The Bible Project Daily Podcast Christmas Special: A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens - The Good News of Transformation.
Few stories have entered the cultural bloodstream like A Christmas Carol. First published in December 1843, it was an instant success—selling out its first edition within days and never going out of print since.
At its heart, A Christmas Carol is a gospel narrative. Ebenezer Scrooge begins as a man enslaved by greed, isolated by pride, and blind to the grace of others. He is like the rich fool of Luke 12, hoarding wealth while at the same time starving his own soul. But through the visitation of three spirits, representing past memories, Judgment, and Mercy, he is transformed. His journey is not just psychological—it is spiritual. It is the journey of repentance in story form.
Culturally, Dickens, through this story, reshaped our idea of Christmas itself. Before A Christmas Carol, the holiday was fading in England—seen by many as old-fashioned, even unnecessary. Dickens revived it with this book.
But probably more important is the fact that he gave us the language of generosity and gave unction to the conviction that Christmas is a time for compassion. In doing so, he did more than entertain—he evangelized a whole culture. He preached a gospel of joy to a society that had all but forgotten it.
For us friends, this episode is not just a beloved tale—it’s a spiritual truth. Revealing that no heart is too hard for God’s grace to reach. That no soul is too lost for redemption. And that Christmas, at its core, is not about sentiment—it is about salvation.
Happy Christmas.
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