REVIEW: Journey to Christmas, DVD
Tyndale House
Some wonder about the truth behind Christmas. Not Santa Claus, but the Nativity. Either the Christmas story is true, or millions of Christians have been misled and believe a completely demented lie. This small group study, Journey to Christmas, seeks to answer the questions behind Christmas. Five people take a journey through the Middle East, walking in the footsteps of Christ witnessing firsthand how people lived during Jesus' time.
This is not just a journey on a Jeep throughout the desert, but they also journey just as the Maggi would have, on camel. The four-session video gives an awesome background on the Maggi, explaining who they were, why they went, and how they knew to go. But, it is not just about the big events outlined in Scripture, the video does a great job outlining the day-to-day life of Middle Eastern families.
The live of those on this journey are interesting in and of themselves. They all have unique backgrounds and deal with the journey in their own ways. Perhaps the most interesting person is the radio talk show host, Drew Marshall. He desired, almost demanded, a supernatural experience before he finally gave up on Christianity. Days after this prayer, he was asked to take this journey. I won't include spoilers on the outcome of his journey, but it is definitely an interesting one to watch unfold.
As far as criticisms go, it almost seems as if these sojourners through Israel were just let loose with a tour guide and no Gospel presentations actually take place, at least not within the video presentation. While the academics explaining this trip are obviously intelligible on biblical tradition and the Holy Lands, there is no one of instant name recognition such as Mike Licona, Craig Blomberg, or the like.
I would also warn church groups or Bible studies to confront the theological statements made by those on the journey, remembering most of the comments are not reflective of orthodox Christianity. There were also factual claims made by the tour guide that I am not sure can be proven or are evidentially based, such as where the manger was, the location of Golgotha, and the claim of the actual empty tomb of Christ. Lastly, there was a presentation to establish the fact that Jesus was born, but there was no mention of Christ being God incarnate or the purpose of the cross.
On the other hand, the video has been well produced. It will hold your attention and the visuals are incredible. All of your study materials are contained on the first DVD. The tour guide is fortunately very good and answers the group's questions well.
Finally in the last episode of the collection, part of what I was looking forward to in the series happened. The Christmas story was read as a group while looking out over Bethlehem. Ultimately I cannot recommend this video for churches and small groups to purchase for as an outreach or apologetic tool, but it does give a good lesson in historical Christianity. I am glad I watched it, but I cannot endorse it.
I was given a copy of this DVD to review for Tyndale House Publishers and was not required to give a positive review.
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