Read: Isaiah 53:5  But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.

The lyrics of the charming carol “What Child is This?” were written by William Chatterton Dix (1837–1898) in 1865. The important question is asked at the beginning of the first stanza: “What child is this?” Mary, the angels, and the shepherd are mentioned, referring to the account of Christ’s birth in Luke 2. The answer to the question is quickly provided in the second half of the stanza: “This, this is Christ the King”. This refers to what we read in Matthew 2 about how the magi from the East came looking for the new-born king of Israel (Matthew 2:2). We are urged to hurry (“Haste, haste”), the way the shepherds “hurried off” (Luke 2:16) after being told by the angel of Christ’s birth and after witnessing the angelic choir. “To bring Him laud” means to praise, glorify, and worship Him, the way the magi “bowed down and worshipped” Him (Matthew 2:11) and the shepherds glorified and praised God (Luke 2:20).

“To bring Him laud” means to praise, glorify, and worship Him…

The second stanza begins with another question: why is such a King lying in a manger (“where ox and ass are feeding”), lying in “such mean estate” (poor and humble circumstances). The ox and ass would be a reference to Isaiah 1:3 (which we have already discussed in Chapter 7). Those who are witnessing this amazing scene should not be distracted by the poverty of the new-born, because He is the Word of God, as declared by the apostle John, and He is God himself! “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1). As a helpless baby, the Word of God is not preaching to us verbally, but His silent light shines in our darkness (John 1:5, 9). His presence pleads with us to consider our sinful ways and to repent before God and trust in Him for salvation.

The fifth and sixth lines of the second stanza speak of how this baby will grow into a man who will die on the cross “for me, for you”, for all of us sinners. He will suffer for us; carrying our sins on His shoulders and paying the terrifying penalty in our place. “Nails, spear shall pierce Him through” (Stanza 2), wounding Him for our sake.

…glorify Christ who died for us.

The apostle Peter explains this further, saying that Christ was wounded for our healing, referring to how we must “die to sins and live for righteousness” (1 Peter 2:24). Therefore, we must glorify Christ who died for us. He is the “Word made flesh” (Stanza 2), a reference to John 1:14—God became man and pitched His tent among us, for our own good.

The third stanza transports us to the visit of the magi and their gifts of gold, incense, and myrrh. Whether it is important people, like the magi (popularly thought to be kings), or simple shepherds (peasants), all are urged to come to Jesus, because He came to save all. No one is excluded from the grace and love that He extends to us. What we need to do in response is to love Him, and in our hearts and lives “enthrone Him” (Stanza 3); that is, make Him truly King of our lives as we seek to obey Him in every way (see 1 Peter 3:15).

…all are urged to come to Jesus, because He came to save all.

We are called to raise our joyful song to our Saviour, even as Mary sang her motherly lullaby to Him. Our Saviour was born the King of kings and Lord of our lives. We are each encouraged to sing to Jesus our songs of praise and thanksgiving, of gratitude and worship, as we recognise who He is and what He has done for us. He deserves nothing less, and there is no better way to celebrate Christmas. We must truly come to Jesus (no one should be left out) and find in Him our true Saviour, King, and Lord.

Consider this:

How is Jesus your Saviour and Lord? Think of the cross on Calvary and the throne room in your heart. What does “enthrone Him” mean to you? What are the implications of doing so for your life’s goals, activities, and relationships? How would this change your priorities?

Excerpted and adapted from Songs of Christmas: The Stories and Significance of 20 Well-Loved Carols by Robert M. Solomon. ©2018 by Robert M. Solomon. Used by permission of Discovery House Publishers. All rights reserved.

Related Resources:

One of Us: Why Did Jesus Come to Earth? Jesus coming to earth is more than the story of a baby in a manger. It is God’s intimate pursuit to have a deeper connection with His creation. Learn how God took on skin in the person of Jesus and became one of us so that we might know who God is and find purpose in our lives. Find out more here.

 

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