On the 1st day of Christmas...
The God of love gave to us: Christ, the Anointed One!
Today is Christmas Day, and typically in the United States it represents the end of the “Christmas season.” But for those throughout history who have celebrated Christmastide, Christmas Day is the beginning of the season, the point at which the church shifted from the anticipation of Advent to the joy of Christmas. So this year I am joining tradition and extending my celebration of Christmas beyond December 25th and into Christmastide.
I’d like to spend some time thinking about the different names and titles that are given to Jesus throughout the Bible. During these 12 days, let’s sit together in the many responses that Scripture gives us to the question, “What child is this?”
We’ll take a look at one aspect of the identity of Christ, and end with a song to listen to as we reflect and rejoice over his birth. You can check out the full playlist for this series on Spotify. Let’s jump in!
On the first day of Christmas…
I’m meditating on the hymn, “What Child is This,” which poses the question, “What child is this, who laid to rest on Mary’s lap is sleeping?”
And of course the response we all know is, “This, this is Christ the King!”
This is Christ the King!
We’ve all heard the title Christ many times, but how often do we stop and think about what it really means? While I lack the education to read the Bible in its original language, thankfully there are many people out there who can help. Christ, from the Greek Christos, means the Anointed One. This beautiful video from the Bible Project breaks it all down in about 3 minutes.
Jesus is not just a king, he is the long-promised Anointed One, the one that all of the previous “anointed ones” pointed to again and again throughout the story of God’s people.
Anointing shows a setting apart of the people who had been chosen for a special purpose by God, like prophets and kings. The anointing was to symbolize God’s presence. The significance of Jesus’s title as the Anointed One, Christ, is that he brought God’s presence to earth. He was not just a temporary king or priest coming to lead the people or stand before God; he embodied God’s presence within himself. He brought the kingdom of heaven with him wherever he went.
On the first day of Christmas, the God of love gave to us: Christ, the Anointed One, who brings heaven to earth.
“This, this is Christ, the King,
Whom shepherds guard and angels sing:
Haste, haste to bring Him laud,
The Babe, the Son of Mary!”
-What Child is This, written by W. Chatterton Dix
Anointed One who brings heaven to earth, anoint us with your peace this season.