Introduction and Chapter One, Chapter Two, Chapter Three Summary and Analysis

Dickens begins The Life of Our Lord with a brief introduction where he explains to his audience of (presumably) children that he is eager to teach them about the life of Jesus Christ, who to Dickens was the best, kindest and gentlest person who ever lived, and that He is in heaven where all will meet after death. But, he argues, one cannot know how good heaven is unless they know about Jesus.

In chapter one, Dickens explains that Jesus was born two thousand years ago in Bethlehem. His parents lived in Nazareth but had to travel to Bethlehem for several reasons. Their names were Joseph and Mary. But due to a number of factors, when Joseph and Mary arrived, all the rooms and inns were full...