What Child Is This

Selah sings the traditional carol as a string of questions and answers. A sleeping baby on "Mary's lap" draws anthems from angels and watchful shepherds, and the refrain settles the matter: "This, this is Christ the King." The second verse asks why he lies "in such mean estate / Where ox and ass are feeding," a reminder of the feeding trough in Luke 2:7.

Gifts arrive in the third verse. "Incense, gold, and myrrh" are brought by "peasant" and "king" alike, echoing the visit of the wise men in Matthew 2:11, and the carol asks that "loving hearts enthrone Him." Even in this gentle setting, one line carries weight: "The silent Word is pleading."

An added closing section changes the voice from invitation to confession. "Born in a manger, laid in some hay / They just didn't know who you were," it sings, then moves to "sweet little Jesus, boy." The lament matches John 1:10, where the world he made fails to recognize him, and it leaves the listener standing among those who now do.