What Child is This?

December 23, 2020 — Krystal Craven
Nativity scene figurines with a cross in the background and the song title overlaying.

I had been told in the past that this song is rather boring in its traditional arrangement. The thing is, these old carols and hymns are so rich in doctrine and I hate to see such gifted song writing get forgotten with time. So I revamped it with my own style of it, arranging an original interlude with it. It is a strong conviction I have to not let my celebration of Christmas be purely centered around Christ’s birth without the end goal in mind that our gracious Heavenly Father sent Jesus here for in the first place. Jesus, our Christ and King, was born to die. Just as J. Sidlow Baxter was quoted, “Bethlehem and Golgotha, the Manger and the Cross, the birth and the death, must always be seen together.”

Listen

Chords

What Child is This? (Jesus, Christ the King)

Public Domain + Interlude by Krystal Craven

Key: C
Capo: 4
Sequence: V1, Interlude, V2, Interlude, V3, Interlude 2x, Ending

Verse 1:
       Em       G        D       Bm
What Child is this who, laid to rest

    Em     C        B
On Mary's lap is sleeping?

       Em    G           D       Bm
Whom Angels greet with anthem's sweet,

         Em       B         Em
While shepherds watch are keeping?

 G              D         Bm
This, this is Christ the King,

        Em                 C     B
Whom shepherds guard and Angels sing;

 G                D         Bm
Haste, haste, to bring Him laud,

     Em        B     Em
The Babe, the Son of Mary.

Interlude:
 G           D
Jesus, is Christ the King

        C               B       C  D
He was born to die for you and me

Verse 2:
     Em     G        D    Bm
Why lies He in such mean estate,

      Em     C        B
Where ox and ass are feeding?

        Em        G         D      Bm
Good Christians, fear, for sinners here

     Em     B       Em
The silent Word is pleading.

 G                  D            Bm
Nails, spear shall pierce Him through,

      Em               C        B
The cross be borne for me, for you.

 G              D         Bm
Hail, hail the Word made flesh,

     Em        B      Em
The Babe, the Son of Mary.

Verse 3:
    Em        G        D        Bm
So bring Him incense, gold and myrrh,

      Em               C    B
Come peasant, king to love Him;

     Em      G        D       Bm
The King of kings salvation brings,

     Em     B        Em
Let loving hearts enthrone Him.

 G              D      Bm
Raise, raise a song on high,

     Em     C          B
The virgin sings her lullaby.

 G             D       Bm
Joy, joy for Christ is born,

     Em        B      Em
The Babe, the Son of Mary

Ending:
end on Em