What Child Is This?

What parent of more than three children at a time hasn’t asked this question? Or perhaps when one of those little ones has done something wrong and the question is shouted, “Whose child is this?”…and you just want to “get away”. The hymn, What Child Is This? is a very popular Christmas song that asks a valid question. What child is this? What is different about this child than other children? Christians believe that Jesus was born of a virgin…conceived of the Holy Spirit. We believe that He lived a sinless life and was crucified and resurrected. I don’t think that Mary fully understood what was going to unfold for her or for her baby as she cradled Him that night in the stable. The chorus to the song shouts out the truth: “This, this is Christ the King, whom shepherds guard and angels sing. Haste, haste to bring Him laud, the babe, the Son of Mary”.

This baby was a king. We make a lot of fuss over children born to royal parents. There is such a buzz over this, and most of the children born to royal families will never be king or queen. But this baby is different. Though baby Jesus knew no wealthy trappings of this world that princes or princesses today do, He was a king nonetheless. And He is a king of a far grander kingdom than any human monarch. His kingdom extends to all who receive Him. Another line in the song is “Come, peasant, king, to own him.” Jesus is not just the king of the wealthy but also the poor. Is He your King? Have you bowed your heart, mind and will to King Jesus?