December 9th- What Child is this?

What child is this?

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?

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 Christians, 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.

 So bring Him incense, gold and myrrh,
Come peasant, king to own Him;
The King of kings salvation brings,
Let loving hearts enthrone Him.

Imagine Mary….a young virgin girl engaged to be married, probably in her middle teens. Imagine the visit from Gabriel in Luke 1:26-38;

²⁶ Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth, ²⁷ to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. ²⁸ And coming in, he said to her, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” ²⁹ But she was very perplexed at this statement, and kept pondering what kind of salutation this was. ³⁰ The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God. ³¹ And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. ³² 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; ³³ and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.” ³⁴ Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” ³⁵ The angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God. ³⁶ And behold, even your relative Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age; and she who was called barren is now in her sixth month. ³⁷ For nothing will be impossible with God.” ³⁸ And Mary said, “Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

You know one thing I love about Mary is the fact that she is a thinker.  I like thinkers. She is perplexed yet “keep pondering what kind of salutation” the angel had given her. She is told that the Son of the Most High, Jesus, is to be born to her and He will rule and reign in an everlasting eternal Kingdom.  Wow, that is some seriously big news!  She asks an honest question…how can this biologically happen?  And upon being given the answer, “Nothing, no one thing is impossible with God”, she submits. But this is not just “Fine, I’ll submit” kind of submission….it’s a complete voluntary giving over of her life to service to God; it’s yielding up of everything, it’s yielding up her life.  It is yielding up the expectations and dreams of what a mother hopes.

Jesus will be fully human because Mary’s blood flows through His veins.  "What child is this?"  The events of her conception, Joseph’s misunderstanding and then submission to God’s call on His life, the census, the road trip…..then the birth. No room in the inn, Jesus placed in a manger.   Shepherds visit and Luke 1:18-19 states;

 ¹⁸ And all who heard it wondered at the things which were told them by the shepherds. ¹⁹ But Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart.

All these things she pondered….”What child is this?”   Mary was given much to ponder, but in those first months of birth Joseph and Mary presented Jesus in Jerusalem to the Lord…the Son of the Most High presented to His Father.  Think on this final birth account of what Mary would have years to ponder; Luke 2:25-35

²⁵ And there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel; and the Holy Spirit was upon him. ²⁶ And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. ²⁷ And he came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to carry out for Him the custom of the Law, ²⁸ then he took Him into his arms, and blessed God, and said,
²⁹ “Now Lord, You are releasing Your bond-servant to depart in peace,
According to Your word;
³⁰ For my eyes have seen Your salvation,
³¹ Which You have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
³² A Light of revelation to the Gentiles,
And the glory of Your people Israel.”

³³ And His father and mother were amazed at the things which were being said about Him. ³⁴ And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary His mother, “Behold, this Child is appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and for a sign to be opposed— ³⁵ and a sword will pierce even your own soul—to the end that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”

Oh, What Child is this who, laid to rest .On Mary's lap is sleeping? Imagine. Ponder.  

Here is a link to the song; http://youtu.be/Wix14BuE09o