The Birth of the Messiah: A Commentary on the Infancy Narratives in Matthew and Luke

About this book

The manger of Bethlehem has always been the cradle of much of Western art and thought yet modern scholarship has too often raised the question of that mangers reality without probing for the deeper truths which inspired the infancy narratives of Matthew and Luke. "The Birth of the Messiah" is a thought-provoking presentation of the best modern criticism combined with insight into the spiritual concerns of the Gospel authors. Each scene of the narratives is followed by extensive notes and commentary relating it to its Old Testament antecedents and its function in the first-century church as well as to current thought. The result is the first major modern commentary which treats the two narratives together an inspiring book which reveals the beloved childhood tales of Magi shepherds and star as theologically profound and relevant for the mature Christian of today.