Songs and hymns proceed to be a most important tradition for Christmas, and we frequently hear “What Child is This?” as a most important selection.
As Christmastime draws near, a lot of us place a nativity set in our house, complete with the most important characters. We place the infant Jesus at the middle. A couple of churches actually have a live nativity out near the road. While we may complain in regards to the secularization and commercialization surrounding Christmas, it could be difficult to seek out someone who didn’t know the infant Jesus as the muse of the vacation.
Yet the famous hymn, “What Child is This?” does greater than give us a reason for the season. The song explores the person, the role, and the wonder related to Christ arriving within the flesh. Looking into the background of the song “What Child is This?” reveals the guts of God in Christmas.
What is the History of “What Child is This”?
Poet and author William Chatterton Dix authored “What Child is This?” in 1865. Born in England, Dix’s father named him after the poet Thomas Chatterton, which might need either inspired or destined William’s writing profession. Dix successfully managed a marine insurance company in Glasgow, Scotland, but kept a deep and private faith with a passion for writing hymns and poetry. His writings often focused on devotion to Christ and drew from the Bible.
Dix began writing the lyrics to “What Child is This?” during a time of deep suffering in his life. At age 29, he became seriously in poor health, and his health crisis left him bedridden for months. Along along with his pain, Dix also experienced spiritual and emotional trouble, leading him to take into consideration his faith and relationship with God more deeply than ever before. During this intense time of prayer, he found peace and luxury in reading Scripture and writing hymns and poems expressing his latest insights.
During this time, he wrote “What Child is This?”, inspired by the Nativity story in Matthew and Luke. Dix focused on the wonder and awe surrounding the birth of Jesus, mixing theological statements with worship. In the hymn, he gets listeners to meditate on Jesus’s identity within the manger.
As with many elderly songs, Dix borrowed the melody from a standard tune, on this case, the English “Greensleeves” from the sixteenth century. Dix’s text with a well-recognized melody helped the song turn out to be popular, and it has endured as a Christmas favorite.
What are the Key Themes of “What Child is This”?
Here are the lyrics to “What Child is This?”:
What child is that this,
Who, laid to rest,
On Mary’s lap is sleeping?
Whom angels greet with anthem sweet,
While shepherds watch are keeping?This, that is Christ the King,
Whom shepherds guard and angels sing
This, that is Christ the King,
The Babe, the Son of Mary.Why lies He in such mean estate
Where ox and lamb are feeding?
Good Christian, fear for sinners here
The silent Word is pleading.So bring Him incense, gold and myrrh,
Come, peasant, king to own Him;
The King of kings salvation brings
Let loving hearts enthrone Him.
The Incarnation, God becoming flesh in Jesus, is one central theme of this beloved Christmas song. The opening line questions Jesus’ identity, resulting in an echo of the angel’s declaration in Luke 2:10-11. “I bring you excellent news of great joy … a Savior has been born to you; he’s Christ the Lord.” The Incarnation infuses the entire Christmas story, revealing God’s love and desire to be reconciled to humanity, bridging the gap between heaven and earth.
The song also points to Jesus’ humility. The lyrics ask, “Why lies he in such mean estate, where ox and ass are feeding?” Dix draws attention to the humility of Christ’s birth. Instead of being born in a palace or place of great wealth, Mary had her baby in a cave and placed him in a lowly manger. This fulfills prophesies like Isaiah 53:2-3, describing the Messiah as someone who “had no beauty or majesty to draw us to him.” Jesus’ humble circumstances makes him relatable to us, underscoring the Emmanuel, God with us nature of his mission. Unlike every other earthly kingdom, Christ’s kingdom doesn’t rely on worldly power or status.
Finally, the song talks about salvation through Christ’s sacrifice. The hymn relates how Jesus was born to suffer death later in life to save lots of us all. “Nails, spear shall pierce him through, the cross be borne for me, for you.” Foreshadowing the crucifixion connects the infant within the manger to his ultimate sacrifice on the cross (1 Peter 2:24), where “he himself bore our sins in his body.” Jesus got here to earth to meet his Father’s salvation plan, making a way for everlasting life for any who would imagine.
How Do the Lyrics Communicate the Awe and Wonder of Christmas?
Many Christians today get frustrated in regards to the commercialization and secularization of Christmas. We can watch a bunch of Christmas movies and hearken to Christmas pop songs without ever hearing in regards to the reason for all of it: Jesus. Yet we shouldn’t point to Christ during December out of obligation but in awe and wonder. Often, certain ideas or events turn out to be more common, or we lose our excitement. The hymn reminds us of the amazing and heavenly nature of the Incarnation, each transcendent and intimate.
The angels in heaven, who consistently see God as he’s, erupt with praise and shouts with their announcement in Luke 2:11. If angels find the event so radical, shouldn’t we? Dix uses inquiries to help the listener engage with the reality afresh. Asking who the kid is and what this all means encourages us to approach the reality in latest ways. He encourages us through awe and wonder to see beyond the nativity scene alone to the everlasting significance of Christ’s birth.
Not only did God send Jesus through humble circumstances, however the angels didn’t announce the Savior to priests or Herod and even Caesar. God selected to proclaim this inconceivable but real world-changing moment to shepherds in the sphere (Luke 2:8-14), people marginalized and regarded of low status. The shepherds received the heavenly message and immediately went to see and worship Jesus. Their inclusion within the story shows God’s love extends to everyone, even those often ignored.
At the identical time, the Magi, or clever men, traveled from far-off, following a star leading them to Jesus (Matthew 2). They brought gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, symbolizing their recognition of Jesus as King, Savior, and priest. These men were outsiders, non-Jews, however the Good News welcomes all people.
Along with Jesus’ salvation mission, the song “What Child is This?” highlights the awe and wonder of how God’s redemptive plan begins with the poor and the outsider, teaching us the importance of how we must always begin with humility.
How Do Christians Use “What Child is This” in Praise and Worship Gatherings?
Churches use “What Child is This” in worship to reflect on and rejoice the mystery and power of Jesus’ birth, especially during Christmas. The lyrics and soft melody make it a perfect alternative for services that give attention to the Nativity and the Incarnation, helping us engage anew on who Jesus is, why he got here, and what his birth means for all of us.
The song often follows readings from the Gospels, especially from Luke 2, Matthew 2, and Isaiah 9, the latter foretelling the Messiah’s coming. Readings lay a biblical foundation, helping congregations higher connect with the lyrics. The hymn may be used with Advent traditions, especially when the main focus shifts to joy, love, and Christ. In response, congregations can pray in gratitude for God’s work, and the song is likely to be used for a sermon. The public confession, “This, that is Christ the king,” becomes an easy and profound declaration of religion in unity with the church gathering.
What Can Christians Learn about Christmas from “What Child is This”?
“What Child is This?” calls us to cultivate awe and wonder about God and his work, especially the birth of Christ. We must resist treating God’s works as common. In our day by day lives and in religious settings, God’s truths and the Gospel turn out to be familiar, and we lose our sense of amazement. Yet Scripture encourages us to repeatedly remember and provides thanks for God’s mighty works (Psalm 105:5). Practicing gratitude, we rediscover our wonder and remain focused on God’s grace and majesty.
The hymn asks inquiries to provoke deeper thought. Jesus often used questions when teaching, prompting people to think deeply and examine their very own beliefs. In this manner, people own what they imagine. For example, Jesus asked his disciples, “Who do you say I’m?” (Matthew 16:15) Rather than simply telling them, he brought them to a situation where the Spirit would give revelation, and they might seek answers, which happened when Peter responded, “You are the Christ, the Son of God!” Jesus celebrated that no man, even himself, told Peter this. The disciple had received revelation, a reason to offer praise. As Christians, we must always also adopt this approach, using inquiries to help others consider their faith, trusting the Holy Spirit to guide their thoughts and deepen their understanding.
The song reminds us of Jesus’ humble arrival. Rather than coming in a display of power, Jesus got here as a vulnerable baby, inviting us into relationship as an alternative of coercing or manipulating us. This reveals how though he could and has all power, God won’t force us to follow him but gently calls us to himself in willing submission. Philippians describes Jesus as humbling himself to turn out to be human, even to death, demonstrating his sacrificial love.
In the identical way that Jesus identified with being poor and oppressed, the song points to God’s alternative to disclose him to the poor and marginalized. The shepherds and clever men teach us how Jesus’ mission began with the standard and the outcast, reminding us to succeed in out to those in need with the Gospel. Jesus proclaimed how he got here to “proclaim excellent news to the poor” (Luke 4:18), and as his followers, he calls us to hold that mission forward.
Finally, “What Child is This?” encourages us to declare God’s salvation with assurance and awe. Just because the angels declared Jesus as Savior, we must always affirm the heavenly reality of Christ’s lordship and share the Good News with boldness. Jesus is the King of kings and Lord of lords (Revelation 19:16), and we must always verbally honor the greatness and love inside God’s redemptive plan.
Peace.
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