In my upcoming book, Spelunking Scripture – Christmas, I offer Bible studies on the following passages: Matthew 1:18-25; Matthew 2:1-12; Matthew 2:13-23; Luke 1:1-23; Luke 1:26-45; Luke 1:46-55; Luke 2:1-7; Luke 2:8-20; Luke 2:21-38; and John 1:1-18. Of course, not every one of those passages is about the Christmas story, per se. The visit of the magi in Matthew 2 and the subsequent flight to Egypt occurred some time after Jesus was born. The annunciations in Luke 1 occurred before Jesus was born, and the presentation in the Temple in the latter part of Luke 2 also occurred after Jesus was born. The prologue to John’s Gospel only alludes to the birth of Jesus. So, technically, not every passage in the Spelunking Scripture – Christmas Bible study book is about the Christmas story. But all the passages explored in the book are related to the Christmas story. I begin the Introduction to the Spelunking Scripture – Christmas Bible study book with this observation: Christmas is a big deal—in our culture, in our families, and in our churches. The Christmas season is the most popular holiday of the year. Almost everybody knows about the baby in the manger, except that in some circles, Santa Claus is more popular than Jesus. Still, the Christmas story is largely known. Why then a study of the scripture passages that tell the Christmas story? Is “spelunking scripture” necessary for Christmas? I contend the answer is “yes,” because many people never get beneath the surface of the Christmas story. The basic details may be known, but the deeper meaning of the Christmas story may be undiscovered. The purpose of the Christmas study book in the Spelunking Scripture series is to go beneath the surface of the story to discover what Christmas really means. Christmas 2020 was unlike any we have ever experienced. There was no in-person worship for most of us. The four Sundays of Advent were virtual experiences. So was Christmas Eve. Our extended family did not gather for Christmas. We did not travel, and the exchange of gifts was unusually modest. We did order some gifts online, to be delivered to family members in other places. But our Christmas tree was not surrounded by the usual quantity of presents. We did eat at the dining room table for Christmas dinner, instead of the kitchen table. But the trappings of Christmas in 2020 were few. I would not claim that the pandemic enabled us to experience the true meaning of Christmas. There was too much sorrow to ascribe any beneficence to covid-19. But stripped of the normal accoutrements, Christmas in 2020 was less commercial and more spiritual. It was a far different kind of celebration. There was less singing, and more praying. We discovered at a deeper level that God was/is with us.