re: "talking the basics"
C.S. Lewis had a lot to say about the "good man" viewpoint of Jesus. Didn't go for it.
A very good read on the Bible is Isaac Asimov's "Guide to the Bible." Asimov was essentially atheist, so the view is very secular, but the book is so enlightening about the historical references that even very religious people would learn a lot.
Much of Christ's life was seen in light of Old Testament prophecies. Matthew's gospel in particular put a lot of emphasis on this.
Some scholars suspect a few things were "cooked" to make the prophecies match. Asimov in particular seemed skeptical that Romans would make everyone march to their home town to be taxed, but Jesus had to be born in Bethlehem to fulfill the prophecies.