Curiosity

Writing this book required a decade or more of work, and mostly my motivation was simple curiosity. I wanted to know when Christ had been born. If December 25, AD 1 was correct, fine, but there were a lot of scholars who believed other dates were possible and that the accepted date was wrong. I wanted to know why.

But it soon became clear that every single tradition had to be questioned and evaluated. It became such a complex problem that I needed to make a chart of all the historical dates involved and not just label them with BC/AD dates, but also with the ancient way of reckoning time in Olympiads and years since the founding of Rome. It quickly became highly complicated and unforeseen problems presented themselves which required years to sort out.

In light of all of this effort I would find myself wondering, “Why am I studying this? Why am I writing this? Why do I care about figuring out when Christ was born?” But I would just continue muscling on, primarily because of curiosity. The quest fascinated me.

Pragmatism

I believe our culture may be in danger of reducing the reason we buy a book down to a “What’s in it for me?” mentality. We buy a book only for its pragmatic benefits. I know I sometimes do. I want to read a book that gives me a ten-point plan to make my business succeed, or that helps me to figure out how to be happier, more content, or more prosperous.

Those are legitimate reasons to buy a book and there is a huge market for that. Great! But there are other reasons to read a book. We can read for entertainment purposes, intellectual stimulation, spiritual encouragement, making sense of our crazy world, or in order to escape the realities of this world. I was an avid reader as a kid and I voraciously consumed sci-fi and fantasy books. I joined those book clubs where they would send me new books every month…and I read them all! 

There are some pragmatic elements to my book, but I can’t say that it is the primary reason why I wrote it.

Knowledge

I am still an avid reader. Currently my job is to teach literature. Every year I re-read over fifty books ranging from books of the Bible to epic poetry to Greek and Roman history to modern novels. I love it because now I get paid to read books and to help others to improve their reading skills. It suits me well. 

In my research for 500 Year Journey, I had to immerse myself in academic literature, philosophical meanderings, translations of cuneiform tablets, writings of early church fathers, and a wide variety of Greek, Roman, and Jewish historians. I read scholars from every bent: Jewish, Catholic, Reformed, and pagan. I read atheists, deists, pantheists, and polytheists. And almost every variation possible. I even read some Zoroastrianism.  

Normally these kinds of books are considered too esoteric or boring, but I feel like I discovered a world that was deep, far-ranging, and intriguing, filled with ideas that are being debated today and are still highly relevant. As I tell my students, it constantly amazes me how modern ancient history is. 

There is an informational aspect to my book and you will learn about biblical typologies, prophecy, calendar systems, Greek and Roman history, and a lot about Caesar Augustus and King Herod. But to transmit information isn’t the primary reason why I wrote the book.

Joy

I believe the most important reason to read 500 Year Journey is to discover joy. I have worked hard to put the birth of Jesus on solid historical footing in order to answer the question of when Christ was born, but what started out as a curiosity and an intellectual endeavor became something more: it turned into joy.  I experienced awe and wonder and worship at the end of the trail, and I lifted my eyes to the Lord and stood in his presence in stunned silence. Amazed.

Once the answer became clear, I discovered that the date of Christ’s birth is a miracle in-and-of-itself. Christ’s birth is a wonder because it is when God became a man, but it is also a wonder because of when he became a man. The Lord God, the creator of heaven and earth, became one of us to demonstrate that he loves us, and the timing of his arrival enhances that truth. He came at precisely the time God intended him to come and his birth proves he came to serve, not to be served. I wrote the book to show him off as our true king.

Eternity

In short, I believe that 500 Year Journey is informative and that it will have some practical applications to your life, but that isn’t why I wrote it. I hope God reveals Himself to you through the truths surrounding the birth of his Son. When God became a man was not a fictional moment, but a historical one. It really happened. He was also crucified and raised from the dead. He ascended to be with the Father and now we are in-dwelt with the Holy Spirit when we believe. God is actively at work amongst us and the birth of Christ is the premiere example of God’s sovereignty and His perfect timing in all things. He governs history and the heavens, and even though sometimes it seems like the enemy is prevailing, God has not abandoned us. We should rest our souls in that truth.

Blessings to you on your journey.