by Anna Haiar

The Answer Speaks for Itself

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link.

“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”
Luke 2:11 English Standard Version

Recently, the official social media account of Merriam-Webster dictionary posted on X (formerly Twitter) about a perceived grammatical error in the Advent song “What Child is This?” According to the famed dictionary, the song should have been written as “Which Child is This?” Fortunately, readers quickly corrected Merriam-Webster by pointing out that there were not several unidentified children in the stable and the song wasn’t asking who the baby belonged to. Rather, what kind of special child is this that angels greet with anthems sweet while shepherds were keeping watch?

It turns out that this child is Christ our King.

That single question—what child is this—invites us to slow down and marvel. In the quiet of the manger scene, nothing appears extraordinary at first glance. A newborn wrapped in cloth and a feeding trough for a bed. The world would easily overlook Him, yet heaven does not. Angels sing and shepherds are summoned while creation itself seems to lean in. This child is unlike any other, not because of outward glory but because of who He is and what He has come to do.

The hymn moves quickly from wonder to confession: “Nails, spear shall pierce Him through, the cross be borne for me, for you.” The child in the manger is already the Savior on the cross. Christmas cannot be separated from Good Friday, nor the cradle from the empty tomb. This child has come not merely to be admired, but to redeem. He is born under the law, born to suffer, born to save sinners who cannot save themselves.

That is why the question matters so deeply. When we ask, “What child is this?” we are not seeking information; rather, we are confessing faith that this is the promised Messiah, God in the flesh. This is the One who enters our broken world not with force but with mercy.

So let Advent lead us again to awe by letting the familiar carol soften our hearts. And let our answer be more than words: this Child is Christ the King, worthy of our trust, our worship, and our reverence.

Copyright Family of Christ Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado.