Journey to the Manger explores the New Testament’s various accounts of the birth of Jesus: their origins in Old Testament prophecies, the genealogies, the angelic announcements, the journeys and arrivals, and the aftermath of Jesus’ birth for the powerful and the poor alike.

Although many biblical scholars have puzzled over historical details in the accounts, Paul Gooder argues that doing this risks missing the point. The birth narratives, she writes, ‘are about the mind-blowing, brain-boggling truth that the God who shaped the universe into existence was prepared to be born as a tiny, vulnerable baby … This God chose a ludicrously risky means of redeeming the world he loved so much.’ Engaging seriously with biblical and historical criticism, Paula Gooder uncovers key similarities running through the Gospel writers’ accounts and focuses on their profound and shared understanding of the significance of the events they describe.

For preachers looking for fresh inspiration, and for congregations and readers who have become so familiar with the Christmas stories that they have lost some of their impact, Paula Gooder opens up the stories heard year after year in churches, carol services and school nativity plays, to reveal fresh and striking insights.

Devotional reflections on the biblical narratives make this ideal for personal study, while questions for group discussion will be welcome aids for study groups and the detailed exploration of the texts a goldmine for preaching and teaching.