to achieve or attain. (130)
What does “unite with him by faith” entail? According to your definition would you say you personally are united with Christ?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
 
Can we describe our prayer lives as participating in rich communion with God? 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. (136)
What in your ordinary day to day life are you doing to get close to Jesus? Be specific.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  How can the group of people that you are meeting with weekly help you? How can you help them?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
 
The Christian life begins not with high deeds and achievements but with the most simple and ordinary act of humble asking. Then the life and joy grow in us over the years through commonplace, almost boring practices. Daily obedience, reading and prayer, worship attendance, serving our brothers and sisters in Christ as well as our neighbors, depending on Jesus during times of suffering. And bit by bit our faith will grow, and the foundations of our lives will come closer to that deep river of joy.
    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 that the world has always made. Instead remember:
How silently, how silently
The wondrous gift is given!
So, God imparts to human hearts
The blessings of His heaven
No ear may hear His coming,
But in this world of sin,
Where meek souls will receive him still,
The dear Christ enters in. 140-141)
 
At this point in your life – regardless of where you are in your spiritual journey – after reading this book what is the one thing you need to stop doing, start doing, stop believing or start believing?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

​Chapter Five
“Mary’s Faith”
 
You and I have been trained by our culture to not believe in the supernatural. As we saw earlier, as a Jewish woman, Mary had been trained by her culture to not believe that God could ever become a human being. So, though they are different, the barriers she faced against belief in the Christmas message were every bit as big as the barriers you may be facing. And yet a combination of evidence and experience shattered those barriers and she came to faith. That is exactly the way it works now. She doubted, she questioned, she used her reason, and she asked questions—just as we must today if we are going to have faith. (82)
What do you believe are the biggest barriers to having an authentic faith?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
 
Mary’s faith happens in stages. Christian faith requires the commitment of our whole life. Yet few go from be uncommitted to being fully committed in a single stroke. What does the process look like? It can look very different for different people. (83-84)
On a continuum from being uncommitted to fully committed where would you place yourself? What has your “faith process” looked like?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
 
But if you have never stood and looked at the Gospel and found it ridiculous, impossible, inconceivable, I don’t think you have really understood it. (85)
Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Why?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
 
If you think Christianity is mainly going to church, believing a certain creed, and living a certain kind of life, then there will be no note of wonder and surprise about the fact that you are a believer. If someone asks you “Are you a Christian?” you will say, “Of course I am! It’s hard work but I’m doing it. Why do you ask?” Christianity is, in this view, something done by you, and so there is no astonishment about being a Christian. However, if Christianity is something done for you, and to you and in you, then there is a constant note of surprise and wonder. (89)
In full disclosure – in your Christian walk is there a constant note of surprise and wonder or has your walk become mundane and/or ritualistic?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
 
Christianity is not another vendor supplying spiritual services you engage as long as it meets your needs at a reasonable cost. Christian faith is not a negotiation but a surrender. It means to take your hands off your life. (93-94)
Describe what it looks like to you to “take your hands off your life”?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Chapter Six
“The Shepherds’ Faith
 
Remember that there is more than one way to express your hostility to God’s rule. The irreligious person explicitly asserts his or her independence from God: “I want to live any way I want to live!” But the religious person much more covertly asserts his or her independence from God. The religious person says: “I am going to obey the Bible and do all these things, and now God has to bless me and give me a good life.” This is an effort to control God, not trust him. When you obey God in order to earn God’s blessing and heaven, then you are, as it were, seeking to be your own savior. Both of these strategies are hostile to God. They don’t allow him to be either sovereign or your savior. (109-110)
Once again – in full disclosure – In your life do you think your default setting is an effort to control God (intentional or not) or to trust God?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
 
Christmas means that, through the grace of God and the incarnation, peace with God is available; and if you make peace with God, then you can go out and make peace with everybody else. And the more people who embrace the gospel and do that, the better off the world is. Christmas, therefore, means the increase of peace—both with God and between people—across the face of the world. (111)
Is it possible to make peace with others without first making peace with God?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
 
Now it all follows that, if you have a perfect relationship with the all-powerful, loving Lord of the world, you would have no fear at all. You would not be afraid of him or of anything else.
    That was the original plan for the human race. Do you see why there would be no fear? We fear rejection and failure, but if you were completely filled with God’s love, you would not care what people thought. We fear the future and circumstances, but if you knew God perfectly, and that he is good and in control, you would trust him. And you wouldn’t be afraid of death because you would know you would be with him forever. (112)
There are 5 words above in bold – which of these do you fear the most? According to this passage if we are completely filled with God’s love and knew God perfectly, we could be free of this fear. Do you think this is possible in your life?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
 
And what about the greatest fear we have- of surrendering control? How can we trust him with our lives? The answer is that the little baby in the manger is the mighty Christ the Lord. So think, perceive, ponder. If the omnipotent Son of God would radically lose control- all for you- then you can trust him. And that should undermine your fear. (114)
Do you agree with Keller that the greatest fear we have is surrendering control to the Lord? Why?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
 
 
All texts in italics are taken from the book Hidden Christmas written by Timothy Keller
Published by Viking Press
Copyright 2016

​Chapter Three
“The Fathers of Jesus”
 
An Intellectual Watershed
Everyone’s path to faith is different, as we will see later in this volume. But I have known many people who have discovered that once they wrestled with and understood the incarnation, it became far easier to accept the rest of the teachings of the New Testament as well. (45)
What was your path to faith? Who were the key players? OR would you say you are still looking for “the path”?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
 
It is a Personal Crisis
Either he is God or he isn’t-so he’s absolutely crazy or infinitely wonderful. The modern world however, is filled with people who say they believe in Jesus, they say they understand who he is, but it hasn’t revolutionized their lives. There has been no crisis and lasting change. The only way to explain this is that, contrary to what they claim, they haven’t really grasped the meaning that this is “God with us.” (46)
What is it about “God with us” that causes crisis and revolutionizes our lives? Is this true of you?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
 
It is a Great Hope
A God who was only holy would not have come down to us in Jesus Christ. He would have simply demanded that we pull ourselves together, that we be moral and holy enough to merit a relationship with him. A deity that was an ‘all‐accepting God of love’ would not have needed to come to Earth either. This God of the modern imagination would have just overlooked sin and evil and embraced us. Neither the God of moralism nor the God of relativism would have bothered with Christmas (47)
Neither the God of moralism nor the God of relativism would have bothered with Christmas – what do you think that means?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
 
Jesus is With Us
The message is ‘If Jesus Christ comes into your life, you are going to kiss your stellar reputation goodbye.’ And this is just Matthew 1. When we get to Matthew 2, Joseph will see that having Jesus in his life means not just damage to his social standing but also danger to his very life. What is the application to us? If you want Jesus in your life, it is going to take bravery. (56)
If you want Jesus in your life it is going to take bravery. Would you say your “bravery quotient” is more Richard the Lionheart or the Cowardly Lion? Why?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
 
The Courage to Give Up Your Right to Self Determination
When you come to Christ, you must drop your conditions. You have to give up the right to say, ‘I will obey you if . . . I will do this if . . .’ As soon as you say, ‘I will obey you if,’ that is not obedience at all. You are saying: ‘You are my adviser, not my Lord. I will be happy to take your recommendations. And I might even do some of them.’ No. If you want Jesus with you, you have to give up the right to self‐determination. Self‐denial is an act of rebellion against our late‐modern culture of self‐assertion. But that is what we are called to. Nothing less. (58)
Currently, in your life would you say Jesus is more adviser or more Lord? Why do you think Jesus wants nothing less than full lordship?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
 
The Courage to Admit You are a Sinner
If you think it takes courage to be with [Jesus], consider that it took infinitely more courage for him to be with you. Only Christianity says one of the attributes of God is courage. No other religion has a God who needed courage. (61)
Is this a new concept to you? What do you think about it?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
 
Chapter Four
“Where is the King?”
 
The Threat of Christ’s Kingdom
In religion we try to tame God, seeking to put him in our debt; we do many things, so he has to bless us in the ways we want. Read Romans chapters 1 through 5. You will see Paul is claiming that religious people are just as hostile to the sovereignty of God as the irreligious. They just find religious ways to express it and hide it. (70–71)
Christians are just as hostile to the sovereignty of God as the irreligious they just find religious ways to express it and hide it. Can you think of examples?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
 
Where’s the true King?’ That question is the most disturbing question possible to a human heart, since we want at all costs to remain on the throne of our own lives. We may use religion to stay on that throne, trying to put God in the position of having to do our bidding because we are so righteous, rather than serving him unconditionally. Or we may flee from religion, become atheists, and loudly claim that there is no God. Either way, we are expressing our natural hostility to the lordship of the true King. (71)
Where’s the true King? That question is the most disturbing question possible to the human heart. Agree/Disagree
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
 
Getting Out of Denial
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. Who can be objective about a claim that, if it is true, means you’ve lost control of your life? You can’t be. (72)
Read Matthew 10:39. How does this verse and the above statement challenge you?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
 
The Weakness of Christ’s Kingdom
Over and over again God says, ‘I will choose Nazareth, not Jerusalem. I will choose the girl nobody wants. I will choose the boy everybody has forgotten.’ Why? Is it just that God likes underdogs? No. He is telling us something about salvation itself. Every other religion and moral philosophy tells you to summon up all of your strength and live as you ought. Therefore, they appeal to the strong, to the people who can pull it together, the people who can “summon up the blood.” Only Jesus says, “I have come for the weak. I have come for those who admit they are weak. I will save them not by what they do but through what I do. (76-77)
Is this statement more of a challenge to you or more of a relief? Why?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
All texts in italics are take directly from the book Hidden Christmas written by Timothy Keller. Copyright 2016

​Hidden Christmas by Timothy Keller
Reading Guide #1
Chapters 1 and 2
 
Chapter One
“A Light Has Dawned”
 
The Darkness of the World
Years ago, I read an ad in the New York Times that said, “The meaning of Christmas is that love will triumph and that we will be able to put together a world of unity and peace” In other words, we have the light within us, and so we are the ones who can dispel the darkness of the world. We can overcome poverty, injustice, violence, and evil. If we work together, we can create a “world of unity and peace.”
Is the prevailing opinion today – “If we work together, we can create a world of unity and peace”? Can this ever happen? Can we ever get close?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
 
The Realism of Christmas
Notice that it doesn’t say from the world a light has sprung, but upon the world a light has dawned. It has come from outside. There is light outside of this world, and Jesus has brought that light to save us; indeed, he is the Light (John 8:12)
Why does Keller place importance on the fact that the light has come from “outside”?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
 
The Meaning of Light
St. Augustine famously said, “Our hearts are restless until they find their rest in thee” (Confessions 1.1.1). Augustine believed that even when you seem to be enjoying something else, God is actual the source of your joy. The thing you love is from him and is lovely because it bears his signature. All joy is really found in God, and anything you do enjoy is derivative, because what you are really looking for is him, whether you know it or not.
Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Why?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
 
The Dawning of the Light
First of all, if Jesus Christ is really Mighty God and Everlasting Father, you can’t just like him. In the Bible the people who actually saw and heard Jesus never reacted indifferently or even mildly. Once they realized what he was claiming about himself, either they were scared of him or furious with him or they knelt down and worshipped him. But nobody simply liked him. Nobody said, “He’s too inspiring. He makes me want to live a better life.” If the baby born at Christmas is the Might God, then you must serve him completely.
What is it about Jesus that demands a response? Do you think it is possible to remain neutral?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
 
The Light of Grace
There has never been a gift offered that makes you swallow your pride to the depths that the gift of Jesus Christ requires us to do. Christmas means that we are so lost, so unable to save ourselves, that nothing less that the death of the Son of God himself could save us. That means you are not somebody who can pull yourself together and live a moral and good life.
If this is true, why do so many people believe that their salvation and acceptance by God is based on performance?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Chapter Two
“The Mothers of Jesus”
 
The Gospel is Good News, Not Good Advice
But the Christian Gospel is different. The founders of the great religions say, in one way or another, “I am here to show you the way to spiritual reality. Do all this.” That’s advice. Jesus Christ, the founder of Christianity, comes and says, “I am spiritual reality itself. You could never come up to me and therefore, I had to come down to you.” That’s news.
Why do you think Keller points out the difference between Good News and Good Advice? What difference does it make to how you view the Gospel?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
                                                                                                                                                                                                               
The Gospel Story Changes How We Read Other Stories
Put another way, even though the fairy tales aren’t factually true, the truth of Jesus means all the stories we love are not escapism at all. In a sense, they (or the supernatural realities to which they point) will come true in him.
Think of your favorite “Once Upon a Time” stories – how do they find their origins in the story of Jesus?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
 
The Gospel Turns the World’s Values Upside Down
There is not one then, not even the greatest human being, who does not need the grace of Jesus Christ. And there is no one, not even the worst human being, who can fail to receive the grace of Jesus Christ if there is repentance and faith.
If this statement is true, why is Christianity viewed to be so exclusive?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
 
God May Take His Time, But He Keeps His Word
God’s grace virtually never operates on our time frame, on a schedule we consider reasonable. He does not follow our agendas or schedules. When Jesus spoke to the despairing father Jairus, whose daughter had just died, he said, “Believe” (Mark 5:36). He was saying “If you want to impose your time frame on me, you will never feel loved by me, and it will be your fault, because I do love you. I will fulfill my promises.”
In what ways have you seen God’s time frame not align with yours? How have you responded to his timing?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
 
The Gospel is Ultimate Rest
In Jesus you stop having to prove yourself because you know it doesn’t really matter in the end whether you are a failure or a king. All you need is God’s grace, and you can have it, in spite of your failures. After you know him, you want to live your life to please him; but you don’t have to clean up your life in order to know him as Savior, and that brings rest inwardly.
What does “rest” that Keller writes about look like in your life? What letter grade would you give yourself when it comes to resting in God’s grace?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
 
 
 
 
All texts in italics are taken directly from the book Hidden Christmas: The Surprising Truth Behind the Birth of Christ written by Tim Keller. Copyright 2016