Benjamin was 33 years old when he wrote this song. By this time he was probably living in Chicago, but he had moved there from his home state of Ohio.

Although it could be argued that this song is not a Christmas song, it is often sung at Christmas. It fits into a category of songs that go through the life of Christ, such as “O Sing a Song of Bethlehem”.

But two years earlier, Benjamin had written a Christmas song.

His actual Christmas song revived when it hit the charts in 2005, sung by Kimberley Locke. But it was popular long before that, and is still well known today. And it holds the historic distinction of being the first modern song about – Santa Claus!

42 years earlier, the modern age of Santa was born with the poem, “A Visit from St. Nicholas” (also called “The Night Before Christmas”). This work had a huge impact on the celebration of Christmas in the United States and around the world. Varied traditions about Saint Nicholas were common. But the tradition that he arrived on Christmas Eve? The names of the reindeer? These ideas, and even the popularity of gift-giving and a focus on children took off like Santa’s sleigh.

Although the poem has been set to music (brilliantly by Ken Darby, featured in a recording by Fred Waring and The Pennsylvanians, and further popularized on the popular radio show – Fibber McGee and Molly), it was not put to music in time to be the first modern Santa song. Benjamin Hanby’s song won out – “Up on the Housetop” (here’s a famous recording from Gene Autry in 1953, but this is the original):

Upon the house, no delay, no pause
Clatter the steeds of Santa Claus;
Down thro’ the chimney with loads of toys
Ho for the little ones, Christmas joys.

O! O! O! Who wouldn’t go.
O! O! O! Who wouldn’t go,
Upon the housetop, click! click! click!
Down thro’ the chimney with good St. Nick.

The most disturbing verse is about “Lazy Jim”, whose stockings are filled with bran, and a new “rattan” – a stalk used for spanking! Why, Ben, did you have to use the name “Jim”?

Anyway, two years after writing his song popularizing the identity of Santa Claus, he wrote a song about the identity of Someone else. St. Nick could not compare with the Baby in the manger. The song began:

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

And that’s the only part about Christmas, as the story continues:

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

Who indeed? Then the praise breaks out in the chorus:

’Tis the Lord! O won­drous sto­ry!
’Tis the Lord! the King of glo­ry!
At His feet we hum­bly fall,
Crown Him! crown Him, Lord of all!

What fictional story could compare with the True Story – the Lord! The King of Glory!

Our worldly perspective misses the truth. The rulers of the first century did not truly realize what they were doing when they put Jesus to death, as Paul explains:

…we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the wisdom which has been hidden, which God predestined before the ages to our glory, which none of the rulers of this age has understood; for if they had understood it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

1 Corinthians 2:7-8

Paul explains that the natural man – the unsaved, unregenerate – cannot understand spiritual truths, “because they are spiritually examined” (1 Corinthians 2:14). They come from the Spirit, through the Apostles, to the Church. The revelation from God can never be reached by building a stepladder to heaven – God had to reveal the big picture to us.

After all, who could have believed that this newborn Baby, who relied on His mother to be fed, who did not even have a proper bed – who could have guessed that this Baby was the Lord of glory?

His fame is worldwide, and has endured for more than 2000 years. And so we are right to ask – who is He?

He is the One deserving the crown of the universe.

But Benjamin is not leaving us at the manger for long. Now Jesus is a grown man, not far off the age of the song’s author. He is fasting, praying, facing temptation in the wilderness. This doesn’t seem to be a great beginning for the Lord of all. But the story isn’t over. Let’s take a closer look over the next few weeks.