Christmas Playlist: Four Songs That Bring You to the Heart of Christmas by Alistair Begg

Christmas Playlist: Four Songs That Bring You to the Heart of Christmas Reviews

• 
  Bill Pence

  This book is about Christmas songs, but not necessarily Christmas songs you might have anticipated. Alistair Begg, Senior Pastor for 33 years at Parkside Church in Cleveland, looks at four songs of the first Christmas, which were heard before, during and after the birth of the baby who lies at the heart of the real Christmas. This is a “playlist” that helps us to prepare for Christmas properly, and to celebrate Christmas joyfully.
  In this short book, which reads like an extended sermon, he looks at the following four songs:
  • Mary’s Song. This is a song inspired by her role in the events of the first Christmas, but in which she doesn’t sing about herself, but about God. The author writes that it is the first Christmas song in history.
  • Zechariah's Song. The author writes that Zechariah is singing about the truth that God has turned up. And he has turned up to redeem us—to pay the price, bear the cost, of freeing us and restoring us so that we can know him and live with him again, forever.
  • The Angel’s Song. The angel’s choir declares what this baby will achieve: “On earth peace.” The peace of God that invades a life is based on the discovery of peace with God.
  • Simeon’s Song. Simeon was a devout believer in God who was patiently waiting for the promises God had made to be fulfilled. The Holy Spirit had told him that he wouldn’t die until he saw these promises begin to unfold. About his song, the author writes “And this is why the wooden food trough led to the wooden cross, and why you will never get to the heart of Christmas if you don’t grasp the meaning of Easter. Christianity is not good advice about what we should do. It is the good news of what Christ has done. Christianity does not proclaim that you are worth saving or able to save yourself. It announces that God is mighty to save.” He goes on to write that between the events of the first Christmas Eve and the first Easter Sunday, Simeon’s words had come true.
  This is a book about four songs that tell about the gift of redemption through faith in Jesus, the Son of God. The author writes that Christmas provokes a decision. At that first Christmas, Jesus came to you. Now you must decide whether you will come to him. This would be an excellent book to give a non-believer to read and discuss together.
• 
  Sarah

  Review updated for my 2020 read.
  Why I read this book: I read Christmas Playlist in 2017 for Advent devotions. I liked it so much that I read it again this year (2020)! In 2017 I read Christmas Playlist because it was made available through Truth for Life shortly before Advent.
  
  Format: Hardcover
  
  Synopsis: There are four chapters and a conclusion. I read one chapter each Sunday of Advent and the conclusion on Christmas day. Alistair Begg takes the reader through the songs of Mary, Zechariah, the angels who announced Christ’s birth to the shepherds, and Simeon. Alistair uses each song to point the reader towards the gospel.
  
  What I Thought: It’s hard to find a decent Advent devotional. This is one of the few good ones, and I expect to read it for many years. Most years I stress myself out by leaving Christmas planning, baking, buying and making gifts to the last minute. Reading a devotional like this slows me down a bit, and re-focuses me on Christ and His birth, instead of the commercial craziness of the season.
  
  The Bottom Line: I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a devotional book for Advent. Christmas Playlist gives a clear explanation of how Christmas points us to the Resurrection, the gospel, and why we celebrate the birth of Christ.
• 
  Matt

  A simple, understandable presentation of the gospel
  
  While not a devotional, I picked up this book because of its focus on the songs of Christmas found in Luke’s gospel. The purpose of this book is clearly evangelistic and not a deep study into the OT prophecies and fulfillment records in these songs. As an evangelistic book, it accomplishes that purpose in a very clear, understandable way. I was pleasantly surprised at the book’s focus on mankind’s sin and need of a Saviour, and how Jesus Christ alone can save. The book doesn’t just stop with Christ’s birth, it goes on to His death and resurrection, thus presenting the gospel completely and explaining the purpose of Christmas and Christ’s birth.
  
  The biggest negative, in my opinion, is the “pray after me” prayer for salvation in the last chapter. It is weak, with no acknowledgment of being a sinner, deserving of God’s wrath — only a short “I’m sorry for my sin.” Simply being sorry for sin is not the same as repenting of my sin (2 Corinthians 7). The failure to address repentance is a significant oversight in an otherwise well-written presentation of the gospel.
• 
  Faye

  Terrific book, and perfect timing for reading about an event that brings hope and meaning to a lost and dying human race. ❤
• 
  Danette

  Excellent!
  I listened to the audio--read by the author in his Scottish accent--while I wrapped Christmas presents. Short but powerful.
  
  "The greatness of God is not revealed in His isolation from us. The greatness of God is revealed in His intimacy with us."
  
  "He did not come to provide a little religious energizer battery that would make us nicer people. He did not even come just to make your life happy. He came because you were drowning; pulled down by the weight of your sin and miles from the shore. You need someone to reach down their hand, grasp yours, and pull you up to safety and take you to the shore. And if you know you are drowning, you don't refuse the person whose hand is offered to you, you grab it and you splutter your gratitude."
  
  "The cross shows me that my sin is very real and is absolutely horrendous. It took the death of God's only Son to deal with it and free me from it. But the cross also shows me that God is very real and awesomely loving. God the Son came to die so that my sin could be dealt with."
• 
  Hannah

  I loved Alistair Begg’s telling of the Christmas Story through four songs of the first Christmas. Each song presents a personal response to what God has done through sending His Son, and through these songs we learn about God’s heart and faithfulness. Love Begg’s presentation of the Gospel here and recommend this to both those who follow Christ and those who are unsure about God or placing faith in Him.
• 
  Jamie

  A sweet, thin book gifted to me this Christmas season and I read it in a matter of a few sittings near the tree. It details 4 songs from Scripture and parcels what it teaches you about His coming and His coming again. I really enjoyed Begg’s approachable writing style and his use of these 4 songs & prayers. A lovely little Christmas book to be enjoyed!
• 
  Lee

  I guess I had higher expectations for this one. I’m a pretty big Alistair Begg fan and I really enjoy his frequent use of popular music (mostly 70’s) references in his sermons. So a book looking at 4 biblical “Christmas” “songs” I was setup with maybe unrealistic expectations.
  
  Anyway, it’s a good devotional book that looks at prayers/songs from Luke’s Gospel of: Zechariah, Mary, the Angle’s and Simeon.
  
  It would also be an excellent gift to someone interested in understanding the Christmas and Easter stories more deeply, even someone that hasn’t decided to place their faith in Christ yet.
• 
  Samuel

  This was a unique way to tell and explain the Christmas story. Begg walks through Jesus’s birth by highlighting four song-prayers surrounding the story. He also takes the opportunity to walk through the rest of His life and explain the significance of His birth. I thought chapter 3 was the high point of the book, particularly the stark contrast between Jesus and Augustus.
• 
  Haddon

  A short but amazing read. Clearly and cleverly putting the story of Christmas into something easy to access and share with friends. I would definitely reccomend reading it and also buying some more for distribution! A refreshing approach to the Christmas Story!
• 
  Matt

  Exceeded my expectations. The last two chapters were particularly strong. Begg is such a gifted communicator.
• 
  Rachel {bibliopals}

  Foundational points of the Christmas story, but Begg explains and writes truths out very well.
  
  Here are parts I enjoyed:
  Ch 2--"Literally, to "sin" means to miss the mark."...World Darts Championship example..."Worst thing the players can do is to miss the board..." "Everyone throws and misses when it comes to glorifying God...You can miss the target by an inch, or by a mile, but no one fails to miss."
  Ch 3--Comparison between Caesar Augustus' and Jesus' peace offering.
  Ch 4 --"And this is why the wooden food trough led to the wooden cross, and why you will never get to the heart of Christmas if you don't grasp the meaning of Easter."
  Conclusion--"So a Christian is someone who treats Jesus as their Ruler, in charge of their life; and trusts him as their Redeemer, able to bring them through death. It is someone who recognizes home God was giving us at that first Christmas, and that is is the greatest gift of any Christmas."
  
• 
  Edie

  I enjoyed this short devotion type story more than I would have thought. It covers the first songs written about Christ's birth; Mary's song, Zachariah's song, the Angel's song and Simeon's song. I never really thought about these songs, but Begg does a great job getting you to stop and reflect. He meanders through other related thoughts in a light hearted way. I highly recommend this to anyone wanting to take time during Advent to contemplate the coming mystery of God becoming a baby.
  
  Lastly, he shares his favorite Christmas hymn, Once in Royal David's City. Honestly, I never heard of the this. I enjoyed looking up the words and listening to the hymn. So, in closing it seems appropriate to share my favorite Christmas hymn, Hark the Harold Angles Sing, interesting that it's a song about the third song of Christmas.
• 
  Michelle Lunsford

  This was so enjoyable. It's a quick read - one could easily finish it in one sitting, but the format could be used over the four weeks of Advent as a devotional of sorts. I appreciate the way Begg has used these songs from scripture that tie in with the Christmas narrative to communicate the heart of the Christian message. This is one that I think I'll be revisiting from year to year. Also, if you appreciate audio versions, I recommend this one. I like it when an author can narrate his or her own work, and Begg has a delightful Scottish brogue that makes for pleasant listening.
• 
  Hannah

  This is about the "songs" of Mary, Zachariah, the angels, and Simeon. A lovely look at the heart of the gospel. I've read Luke 1-2 to my son half a dozen times over the past two weeks, and I just finished reading through the book of Luke by myself. The richness of the gospel in these joyous exclamations stood out to me this time, and Begg's book draws it out and explains it well. This could be a great Advent devotional. I also will need to add "Once in Royal David's City" to my memorized Christmas carols. :)
• 
  Tim Counts

  Excellent little book. Took me under 50 minutes to read the entire thing & it gives the Christmas story & the gospel clearly, winsomely & in a way that is easy to understand for nonbelievers & edifying for believers. I read it because I wasn’t sure if it would be clear enough on the gospel to use as an outreach book. It definitely is! And it also made my own heart worship.
• 
  Josh

  We all have some of our favorite songs for the holidays. And while we can rage on as to when is the appropriate time to play them, there is no doubt that the playlist Alistair provides should play on repeat every day of the year. Great perspective on the first Christmas aimed at igniting enduring joy and praise for the God who saves.
• 
  Nicholas Lewis

  It’s a short read but something I would be down to revisit each Christmas for a straight forward reminder about the Gospel during the holiday season. Alistair Begg does provide a few different perspectives that aren’t often touched upon in Christian living, Christmas story books and I appreciate that very much.
• 
  Tarissa

  An excellent offering from Pastor Alistair Begg, as he outlines 4 songs that he takes straight from the scripture and modernizes the songs' meanings for our life. A great choice to read this during the holiday season.
  
  I would read more by this author, especially if I can listen to him narrate his own book again.
  
  Minimum suggested age to read: 16 and up (for mature topics).
• 
  Noel Burke

  This was used by our church to prepare for Easter last year. I had not read the last chapter and finished that recently. It was a nice and easy read and was used to do a family study once a week leading up to Easter.
• 
  Ruthe Turner

  A very information and inspirational Christmas book about the original Christmas songs as first sung in Luke’s gospel. Read by the author, the book will hold your attention as he teaches wonderful truths in his winsome, warm and humorous way.
• 
  Cherish Brown

  (5☆ Would recommend & would read again)
  My church did an entire sermon series around the four songs in this book. I really enjoyed reading this book. There are a lot of Advent books out there, but I like how this one takes four songs straight from scripture and makes those the focus of Advent.
• 
  Susan

  Listen to the audio. Solid, basic and easy to listen to. Away to explain Christmas to those who are really interested but don’t grasp the full impact. “The baby that was born can bear the weight of your life and your eternity.”
• 
  Arianna

  Lovely. I see this more as a book for a believer than a non believer, but it’s still good. I wanted to listen to see if i would give it away to family members but im still looking for a good evangelistic book.