Considering Carols At Advent – No.4

The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.”

Luke 1:30-33 (NASB)

Today’s carol for our consideration, and meditation is a fine Victorian carol – “What Child Is This.” I personally remember this one from my childhood, but admit I understood very little of what it said. I think that is the case with many hymns and carols; our Christian maturity shines a light of recognition upon the words we previously struggled with. First, let us learn of the composer of our carol today.

The composer of this fine carol of the nineteenth century is a man named William Chatterton Dix (1837-1898), born in Bristol, England. Unusually for the time he was not a clergyman, but rather a businessman who worked in marine insurance, in Glasgow Scotland. He was a composer of many hymns and carols in his short life. He was highly regarded by many such as Campbell Morgan who said of him in 1898, “Among English laymen of this generation there are none whose contributions are so well known and so valuable as those of Mr. Chatterton Dix, who for more than thirty years has been a writer of sacred verse.”

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 carol gives the impression of bringing the reader to see the holy vision in a manger; he is showing and explaining the scene on that night. A scene that demands our worship to our King, even as a babe in arms. But the writer is keen to tell the whole story; the holy purpose of the humble birth – he takes us to the cross of Calvary where nails and a spear will pierce this babe someday.

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.

Dear Reader, it is by seeing and meditating upon the full story from His birth until His death that we meet with our King – Jesus Christ. He truly is worthy of men’s worship, shepherds and wisemen alike. Today, He is worthy of our worship, as we remember the Holy intervention of God His Father in our lives.

So bring Him incense, gold, and myrrh,

Come peasant, king to own Him;

The King of kings salvation brings,

Let loving hearts enthrone Him.