What Child Is This? // Christmas Series 2025

I love that Christmas invites us to ask a simple but piercing question: What child is this? Not which child, as though we’re sorting options, but what kind of child is this? I shared the backstory of the carol—written by William Chatterton Dix in 1866 after a season of illness and depression—because its question still searches us. Life gives us plenty of opportunities to let questions pull us away from God. The problem isn’t that we question; it’s where those questions take us. So we turned to Luke 2 and watched how God met ordinary people in an ordinary night with an extraordinary interruption.

Shepherds—marginalized, unclean, rough around the edges—were keeping watch in the silence when the sky exploded with glory. Terrified, they heard good news of great joy for all people, a Savior born in David’s city. They were given almost no details—just “a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger”—yet they went with haste. I imagine the chaos of them barreling into Bethlehem, sheep in tow, doors swinging open, “Y’all got a baby?” But when they found him, they made known what had been told them. All who heard wondered. And Mary, exhausted and protective as any new mother would be, treasured these things and pondered them in her heart.

The shepherds, Mary, and Joseph each faced a crossroads: let fear, confusion, and social pressure define reality—or act on what God had said. They chose obedience before clarity. They let their questions drive them toward the promises they knew. And the question What child is this? became their compass. This child is Christ the King—guarded by shepherds because he is the Lamb of God, and praised by angels because he is God. The Creator became a baby—approachable, near, not far—so that we could come to him.

So when a doctor’s report lands, when a relationship fractures, when money runs thin, when faith aches under unanswered prayers, meet your questions with another: What child is this? He is Emmanuel—God with us. Because he came, we have somewhere to go with our pain. Because he lived, died, and rose, we have a place to stand that won’t collapse under us. Take heart. He has overcome the world. Draw near to the One who has drawn near to you.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Let questions drive you to promises Questions aren’t the enemy; untethered questions are. The shepherds and Mary filtered bewildering events through what God had already said. That practice didn’t erase mystery, but it gave them a trustworthy place to stand and move. When doubts surge, answer them with the better question: What child is this? [25:54]
• 2. Obedience before full clarity Faith often moves our feet before God maps every step. The shepherds went with haste with only a manger for directions; Joseph obeyed after a dream, not a five-year plan. In God’s economy, obedience invites understanding as we go, not before we go. Start with the light you have and watch it expand. [25:07]
• 3. God chose the marginalized first Heaven’s first birth announcement didn’t go to courts or clergy but to unclean laborers on the edge of town. “Good news for all people” began by dignifying those society dismissed, signaling the wideness of God’s welcome. If grace found them first, no one is too far, and our churches must reflect that posture. [09:57]
• 4. God came near as a child The Almighty chose fragility so we could approach him without fear. A baby does not coerce; a baby invites, disarms, and draws close. Divine humility reframes our prayer life: we come not to impress but to be held by Emmanuel. Nearness—not performance—is the gift of Christmas. [29:14]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [01:57] - History of “What Child Is This?”
• [04:24] - The driving question: What child is this?
• [06:17] - Honest questions and doubt
• [08:14] - Turning to Luke 2
• [09:11] - Shepherds on a silent night
• [12:24] - Angels appear with good news
• [14:05] - Shepherds go with haste
• [16:19] - Searching Bethlehem in chaos
• [19:59] - Mary treasures and ponders
• [22:38] - Choosing promise over fear
• [27:00] - This child: Christ the King
• [29:14] - God became an approachable baby
• [31:24] - Take heart: He overcame
• [35:09] - God came near in history

Bible Reading
- Luke 2:8–20

Observation questions
- In verses 10–11, what titles are given to the newborn in Bethlehem, and what do those titles imply (Savior, Christ, Lord)?
- The angel gives a sign but not an address. What specific details are given (swaddling cloths, manger), and what key details are left out (house, names, directions)?
- Trace the action words in verses 17–20. What did the shepherds do? What did “all who heard” do? What did Mary do? What did the shepherds do next?
- The story highlights speed: “They went with haste.” What did they already know that made them move that fast? ([14:05])

Interpretation questions
- Why might heaven’s first birth announcement go to shepherds and not to priests or officials? How does that fit the promise of “good news of great joy … for all the people”? ([13:19])
- What does “obedience before full clarity” look like in this story? Consider the shepherds going with only a sign, and Joseph obeying after a dream. Where do we see that dynamic? ([25:07])
- “They let their questions drive them to God’s promises.” Which promises from Israel’s Scriptures could have steadied them that night, and how might those same promises steady a person today? ([25:54])
- God came near as a baby—approachable and disarming. Why might God choose that way of coming near, and how should that shape the way someone prays this week? ([29:14])

Application questions
- When hard news hits (doctor’s report, relationship fracture, money stress), where do you usually run first? What would it look like to meet that moment by asking, “What child is this?” and answering with Luke 2 titles (Savior, Christ, Lord)? ([29:52])
- Identify one area where you’re waiting for more information before you move. What is one concrete step of obedience you can take this week with the light you already have—your version of “going with haste”? ([14:05])
- Think of someone on the margins (overlooked at work, in your neighborhood, at church). What is one gentle, specific way you can dignify and include them this week, reflecting that God’s good news began with shepherds? ([09:57])
- Be honest: when questions and doubts rise, do they pull you away from God or toward him? What one promise from Scripture will you hold onto and speak back to your questions this week? ([25:54])
- “Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them.” Where and when can you make a small pocket of silence to treasure and ponder what God has said—10 minutes, a short walk, or a quiet corner? What will you do in that time? ([19:59])
- The shepherds “made known” what they had heard and seen. Who is one person you could encourage this week with simple, hopeful words about Jesus’ nearness—and how will you bring it up naturally? ([17:11])
- God came near as a child—approachable. How will that change the way you pray this week? What would “not to impress but to be held by Emmanuel” look like in your actual prayer time—words, posture, or pace? ([29:14])