Sing We All of Christmas: Who is He in Yonder Stall?

Who is He in yonder stall,
At whose feet the shepherds fall?

(Chorus)
'Tis the Lord, oh wondrous story,
'Tis the Lord, the King of glory!
At His feet we humbly fall,
Crown Him, crown Him Lord of all.
At His feet we humbly fall--
The Lord of all.
Crown Him, crown Him,
Jesus, Jesus,
Crown Him Lord of all.

Who is He in deep distress,
Fasting in the wilderness?

Who is He, the gath'ring throng
Greet with loud triumphant song?

Lo, at midnight, who is He
Prays in dark Gesthemene?

Who is He on yonder tree
Dies in shame and agony?

Benjamin R. Hanby, text; RESONET IN LAUDIBUS, tune name.  Seventh-day Adventist Hymnal, 150.

I love the carols that take me through the whole story of Jesus.   This hymn originally had ten verses, which would have told even more of the story.

I love, too, how the questions are simple.  Even a child can answer with certainty that this very one is the Savior Jesus.

This simple tune has also been matched with other words, in one notable case "Joseph, dearest, Joseph mine," published in the 1928 Oxford Book of Carols.

For more information, see, among other sources, The Companion to the Seventh-day Adventist Hymnal edited by Wayne Hooper and Edward E. White.