Christmas 2024: December 17

In the mid-1800's, William Chatterton Dix was a successful businessman and manager of the Maritime Insurance Company in Glasgow, Scotland, until, in 1865, Dix nearly died from a severe illness. It was during this time that Dix experienced regeneration, and from that time forward, he dedicated himself to the diligent reading and studying of Scripture, and to the writing of hymns. Most have since been forgotten, but one of Dix' most popular hymns in the United States is "What Child is This?" Interestingly, this hymn is not nearly as popular in England, where Dix was born, and it is also set to a different tune that was very popular in the 19th century: the traditional English folk song, "Greensleeves." This was the same tune that Dix originally set his song to, and dating back to the 16th century, it is thought to be about England's most notoriously wicked king, King Henry VIII. It was this king that, despite his evil immorality, the Lord would providentially use to bring the Reformation to England - although it would also be in retaliation to King Henry VIII's unbiblical divorce of his first wife and his adulterous marriage to his mistress that Queen "Bloody Mary" would take vengeance on England's Protestants after Henry's death.

Other than that, not much else is known about the history of "What Child is This," but perhaps Dix selected the tune of Greensleeves to deliberately contrast the wicked and murderous reign of King Henry VIII with the King of kings "who salvation brings." In it, Dix begins by recalling the story of the Incarnation with a sense of awe and wonder, leading into His humble birth in verse 2 where he alludes to Isaiah 1:3, "The ox knows its owner, and a donkey its master's manger, but Israel does not know, My people do not understand." The 3rd verse then draws attention to the gifts of the magi and closes with an invitation for all to worship the King. As such, the song serves as an excellent introduction to our passage for today in Isaiah 61. It begins with an open declaration from the divinely anointed Servant of the Lord who proclaims good news to the oppressed. Of course, Jesus applied this passage directly to Himself in Lk 4:18-19, and affirmed that He is the fulfillment of this prophecy. He is the One who binds the wounds of the brokenhearted and proclaims liberty to captives.