A Christmas You Can Believe In

By Robert Lyon

Christmas, they say, is a time for families, a time inspired by the story of a Holy Family long ago. But to the modern mind the story of that Holy Family seems so improbable.  Our way of seeing the world has little room for choirs of angels, God-sent dreams, or a hovering star that works like a GPS.  Who wrote this stuff? And how could Luke, the physician, seriously believe a young mother's claim that she had "never known a man"?  Was he simply incompetent – the sort of chap who could misdate an Imperial census by fourteen years, or compose a genealogy that contradicted the "official" version?  But first-century Christians insisted that "we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known the coming of our Lord Jesus" (2 Peter 1:16).  This monograph presents evidence to support that claim – evidence that, for the most part, has been known for many years but seldom finds its way from the pulpit to the pew.  It also poses an intriguing view of what constitutes a miracle.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Robert Lyon
• Release date: Oct 1, 2020
• ISBN: 9780988049444

Robert Lyon

Robert Lyon is a clergyman living in Guelph, Ontario. His church affiliations have included the Reformed Episcopal Church, the Community Christian Fellowship Church of Canada, and the Anglican Network in Canada. He was formerly a teacher of high school English, Latin, Greek, and science; he also served in the Canadian Armed Forces Reserve, retiring in the rank of lieutenant-colonel. He holds a BTh from Toronto Bible College, BA from Waterloo Lutheran University, BEd from York University, MDiv from Wycliffe College in the University of Toronto, and MA from the University of Guelph. His religious writings include: The Sign of Jonah: The Empirical Basis for Christian Faith;  A Brief Introduction to the Bible;  and his current project: Don’t Throw Out Your Bible – Believing the Bible in a Skeptical Age.  He has also written:  An Overview of the Military in Guelph since 1835; Master Cadet Handbook;  and A Guide to Scholarly Writing. He can be contacted at [e-mail]

Book preview

A CHRISTMAS YOU CAN BELIEVE IN

Science, History, and the Birth of Jesus

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Copyright  Robert J. P. Lyon, 2020

Cover by Greg R. Elliot

ISBN 978-0-9880494-4-4

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Previously published (2015) in hard copy as

Science, History, and the Birth of Jesus

ISBN 978-0-9880494-3-7

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Biblical quotations in this monograph are taken from

the New Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition,

copyright 1993 and 1989

by the Division of Christian Education,

National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA.

Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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The Christmas Story According to Matthew and Luke

contains hyperlinks to the World English Bible™,

a modern revision of the American Standard Version of 1901.

Our thanks to the translators of the World English Bible™,

who have graciously placed that work in the public domain.

Our thanks also to www.biblegateway.com, for providing

access to the WEB, the NRSV, and many other versions.

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A NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR

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There is little in these pages that is original. Almost everything here can be found in standard texts or on the internet, from whose authors I have borrowed freely and with much gratitude. Even though some of this information has been around for many years, it is not widely recognized what a wealth of evidence exists for understanding the Christmas story as real events. I offer this overview of that evidence with the conviction that a valid faith must be based on verifiable facts, and on inferences reasonably drawn from those facts, and that any faith not so based will be productive of great mischief. In these sceptical times, people need to know that there is credible evidence for the truth of the gospel.

Robert Lyon

Guelph, Ontario

1 September 2020

1.  Bah, Humbug!

Christmas comes but once a year, says an old song. For some folks, even once a year is too often. What with decorating the tree, buying presents, humoring cranky relatives, and preparing the ritual feast, Christmas can be really stressful. Add in the office parties, the mall scene, and the anticipation of January’s Visa bill, and it’s a wonder we go through it at all.

Of course, it’s a great time for family and friends to reconnect and enjoy each other’s company. But for those who are hurting, whether from loss of family or friends, or from illness or financial distress, Christmas can be the hardest time of all. We have let our merchants and manufacturers take