Hello, I'm Dr. Kylie Fisher. Welcome to heavenly harmonies, a series designed to help you draw nearer to God's heart through the scriptural message of hymns.
Isaiah, chapter nine, verse six says, unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder and his name shall be called wonderful counsellor. The mighty God, the everlasting father, the prince of peace, Jesus Emmanuel, the son of God, was truly a wonderful child. He was, in fact, God in human flesh.
And the wonder of his birth is expressed in the haunting carol that we're going to look at today. What child is this? In our previous episodes, we've looked at how Jesus was to come to earth to show us what God is really like. And we've explored a number of scenes from Jesus'birth in our programme today.
What we're going to be doing is drawing some of these together and we're going to be adding some new scenes. And this is going to conclude, for the time being, our exploration of the nativity story, the story of Jesus'birth. I'm sure that we will be referring back to this in future programmes, but it's going to kind of conclude our season for the time being.
So let's begin with the first verse of our hymn for today. What child is this? What child is this? Who laid to rest on Mary's lap is sleeping, whom angels greet with anthem sweet while shepherds watch are keeping this. This is Christ the king, whom shepherds guard and angels sing haste, haste to bring him, Lord the babe, the son of Mary.
So the scene that's described in this first verse, as I was saying before, it really is pulling together a lot of the scenes that we've discussed previously. So it's obviously talking about the birth of Jesus, that Jesus has been born. He's now sleeping on his mother Mary's lap.
And then it also speaks about the angels and the shepherds. We know that the angels sang a beautiful song of proclamation to the shepherds to announce the birth of Christ, this amazing child that is God in human flesh. And then the shepherds went to find this baby and they found him in this stable where he was with his peasant parents, with Mary and Joseph.
And we also did read a little bit about some other people, but we'll talk about them a bit later. But those are the scenes that we're drawing together in this first verse. Jesus in the stable, the angels and the shepherds.
It's drawing those things together. But there's some interesting literary devices in this poem, and thus in this song that are different to the other songs that we've looked at. So there's a lot of repetition in this song, but there's also very prevalent in this first part of the first verse are these questions, these persistent questions.
And questions are a very powerful literary device because they challenge us in ways that statements don't. They lead us to think in ways that statements don't. And they really convey a sense of wonder.
And we have spoken about the idea of wonder, the awe, the amazing mystery of Christ's birth, that this is the mystery of godliness. And so I think that that's actually really powerfully expressed in the questions in this song. That's really powerful, really poignant and bringing something new into this story that we've explored in a number of ways from a number of different angles.
And this is, again, yet another angle on that. And these questions that we do find in this hymn are, I think, reflecting some verses that we find in the Bible. So let's have a look at these.
So Luke, chapter two and verses 17 and 18. Luke, chapter two and verses 17 and 18. And this is speaking about the shepherds after they'd come and found this baby in the stable.
And so verse 17 says, and when they, that is, the shepherds had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And then verse 18 says, all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. So this sense of wonder, I think, is well reflected in the questions in this song.
I will also read another verse about this, which is not directly about actually the birth of Jesus, but it is about someone that's very closely connected with him. So you may have heard of John the Baptist. John the Baptist was actually Jesus'cousin.
You can read about his birth, which was also miraculous. In Luke, chapter one, you can read how John the Baptist was born to parents that were very old. And so his birth was not miraculous in quite the same sense as Jesus, in that Jesus was God in human flesh.
And so Jesus is the only baby that's really the son of God in a very special sense. But John was miraculous in that his parents were actually really too old to have children, and yet he was conceived by his human parents and born of human birth. Well, really, every birth is miraculous because only God can give life.
But the birth of John the Baptist was extra miraculous in the sense that he was born to parents that were past the age of childbearing. And, of course, the birth of Christ is the most extreme example of a miraculous birth, in that he was the son of God and also born of Mary. And so he was God in human.
So that's John the Baptist. That's his miraculous birth. But at the time when he was born, some people said some things about him that relate to this song and relate to this idea of wonder.
And so when John was born, it says that those that heard about him, this is Luke, chapter one, and verse 66. All they that heard them, that is, the things that were told them about John, it says that they laid them up in their hearts saying, what manner of child shall this be? That's very close to this. What child of this? What manner of child shall this be? Now, so, as I say, this was not actually with reference to Jesus himself, but as I say, john the Baptist was the one who later in his life, when he was about 30 years old, was actually to announce Jesus to the world.
And so if that is what was said about John the Baptist, what manner of child shall this be? How much more does that apply to the one that John the Baptist was announcing, which was Jesus Christ, the son of God? So that sense of wonder, I think, is conveyed in these Bible verses and it's reflected in this hymn. So, as I was saying, this first verse poses these questions, and they're not just rhetorical questions, because we do actually get an answer in the song. And so the answer is found in the chorus of the song, which I read just before this.
This is Christ the king, whom shepherds guard and angels sing. Now, what's the significance of this word? King, Christ the king. And we have spoken about this before because we spoke about it in the carol of joy to the world.
And in that carol, it says, let earth receive her king. And we said, that's very appropriate because God is the creator. But let's explore this a little bit more, because there's even some more things, many more things that we could say about this, but we'll just give a few more brief thoughts that I think help us to understand better this song.
So this idea of Jesus being the king was recognised at the time of his birth. Let's look at two examples of this. So, Matthew, chapter two is where we find the story of the wise men.
And so we did speak about this in previous episode, where the wise men saw the star and they followed the star, which was not just an ordinary body in the heavens, but there's indications that it was miraculous because it led them right to the place where Jesus was. So Matthew, chapter two and verse two, the wise men came into Jerusalem initially, they went to Jerusalem looking for Jesus. And when they came into Jerusalem, they said, where is he that is born king of the jews? So they recognised that Jesus was king.
So, as we've said, this is very appropriately applied to Jesus, as he was really the creator of the world. As we've said, he was God in human flesh. And there's many verses, actually, in the Old Testament that speak about God or Christ as king.
Actually, psalm 47 and verse seven says, for God is the king of all the earth. And so there God is described as king of all the earth. And we also spoke about in previous episodes, psalm 103, it says that God has established his throne in the heavens.
So God is not only king over all the earth, but he's king over the heavens. He's king over the universe, because he made all of the universe, he made the angels. And yet when he came to earth, is that the sense in which Jesus was king? Well, we understand from Philippians chapter two and verse five that when Jesus came to earth, he voluntarily gave up that position.
And in Philippians chapter two and verse five, it says, let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men. When Jesus came to earth, he did not really come as a conquering king in the sense that we would understand kings to be on earth. He was born of poor parents.
And it says here that he took the form of a servant. He did not come to exact homage, but he actually came to serve and to show us that there is joy and that there is honour in service. So he gave up his position in heaven.
He gave up all of those things that his heavenly position entitled him to when he came to earth. And yet he is still rightly called the king when he comes to earth. And there is a reason for that.
So let's just have a look as well in Luke, chapter one. Luke, chapter one, which is when the angel came and told Mary, the virgin Mary, that she would have this special baby, and the angel said to her, amongst other things, he shall be great and shall be called the son of the highest, and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father, David. So Jesus, when he came to earth, he was, although he was born of peasant parents, he was actually of the line of David, he was actually of the royal line.
And so there was that sense in which he was the rightful king, even coming to earth and born in this humble state. So, as we have been saying, christ was of the line of David. And we've said in previous episodes that David was a king.
He was a monarch of Israel. Now, it's very interesting when we look back at the history of Israel. The kings of Israel did not become kings just only because they know the strongest, the smartest, the best warriors or whatever, they were actually chosen by God.
But interestingly, they were also acknowledged by their nation and in a sense, voluntarily recognised by the nation of Israel as the rightful king. And so in the same way, Christ was chosen by God, but through the demonstration, chosen by God to be king. But it's through the demonstration of God's love that he draws our hearts to him.
And it is through this that he will ultimately be acknowledged as supreme ruler by all. And we can read about this. Well, one place we can read about this is in Philippians chapter two, and I was just reading before from verse five about how Christ voluntarily became a servant, or in verse seven, that is.
But let's see what is the result of this, because he took that humble form. Let's see what the result is beginning from verse nine. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him and given him a name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow of things in heaven and things in earth and things under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the father.
So, yeah, there's tremendous significance to the fact that Christ is king and that Christ is called king. So this is Christ the king, whom shepherds guard and angels sing. And so well might we hasten to bring him lord, to bring him glory, to bring him honour.
Okay, let's move on and look at the second verse now. So if Jesus is king, the second verse asks, why lies he in such mean estate where ox and ass are feeding good christian fear for sinners? Hear, the silent word is pleading nails. Spear shall pierce him through the cross.
Be born for me. For you. Hail.
Hail. The word made flesh. The babe, the son of Mary.
This second verse speaks about how Christ came and he took this humble position for us. He took our place. In previous episodes we have read from Isaiah chapter 53, where it says that Jesus was despised and rejected of men.
And that's. Yeah, Isaiah 53 and verse three. But then verse four goes on to say, surely he hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrows, yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted but he was wounded for our transgressions.
He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace was upon him. And with his stripes we are healed.
All we, like sheep, have gone astray. We have turned everyone to his own way. And the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
And so when it's speaking about nail spear shall pierce him through. This is, of course, speaking about the death that Christ suffered. Many people, even if they're not christians, sort of would be aware that Jesus was crucified.
And crucifixion was a terrible, torturous death. But the anguish that Christ suffered on the cross was so great, his mental anguish, his spiritual anguish was so great that his physical pain was, in fact, hardly felt. In fact, you can read about the crucifixion of Christ in all of the gospels, but let's briefly look at a verse in Matthew, chapter 27.
Matthew, chapter 27 and verse 46. And it speaks here about Jesus when he was on the cross. And he cried out and said, my God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? So when Jesus was on the cross, he felt himself to be forsaken of God.
And that is the result of sin. Sin separates us from God. It separates us from the source of life.
And so Jesus experienced a sense of eternal death. Even though he rose again, he experienced that separation from God, that sense of eternal death. That was what each one of us, each human, who all of us have sin and fall short of, the glory of God.
That was the death that we should have died. But he died that death in our place so that to give us the opportunity to receive the life that was his. But why are we talking about this when we're talking about the birth of Jesus? Well, I mean, that was the purpose of his birth.
But also we do see this very early in Jesus'life, actually at his dedication. And so if we look in Luke chapter two, Jesus, when he was eight days old, was circumcised. And then he was dedicated a little later on.
And Joseph and Mary went to the temple in order to perform this ritual. And while Jesus was being dedicated, there was a prophet that actually came into the temple just at that time. His name was Simeon, and he spoke some prophetic words at that time in Luke chapter two and verse 34.
I'll read what it says there. And Simeon blessed them, that is, Joseph and Mary, and said unto Mary his mother, behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel. And for a sign which shall be spoken against.
Verse 35 says, yea, a sword shall pierce through thine own soul. Also that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed. So when Christ was on the cross, you can read in the accounts of Jesus'crucifixion in the Gospel of John how that Mary was there by the cross.
And certainly that sword did pierce through her soul at that time when she saw her son, her dearly loved son, on the cross. So that was foreshadowed at the time of Jesus'birth. But let's move on to the final verse in this hymn, which says, so bring him incense, gold and myrrh.
Come, peasant king, to own him. And this is speaking about the wise men whom we've spoken about earlier in this episode and also in previous episodes. And incense, golden myrrh, you can read in Matthew, chapter two and verse eleven.
These were the gifts that the wise men brought him. And so there was the shepherds, which were the peasants, and there were the kings, or these wise men who were great rulers in their own country. So, yeah, from all extremes, from all walks of life, they came to acknowledge that Christ was king.
And then this song, our hymn, what child is this? Goes on to continue. The king of kings. Salvation brings.
Let loving hearts enthrone him. Raise, raise the song on high the virgin sings her lullaby. Joy, joy for Christ is born the babe, the son of Mary.
And so, just before we listen to this, let's speak briefly about how we might express these amazing thoughts through music. And so the first verse, once again, has this sense of wonder, this sense of awe which we have spoken about in speaking about previous songs and how we would perform those. As I've been saying, there's a lot of overlap between these different hymns that we're looking at.
And, yeah, so, I mean, I don't really need to keep on saying too much about it, other than just it's that sense of wonder, that sense of awe that's reflected in those questions and the musings about Christ and about John the Baptist that we read earlier. So, moving on to the second verse, why lithy in such mean estate nails spear shall pierce him through. This verse is really full of sorrow.
It is full of pathos. And we've spoken in previous episodes about Christ being our model, our example. And we spoke about him also being our model in speech.
And we can see that when Christ was here on earth, there were times when he know he was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And there were times when he wept and would sometimes speak when he was weeping. And so if we can think about the sort of tone, the sort of pathos that would have been in his voice at those times and strive to imitate that, I think that would be very appropriate in this second verse.
And then the last verse does not have any questions in this verse. The questions have been answered. And so it's very full of confidence, full of assurance.
Bring him incense, gold, and myrrh. We're assured of the kingship of Christ in this final verse. So let's now listen to the king's College choir singing this beautiful hymn for us.
What child is this? This was shall make wash is such through the cross before you and see Joy. What a wonder that Jesus, the king of the universe, should give up his glory in heaven to come to this world to save us. Let's say a prayer about this.
Dear God, thank you so much for sending Jesus to give his life for us. Please help us to understand this amazing sacrifice and to reflect its deep significance, especially in our music. In Jesus name we pray.
Amen. Thank you so much for joining me today on heavenly harmonies. Remember, you can email us at
[email protected] join me again next time to discuss another hymn. But until then, goodbye and God bless.
