What child is this…
“What child is this
On Mary’s lap, is sleeping?
Whom angels greet with anthems sweet
While shepherds watch are keeping?
This, this is Christ the King,
Whom shepherds guard and angels sing,
Haste, haste, to bring Him laud,
The Babe, the Son of Mary!
Why lies He in such mean estate
Where ox and ass are feeding?
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,
Hail, hail the Word made flesh,
The Babe, the Son of Mary!”
- Chatterton Dix
What child is this that surprised a man who was dreaming to marry a young lady and getting ready for the wedding where he was going to show off the blessing that God was giving him as a wife. O, he is going to invite the town of Nazareth to celebrate with him! But wait!
What is this nonsense she is talking about? The angel Gabriel told her what? That the Holy Spirit is going to do what? What child is this?
He couldn’t sleep, he loved Mary but, is she telling him the truth or is she out of her mind?
What was he going to do? Finally, he fell asleep and … what kind of dreaming is this? An angel? What is that he is supposed to do? Keep on going with the wedding plans? What about the child? Emanuel? Savior?
What is he going to do? This is too confusing! Maybe his question was, “What should I do?” Well if Mary said “I am the Lord’s servant,” “May your word to me be fulfilled.” She was not afraid of facing rejection, so, why was he going to be disobedient? He knew what the prophets said about this child and his questions were turned into awe and accepted his wife.
What child is this that was not born in a palace with multitudes waiting to see him and pay homage to him? He was not born at home but in a stable?
What child is this that caused hosts of angels to worship in front of humble shepherds instead of kings and queens?
What child is this that Simeon and Anna, two people that were waiting for the promised redeemer and prayed to have the honor to see him, and eight days after his birthday they also worship God for having the privilege to meet him?
What child is this that wise men travelled a long distance to worship him and bring him presents?
What child is this that a pagan Herod was afraid of Him? And as Joseph obeying took Jesus and Mary to Egypt he decided to get rid of the Hope of Israel and order to kill all the little boys causing anguish and despair to the nation loved by God?
What child is this that at the age of twelve caused awe in the teachers and scholars of the Law, which was given to Moses as the manual to guide the people of God?
What man is this that as he was baptized by John the Baptist, God himself spoke confirming that Jesus was His beloved Son and He was pleased with Him and sent His Spirit upon Him? As Isaiah prophesied, “The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord?”
(Isaiah 11: 2).
What man is this that as He conquered Satan in the desert, started to preach the good news of salvation telling the multitudes, “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”
(Mark 1:14)
What man is this that healed the sick and spoke with compassion to the rejected?
Who is this man whose own people did not accepted His message, but looked for the opportunity to embarrass him and kill Him? Not even his family wanted to believe in Him.
Who is this man is this who called twelve and later seventy more to do what He was doing?
Who is this man? The Son of Man and son of God?
Who is this man? He said He was the Messiah, the bread of life, light of the world, the door, the good shepherd, the resurrection, the way, the truth, the life, the true vine! He said he was one with God, that he did what he saw His Father did and spoke what he heard from His father.
What man is this that one of his own apostles sold him for thirty pieces of silver? Who is this unblemished Lamb who died upon a cross and gave His life in sacrifice for sinners?
Who is this glorious Lord that was raised victorious conquering death and sin the third day, just as He said?
Who is this glorious Lord that before His death promised that He was going to prepare a place for His own and before ascending to the place where He came from told His disciples to wait in Jerusalem to be invested with the Holy Spirit and become His witness?
Who is the victorious King of kings and Lord of lords who will return in power and glory to take His church to the place that He prepare for Her and as Paul said,
“For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever!”?
(1 Thessalonians 4:16-17)
What judge is this that in His anger will send the enemy of humanity and his followers to the place He, Himself described as hell and the apostle John wrote about saying,
“Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done. 14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. 15 Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.”
(Revelation 20:11-15)
While referring to the redeemed says,
“I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
(John 21:2-4)
Who is this?
“Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
(Philippians 2:6-11)
He is The King of kings and the Lord of lords! The Alpha and the Omega! The Beginning and the End! But for me He is my Redeemer who paid the price for my sins that I could never pay… and my Wonderful Savior!
Eliana Caudillo
