Lets go through the words to his song, little by little, and see if we can experience some of what he might have been thinking about, praying about, and pondering on.
ME: Hey ( voice 1) have you ever read the words to What Child is This, that old Christmas Carol?
V1: Duh, yes I know the words, and its actually a hymn..
ME : oh, well ExCuuuse me. Okay , smartypants , how does it start ?
V1 : What child is this who laid to rest
On Mary's lap is sleeping.
ME : What child indeed, maybe its just me
V1 : It's just you........
ME : Maybe its just me, but I wonder when the Angel of the Lord spoke to Mary, exactly how much did he tell her, could she have been told the whole story, beginning to end?
V1 : According to what is recorded in the gospel of Luke, probably not. I suppose it is possible she was told more than is recorded, but not likely the whole story. She would likely have known some of the story anyway, being Jewish and all.
Me : Picture in your mind ....
V1 : no
Me : Seriously, think about that for a second. Holding your newborn child on your lap and thinking about their future, as most parents would do. Now, imagine that the Angel of the Lord has told you that this is God's child.
V1: no pressure......
Me: can you imagine holding that responsibility in your arms? Can you imagine pondering that future?
V1: This much I would assume, with whatever knowledge the Angel imparted, God must have sent a full dose of strength and peace to go alone with it.
Me : agreed, what is the next part of the song?
V1: Whom angels greet with anthems sweet
While shepherds watch are keeping.
This, this is Christ the King
Whom shepherds guard and angels sing.
Me: I wonder if this family felt like they were all alone. I mean, this could be a bit of a burden don't ya think?
V1: Alone ?? No way. That is what this verse is all about. Jesus was never alone. Even at this early day, not only was his earthly mother taking care of his physical needs, the angels were singing sweet whispers to his spirit to comfort him, his heavenly Father was watching over him and sending both angels and shepherds, his heavenly and earthly servants, to watch over him.
Me : Right, I see that now, the shepherds came because they knew the King had arrived, Christ had come, and had come as a child.
V1: Now the next part, I don't get really. It says:
Haste , haste to bring him laud
The babe, the son of Mary.
Me: Oh, that's easy. Laud means praise. So what they are really saying is, Hurry up shepherds !! Hurry up, you don't want to be late in bringing praises to your redeemer, your rescuer, your saviour. You don't want to be late to praise God's son, the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, the Lion of Judah has come as an innocent lamb to save you.... hurry shepherds, hurry everyone, Christ the King has come, don't miss your chance !!
V1: Okay, that makes sense.
Me : alright, this is kinda fun... what's next.
V1: Why lies he in such mean estate
Where ox and ass are feeding?
Me: Now that's a fine question. Why would God send his son to such a humble and poor existence? Why an infant at all, let alone start off life in a barn with his crib being a food trough. I doesn't get much more meager and humble a starting point than this. Why send him as a child at all ?
V1 : Well, as for the child part, what other choice is there really ?
Me : Well, God man Adam didn't he. Obviously He could have made a full grown man at the start. He could have sent Jesus as a full grown King with a huge palace, ready to take on the powers of darkness, with a bunch of.......... ( interruption )
V1 : but that would not have been the point. The other thing is the humbleness of the starting point. To fulfill the scripture He had to come as an innocent child, he didn't come to conquer, he came to serve and to save by serving.
Me: where does scripture say anything about that ?
V1 : In Matthew is says Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant.And whoever wants to be first must be your slave. It also points out that..... Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many, as well as..... so the last will be first and the first will be last. When you look at all that..... humble is the only way to go...
Me : point taken.
V1 : Good Christian fear , for sinners here
The silent word is pleading
Nails, spear shall pierce him through
The cross be borne for me, for you.
Me : Now, my turn to quote scripture to you. The silent word is pleading, I imagine Jesus must have been just a little frustrated with being a baby and not able to speak yet. He is full of all that God stuff but can't say a word. He knows he has come with a purpose, to serve, to save, to ransom, to rescue, to redeem. He knows what lies ahead of him. He knows all this becaue in John 1:1 it says, " in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God , and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. And since we know Jesus is the Word being talked about.........
V1: Well, that's cool and all, but I don't know if being silent is just because of being a baby or not. I think it has to do with Isaiah (53:7) " He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth: He was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth" He could have called down fire from heaven or a league of angels to come to his rescue, but yet he remained silent, he bore the cross for us, for me, for you.
Me : Bearing the cross for me....... that's painful to even consider.
V1 : for me as well.
Me: Hey, I know the next line, I just said it a minute ago.
Hail, hail the Word made flesh
The babe , the son of Mary
V1 : He is God's word, both God and man.
Me : He is worthy of our praise, even though we are certainly not worthy of him.
V1 : He serves us too, yet we are not worthy of being served.
Me : He saves us, yet we are not worthy of being saved.
V1 : He is God's son and thus God, yet he is Mary's son as well, so he is human too.
Then bring him incense, gold and myrrh
Come peasant, king to own him
The King of kings salvation brings
Let loving hearts enthrone him
Me: So, we should bring him gifts. Now that Jesus is at the right hand of the Father, I doubt gold is of much use to Him. So, what kind of gifts should we give him now.
V1: ourselves of course.
Me : that's right, I remember, its in Romans 12 I think. : " Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship."
V1: Yup, that's it.
Me: so, it doesn't matter if you are a peasant, a pauper, a blue collar worker, a ceo, a King, a homeless person, a farmer, or a sports figure, Jesus has come for each of us and desires each of us to give ourselves up to him who has given everything to save us. The throne that we can provide for our King is a place firmly in our heart.
V1: So, let us invite him in to take a seat on this throne. ( long pause................ )
Me : Raise , raise the song on high
The virgin sings her lullaby
Joy , joy for Christ is born
The babe , the son of Mary
V1 : All I can think of when I read these last few lines in Mary singing to her son. Singing with joy, singing with love, singing with praise, singing with tears, singing with strength, singing in weakness, singing with hope.
Me : All I can think of is what must have it been like to hold someone so small, knowing he was so big. Coddling something so frail, knowing he was so incredibly strong. Caring for someone so much, yet know he would care for her more. Loving someone so deeply and yet he really did and would prove he loved her even more. That he loved us, and loves us more than we can even understand. What must have it been like ?
V1 : What child is this ?
Me : What child indeed !!
1. What Child is this who, laid to rest
On Mary's lap is sleeping?
Whom Angels greet with anthems sweet,
While shepherds watch are keeping?
2. Why lies He in such mean estate,This, this is Christ the King,
Whom shepherds guard and Angels sing;
Haste, haste, to bring Him laud,
The Babe, the Son of Mary.
Where ox and ass are feeding?
Good Christians, fear, for sinners here
The silent Word is pleading.
3. So bring Him incense, gold and myrrh,Nails, spear shall pierce Him through,
The cross be borne for me, for you.
Hail, hail the Word made flesh,
The Babe, the Son of Mary.
Come peasant, king to own Him;
The King of kings salvation brings,
Let loving hearts enthrone Him.
Raise, raise a song on high,
The virgin sings her lullaby.
Joy, joy for Christ is born,
The Babe, the Son of Mary
