****MY RELIGION'S NOT OLD-FASHIONED

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There is an old country-western Gospel song that has been on my mind for a couple years. It was one of my mother’s favorites and I sang along with it on her record player when I was a child. 

For those of you who don’t know, records were what we used in the "old days" before eight tracks, which came before cassettes. Actually, records even pre-dated vinyl LPs (long play albums). They were made from slate.  Slate records were heavy, rigid, and fragile. They would shatter into pieces if dropped. Here’s a little record riddle for you; how many grooves are on a record? (Answer, Two; one on each side.)

These days when it seems that everyone is trying to dumb down or repackage Christianity to make it more attractive or relevant to a modern, enlightened, me-centered culture, it is comforting to know that there is nothing new under the Sun. This song was popular over a half-century ago and, apparently, they struggled then with the same slippery slope of liberalism and creeping modernism that is prevalent in Christianity today.

This song addresses the subject of TRUTH.  “What is Truth?  

That is an academic question that has been argued since creation when the serpent tempted Eve in the garden of Eden.  It comes up often in academic philosophy discussions.  After hours of debate, all the ignorant pinheads usually conclude that truth is fluid and relative; what is TRUTH for you, they say, may not be TRUTH for me.  And now, we are observing that in the classrooms of our children who are told that 2 plus 2 does not necessarily equal 4.

That kind of ignorant attitude recently surfaced in political media, when Speaker, Nancy Pelosi, said to President Trump, “I reject your facts.”

That’s nonsense!  Facts are facts; if they’re not true, they’re not facts.  And the answer to the question, “What is Truth?” is simple; Truth is that which is true.

The song, MY RELIGION'S NOT OLD-FASHIONED, was written by Stuart Hamblen and made popular by Hank Snow.  OK, so it's not one that I would normally select for use in church but there are several things I like about it.  

First- unlike a lot of "praise team instrumentalists," the singers knew how to play the guitar.

Second- you can hear the lyrics over the instruments and understand them without an interpreter.

Third- The melody is technically easy and recognizable (probably because there really is a melody).

Fourth- The lyrics are wholesome.

Fifth and most importantly- I like the song for its doctrinal soundness and its solid, conservative message about the immutable nature of TRUTH.

“All Truth is God’s Truth.”  And, the truth never changes because God is Truth and He never changes.  Jesus claimed that attribute to Himself when He said, “I am the Truth.” 

The songwriter begins by declaring that there is only one real religion.  That’s because there is only One true God and only one true way to salvation.  And God revealed that way through His Son, Jesus Christ who said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.”

The song goes on with a warning; we must be careful discerners of truth because there are many false teachers and prophets.  They stand behind pulpits, twist scripture, and speak beautiful words.  They will tell us that God didn’t really mean what the Bible tells us.  Those false preachers are snakes just like that serpent in the Garden and they will lead their followers to destruction.

Lots of people try to fit God into their own molds and practice religions that make them feel good.  But the One and Only True, Unchanging God has ordained an unchanging Gospel that still saves sinners today the same way He saved sinners in the past; by God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone.   

 
You can hear it as originally recorded by Stuart Hamblen, on this video clip. I have reprinted the lyrics below:

MY RELIGION'S NOT OLD FASHIONED

There is but one real religion that redeems the sinners soul.

It's as timeless as the ages and it never will grow old.

My Lord gave the key to Thomas, "I'm the Way, the Truth, the Life,"

And that Way has never changed since He spoke the Words that night.

In this world of wild confusion, we are often led astray,

When we hear the words 'old fashioned' as men speak of God today.

My Lord doesn't deal in fashion, He's more timeless than the seas

And His Words still hold the power as they did in Galilee.

Some are prone to take the Bible and dilute the Words of Christ.

They admit He came here one time but He'll never make it twice.

Be not tempted by those "prophets" - He said such men would arise;

There is darkness in their teaching but there's life in Jesus Christ.

chorus

My religion's not old-fashioned but it's real genuine.

Two and two make four today as it did in my Lord's time.

Modern days don't make a difference you can't alter truth or time.

My religion's not old-fashioned but it's real genuine.

****WHAT A WONDERFUL SAVIOR

A couple years ago, in another hymn commentary, I noted that the word, AWESOME, is one of the most commonly misused words in our culture.  It is used as a synonym for “cool” or “Impressive.”

But the biblical definition implies such great fear that it causes someone to fall flat on his face and worship.  The root word, “awe” is something reserved for God alone:  Job 25:2 says, “Dominion and awe belong to God.”

In scripture, nearly every use of the word "awesome," references either God Himself, His character, or something He has done.  God describes Himself as awesome because He is unique.  There is none like Him.  He is the ONLY One who is awesome.

The Old King James Version translators understood the word to mean terrible, as in Psalm 66 which says, “Say unto God, How terrible art Thou in Thy works!... Come and see the works of God: He is terrible in His doing toward the children of men.”

An awesome God is a God to be feared.   And one of His most awesome deeds was in His judgment of sin at Calvary where His terrible, fearful, dreadful, wrath was poured out on His crucified Son for the sins of His people. 

If Jesus Christ is not your Savior, then God is your awesome, terrible enemy.

In his famous sermon, Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, Jonathan Edwards described God’s final judgment as truly terrifying and full of fire and wrath.  And that judgment isn't just fearful; it is truly violent and eternal.  Once this judgment begins, there's no turning back.   “Your most lamentable cries and shrieks will be in vain.”

But thank God, in contradistinction, we have a Wonderful Savior. 

Like AWESOME, that word, WONDERFUL, is also misused in our common speech.  We use it to describe something that is enjoyable, pleasant, or beautiful.  It’s a word used to communicate that everything is going great and you're totally happy.  

I once knew a man who overused it to the point that casual conversations were ridiculously annoying.

Him:    “How are you doing?” 

Me:     “Not very well.”  

Him:   “Wonderful!” 

Me:     "Well, not really, after yesterday.”   

Him:   “What happened yesterday?”  

Me:    “I had a tooth extracted.”    

Him:  “Wonderful!”

The word, WONDERFUL, is used in several of our hymns and it only appears in a few places in scripture.  And, in almost every case, it is attributed to the person of Jesus, His wisdom, or His miraculous power.

 The prophet, Isaiah said,

“For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given, And the government will be upon His shoulder.  And His NAME will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”  (Isaiah 9:6)

Our Savior is wonderful, not because He is pleasant, fun, or congenial.  He is wonderful because of Who He is and what He has done.

In the hymn, WHAT A WONDERFUL SAVIOR! Elisha Hoffman gives several examples of the wonderful things our Savior did for us; He made atonement for our sins, paid the price of our redemption, shed His own blood for our cleansing, and reconciled our souls to God.  And, now, He reigns and rules in our lives and gives us the power to overcome sin and live a triumphant life.  

****GOD OF OUR FATHERS

For seven years, I tried to make sure that the songs we sang in our church were doctrinally sound, God-centered, and appropriate in the context of my pastor’s sermons. So, I avoided using songs for special secular holidays, because most of them were inappropriate for Christian worship services.

It is easy to become distracted and focus attention on someone else or something other than God, especially around national holidays. I have seen churches waste far too much of their time with patriotic music and productions designed to rally allegiance to our country. 

On one Memorial Day Sunday, I selected this hymn because it is a reverential prayer that focuses on God.

The first stanza is not about the greatness of our forefathers or even our nation; Our Lord is the subject, and it is about His power, majesty, and greatness as He has revealed Himself in creation. He is worthy of our praise!

The second stanza reminds us that our freedoms and blessings have come by His leading and guiding. The greatness of our nation is a result of godly men who established it on God’s Word and His Laws. He is worthy of our obedience!

The third stanza refers to our conflicts, sacrifices, and wars. Our nation is not great because of our military power. It is great because our God is a mighty warrior with a strong arm. Nations rise, and nations fall, but it is God who raises them up and He takes them down. He is worthy of our loyal allegiance.

The Lord commands us, "Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you."  (Ex. 20:2

And I think it is appropriate to honor our Christian forefathers who struggled, sacrificed, and even died to protect the blessings and freedoms that God has provided. 

And the way to honor them is to love the God they loved. To Honor His law the way they did. To struggle against those who would defy Him. To stand firm on His Word and teach it to our children.

America cannot remain free without the God of the Bible. Alexis de Tocqueville, wrote, “I sought for the greatness and genius of America in her commodious harbors and ample rivers, and it was not there; in the fertile fields, and boundless prairies, and it was not there; in her rich mines and her vast world commerce, and it was not there. Not until I went into the churches of America and heard her pulpits aflame with righteousness, did I understand the secret of her genius and power.  America is great because she is good, and if America ever ceases to be good, America will cease to be great.”

I would summarize it like this; America is great because she serves a great God, and if America ever ceases to serve Him, America will cease to be great.

The fourth stanza reminds us that we still need God’s mercy and grace in our time. Proverbs 14:34 says, “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people.”  

And Psalm 33:12 says, “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.”  

Our nation has enjoyed much prosperity and freedom because our forefathers honored the Lord. But He will not continue to bless a nation that disobeys and dishonors Him. He is Worthy of our love and trust!    

 

****AT THE CROSS

Throughout most of church history, some musicians have attempted to revive old hymns, make a few alterations, and reintroduce them to a new generation.

 

Sometimes writers make legitimate changes to correct doctrine or to clarify language difficulties.  And sometimes authors will add other stanzas that greatly improve the hymns.

  

That practice, however, is not without due criticism because sometimes those altered hymns border on plagiarism.

Probably the most notable hymn pirate today is Chris Tomlin who has earned an unseemly reputation by taking great hymns, changing the score, adding a refrain, renaming them, and then copyrighting them as his own creations.

But not all hymn changes are the result of piracy.

 

AT THE CROSS is one of those hybrid hymns.  It was originally written, without a refrain, in 1707 by Isaac Watts with the title, “Alas! And Did My Savior Bleed?”

In 1885, Ralph Hudson republished it, complete and intact, with his added refrain and the new title, AT THE CROSS.  In every hymnbook, the lyrics are still attributed to Isaac Watts.

Nevertheless, there are plenty of critics who complain that the added refrain breaks the serious mood of Watts’ hymn.

 

But I would argue that the structure of this altered hymn is similar to the structure of Christ Arose.  It starts with a dark and somber feel because Jesus was crucified and buried.  But then, suddenly, the song explodes in joyful gladness because He is alive.

AT THE CROSS begins with Isaac Watts’ vivid picture of the crucifixion of Christ at Calvary and the seriousness of our sin.  It is not uncomfortable for most people to think or talk about the crucifixion in universal and impersonal terms (eg. “Jesus died on the cross for the sins of the world”).  It is much more difficult when it is personalized.  The lyrics of this hymn are deliberately painful and designed to convict us.

When I think about that cross, I see the Son of God who was crucified for me.   He took the humiliation and shame of being stripped naked and paraded through the mocking crowds; He endured the beatings and scourging that tore His flesh to shreds and laid it open to expose His bones.  He is the One who was forsaken by His Father.  And He did all that for me.

   

The truth is, there is nothing good in me.  I can do NOTHING to merit God’s mercy and grace. So, in the last stanza, Isaac Watts concedes, “Drops of grief can never repay the debt of love I owe.”

It grieves me that I stand here, alive, knowing that His punishment should have been mine.  I deserved that death sentence.

I love Watts' hymn but I praise God for the message of Ralph Hudson’s added refrain.  It proclaims our hope.  The Light of God has penetrated our hearts.  Because of Calvary, the burdens of our sin and guilt are gone.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and THAT not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”  (Eph. 2.8-9)  

(My other commentaries on Watts' hymn, "Alas!  And Did My Savior Die? can be seen here, here, and here.)

****WHAT WONDROUS LOVE IS THIS?

There is a myth about the origin of many of our hymns that goes something like this:

"The melodies for some of our great hymns of the Christian faith were originally bar tunes."

Even though that's been debunked many times, it just won't go away.   The problem is a misunderstanding of musical terminology.  

Hymnwriters did, and still do use bar tunes, but that doesn't mean what we think.  The correct terminology is a “bar form,” which is a specific musical form where there are two identical or similar lines followed by a contrasting one.  That form would be noted musically, as AAB or in some cases, AABA.  (An example of that form would be the hymn, "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing.")

Today’s Hymn was not written in a pure, classic bar form, but the tune was associated with a well-known old song, “The Ballad of Captain Kidd,” the infamous Scottish pirate.

That 18-verse ballad tells a very dark and stunning story about an arrogant man who, in the late 1600s, rejected his godly upbringing, thumbed his nose at God’s laws, and terrorized and murdered a lot of people.  Ultimately, he was hanged, publicly, in a cage and left to rot along the River Thames.

The first stanza says:

My name was William Kidd, as I sailed, as I sailed,

My name was William Kidd when I sailed,

My name was William Kidd; God’s laws I did forbid,

So wickedly I did, as I sailed.

In contrast to that ballad of a ruined sinful life, is an American Folk Spiritual, that shares the same tune and structure.  WHAT WONDROUS LOVE IS THIS? is a song of praise to God for His great grace and mercy.  It originated in the revivalist camp meetings of the American South.

Written music was rare in the early 1800's, and spiritual songs were passed down orally.  So, for ease of memorization, the writers kept their texts simple and used a lot of repetition.

This is a personal, introspective hymn that addresses our souls.   And, even though it’s simple, it is not shallow. 

It starts with a profound question and a fearful sense of overwhelming awe.  What kind of love is this that would cause the Lord to “bear the dreadful curse for my soul?”

It’s reminiscent of another hymn, written by Charles Wesley.  The first stanza of, And Can It Be, ends with similar language, "Amazing love!  How can it be that Thou, my God, should die for me?"

WHAT WONDROUS LOVE IS THIS?  is a simple and biblical summary of the gospel.  It was God’s love that sent His Son to earth to bear the punishment for our sins.  Therefore, we should praise Him in this life and we look forward with assurance that we will sing His praises for eternity.

(the entire 18 verses of The Ballad of Captain Kid can be viewed HERE.)

****HOLY! HOLY!

Jimmy Owens wrote the song, “HOLY! HOLY!” in 1972. He wanted to create something that could be easily learned and sung by a church congregation.

(Now there’s a general attitude among many traditionalists, that modern worship songs are too repetitious, and they lack depth. This song might seem that way at first, but it really is rich and profound in doctrine.)

Lyrically, there are two things going on simultaneously. The author makes several declarations about the nature of God, (His attributes) and then he instructs us about the attitudes of our worship.

The first, characteristic or attribute of God, that we encounter, is in the title and the opening lines. Our God is Holy! And His holiness is expressed here, in three couplets (Holy, holy; Holy, holy; Holy, holy).

Of all God’s attributes, His holiness is the one that is uniquely and superlatively emphasized is scripture.  In the book of the Revelation, John saw four living creatures surrounding God’s throne, and honoring Him by crying out continuously, day and night forever, “Holy, Holy, Holy!”   And that is what we, His Church will do also.  We will worship Him in His holiness forever as we bow before His throne and cry out, “Worthy are You, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for You created all things, and by Your will, they existed and were created.”  (Rev. 4:11) 

But why the three-fold repetition, "Holy. Holy, Holy?"  

In addition to holiness, the author introduces another of God’s attributes; His tri-unity.  Our God is One holy God in three holy persons.

I am disturbed by how many biblically ignorant Christians, today, are so quick to embrace heretical beliefs. One of them, which is rapidly gaining in popularity, is the denial of the Trinity.

But God's Word is clear. The Father is God, the Son is God, and the Spirit is God. And these three persons are One God. The Father is not the Son and He is not the Spirit.  The Son is not the Father and He is not the Spirit. The Spirit is not the Father and He is not the Son. I don’t understand that and there are NO known analogies to accurately explain it.  But that is how God has revealed Himself and so, that is all we can know.

    

In this song, as worshipers, we approach God with our offerings of praise; we “lift up,” to Him, our hearts, our heads, our hands, and our voices.

In verse One, our praise is directed to the Triune God, and it emanates from our surrendered hearts. Our hearts are the seats of our desires. And God wants us to seek Him, desire Him, and love Him above all other things.

In verse Two, our praise is directed to God, our Father. We lift our heads to Him for life and sustenance. He wants our attention; He wants our thoughts and our understanding to be influenced by the Truth of His Word.

In verse Three, our praise is directed to Jesus, our Savior, and Redeemer. We offer Him our hands. This is NOT about just raising our hands while we sing. 

When my mother used to call her children to supper, we all came running to the table. And before we could sit, she would ask, “Did you wash your hands first?”

My little brothers would threw their open hands up toward her to show her their clean hands. That is the same kind of reaction we should have before coming to worship.

Jesus’ blood has cleansed us from the penalty of our sins but, while we are still in this world, we continue to sin and so, before we approach Him with our worship, we must confess our sins. He expects us to come to Him with clean hands.

In verse Four, our praise is directed to the Holy Spirit; our Comforter and Guide. We have been redeemed and we have Life. So, we offer our sacrifices of praises; that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks. (Hebrews 13:15) 

“Great is the Lord; and greatly to be praised” (Ps.145:3). The song ends with a continuous string of Hallelujahs - “Praise the Lord!”  He is worthy to be praised.

****IMMORTAL, INVISIBLE, GOD ONLY WISE (1)

In the late 1970s, the deacons in an evangelical Baptist church called a meeting with their pastor.   Deacon John was accusing the pastor of teaching false doctrines about the nature of God. 

In the meeting, John unloaded his complaint - “Pastor, I just can’t believe what you are saying!  You are telling me that God’s plans cannot be thwarted and that He controls all the events of human history for His own purposes--is that fair?  I’ve always thought of God as a gentleman, the kind of fellow that presents His case to you, and lets you work things out.  He lets human beings work out the world their own way, except when He decides to intervene in some special case.”

Pastor Bob asked him, “Where do you find that in the Bible, John?  God never claims to be fair--only just.   Fairness is a human standard that changes as often as our perceptions change--But God never changes, and His decrees are never altered.  God is not, and cannot be, judged by any standard established by men!”

 

He opened his Bible and read about God’s ruling the affairs of nations, and His plan for redemption through the sacrifice of the Cross.  Then he looked at John and asked, “Was it fair for God to send His Son to die for us?  Did God ever promise to take our thoughts, whims, and petty human pride into account in His eternal councils?  No! John, God is either absolute, or He is not God!”

John stood up, walked to the door, and said, “You and I don’t worship the same God.”

After that, John would not answer his pastor’s phone calls and he never returned to the church again.  Instead, he moved his family to a liberal church across town.

This is not unique; it happens too often.  Not long ago I asked my friend, "Do you believe that God is Sovereign?"  

He answered, "Yes!"  

Then I asked, "Is He sovereign over all things?" 

And again, he answered, "Of Course."  

One more time I asked, "Do you believe He is sovereign in salvation?"  

This time he answered, "Well, He is to an extent." 

To an extent? -- in other words, my friend thinks there is a limit to God's sovereignty.  But if God is not sovereign in all, He is not sovereign at all.

Deacon John was like a lot of people, including my friend; they have unbiblical concepts of God.  And they have created a false god who thinks and acts the way they imagine a god should act.

 

We can know nothing about God, except that which He has revealed to us in Scripture.   If the god you worship is less than, or different from the One true God of the Bible, then your god is one that you have created in your own imagination. 

In our Wednesday Bible studies, we have been looking at some very difficult and astonishing truths about the attributes or character traits of our God.    I would think it’s probable that God is infinitely more than the total of His revealed attributes but, certainly, He is nothing less. 

IMMORTAL, INVISIBLE, GOD ONLY WISE was written by Walter Smith who, in the late 1800s, pastored the Free Church of Scotland for forty-four years.

  

The opening line is a paraphrase of 1Tim. 1:17, “Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honour and glory forever and ever.  Amen.”

In rapid succession, Smith identifies at least 23 of God’s character traits.  The original hymn had five stanzas but, in most hymnbooks, the last two have been carefully combined and what we have today, is an amazing hymn of reverential praise to the greatness of our God. 

****A CHRISTIAN HOME

I have been bringing these hymn commentaries for about three years, now, and I have tried to present interesting and edifying illustrations, stories about the faith and struggles of the authors, or the importance of the hymns in church history.  Today's hymn does none of that.  This is the most difficult hymn commentary I have ever written.

Barbara Hart was born in 1916 and she wrote A CHRISTIAN HOME in 1965.  And that's all there is; I’ve searched dozens of printed and Internet resources.  I’ve found no biographical information about the author, no history, no illustrations, and no backstory.

It is published in very few hymnals and I was inclined to just pass over it, but the subject is too important and has a strong message that is appropriate for today’s sermon.  We sang it last week and a few of you mentioned, then, how much you appreciated it.

  

The hymn is a prayer that asks God to work in our families.  It reminds us that He is the Head of our

homes.  It challenges us to the same kind of determined commitment that Joshua had when he said, “As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”

Most of our songs and hymns build up and strengthen our faith, they bring joy to our souls, they inspire us, they encourage us to good works, they teach us great truths, they comfort us in difficulties, they cause us to be thankful, and they help us in our praise and worship to our Savior.

This hymn didn’t do any of those things for me.   In fact, I found it to be uncomfortable and convicting because the lyrics revealed my own disobedience and failures as a son, a brother, a husband, and a father.  And it reminded me of a phrase in Psalm 119:6, “Then shall I not be ashamed, when I have respect unto all thy commandments.”

I looked up the meaning of the word, shame, in a Bible dictionary.  Shame is a consequence of sin. Feelings of guilt and shame are subjective acknowledgments of objective spiritual reality.  Guilt is judicial in character; shame is relational. It emphasizes sin's effect on our self-identity.  Sinful humans are traumatized, before a holy God, when we are exposed for our failures to live up to God's laws.

And, if we had the time to read through the entire 176 verses of Psalm 119, we would all be driven to the trauma of guilty shame.  So, what is the remedy for this shame?  It is in keeping ALL God’s laws. 

None of us can do that but praise God that His Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ, kept every jot and tittle of the law perfectly and God the Father has imputed His Son’s righteousness to us. 

So, as I think about the prayer of this hymn, I am thankful that even though I have failed in my goals and good intentions; and I break His commandments every day, I can rejoice in knowing that God is merciful, gracious, and forgiving. 

(Listen, here, to the hymn recorded by Evie)
https://youtu.be/JLPvLlFDkQw

****WHAT CHILD IS THIS?

William Dix was born in Bristol, England in 1837.  He wrote and published at least 40 hymns including “WHAT CHILD IS THIS?”

It was one of his best hymns but, unfortunately, modern publishers, thinking it was too dark and depressing for a Christmas carol, removed half the second stanza.  What remains is a bright, joyful song of the celebration of Jesus’ birth without the unpleasant gloom of the cross.

  

Before the alteration, there were three stanzas of eight lines each with no refrain.  Now there are three, four-line stanzas with a common refrain that was originally the last lines of the first stanza.  So, today, in most hymnbooks there is an abbreviated, inoffensive text that neglects an important doctrinal purpose of the song.

The carol starts with a rhetorical question.  These kinds of questions are often used to emphasize a truth or to make an expression of amazement.  Sometimes those kinds of questions are used in Scripture.

For example, when Jesus calmed the storm that was threatening the disciples, they asked themselves, “Who is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?” (Mark 4:41).

They all knew the answer; This Man is God. 

  

The question asked in verse one is; “WHAT CHILD IS THIS?”   And, of course, we know the answer.  It’s plainly revealed in Scripture; “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.”  (John 1:14).

   

This baby is Christ the King.

Verse two poses another important question; “Why is He lying in such mean estate?”  

The word, mean, doesn’t mean cruel or unkind; it describes His common, ordinary, or lowly birth.  A few years ago, my Pastor illustrated the “insignificance” of all the people and places surrounding Jesus’ humble arrival.  There was no pompous ceremony; there were no exalted dignitaries.  There were no fancy furnishings.  He was born in a smelly stable and laid in a filthy feeding trough.  

And the verse goes on to explain that this silent little Baby is the living Word of God, who is here “pleading” for our souls. 

And this is where the editors made their terrible cut.  In the original text, William Dix continued the account with the prophetic reason for this Baby’s coming.  “The nails and the spear shall pierce Him.”  

That’s an allusion to the crucifixion.  He came to bear the suffering and death on the cross for us.  This Baby, the Son of Mary, was born to die.

His birth in the manger is a reason to rejoice only because of His death on the cross.  So, we sing, “Come, peasant king to own Him.”

That is the invitation of the Gospel.   When Jesus came to His own people, they rejected Him.  But the insignificant, lowly shepherds and the wise men from far countries came to worship Him.   And so, the final stanza is a song of Joy; Jesus came to bring salvation to all who will believe.

WHAT CHILD IS THIS?

(Here are all the original lyrics.  

The green lines are the ones that have been removed.)

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. So bring Him incense, gold, and myrrh,

Come peasant, king to own Him;

The King of kings salvation brings,

Let loving hearts enthrone Him.

Raise, raise a song on high,

The virgin sings her lullaby.

Joy, joy for Christ is born,

The Babe, the Son of Mary.

COME, THOU ALMIGHTY KING (appropriate for Christmas)

Most people would not recognize this as an appropriate hymn for the Christmas season.  But it really is.

While looking for Christmas hymns, one thing I noticed is that most hymnbooks arranges them topically, starting with Advent and then proceeding to hymns about the birth of Jesus. 

I’m not very familiar with the liturgical calendar, but, apparently, in many Christian traditions, these four weeks leading up to Christmas day is called the Advent season.

But ALL these hymns, regardless of how they are categorized, are about His birth, so I wondered what was it that distinguished advent hymns from other songs about the birth of Jesus?

I looked to the dictionary for a definition of advent and it is a word that implies expectation or the waiting for an appearance or an event. In Christianity, it is the anticipation of the arrival of the Messiah, the promised One from God.

I found that to be somewhat curious because He has already come so, I wondered, how is it that we are still waiting?   Well, in my research, I learned a few things about the advent season.

In church tradition, Advent reminds us of ancient Israel's anticipation as they waited and hoped for the coming of Messiah. This is a time to recount the stories of Zechariah, Elizabeth, Simeon, and all the pre-Church saints. We think about all the promises that God made and how they looked forward to their coming salvation.

But that is just part of the anticipation. The Advent season, today, is a reminder that there is still more to come. 

John Piper explains this two-part appearance like this:

“When Emmanuel arrives — when the Dayspring rises — we learn that redemption has only begun.

“To be sure, it is magnificent.

  

“The final blood is shed. The debt is paid. Forgiveness is purchased. God’s wrath is removed. Adoption is secured. The down payment is in the bank. The first fruits of harvest are in the barn. The future is sure. The joy is great.

  

“But the end is not yet. Death still snatches away. Disease still makes us miserable. Calamity still strikes. Satan still prowls. Flesh still wars against the Spirit. Sin still indwells. 

"And we still ‘groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies’ (Romans 8:23). 

"We still ‘wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ’ (1 Corinthians 1:7). 

"We still wait for final deliverance ‘from the wrath to come’ (1 Thessalonians 1:10). 

"We still ‘wait for the hope of righteousness’ (Galatians 5:5). 

"The longing continues.”

The Advent season is a time for rejoicing; Our Savior was born in Bethlehem. But the birth of Jesus is meaningless and irrelevant without His sacrificial death, burial, and His resurrection. It was all part of God’s plan that will culminate when Jesus Christ returns for His Church and finishes His work of redemption. 

So, now we look forward to His Second Coming. And the next time He comes, He is coming as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.  

COME, THOU ALMIGHTY KING.