Recently, Dove Award-winning New Artist of the Year for KING & COUNTRY released their first new music in almost two years, their Christmas album Into the Silent Night. The album features the Christmas classics "Angels We Have Heard On High" and "Little Drummer Boy" along with the original songs, "Into the Silent Night" and studio and live recordings of their song "Baby Boy."
 
What's especially notable about Joel and Luke's collection of songs is that just like Christmas by their big sister, Rebecca St. James, they have recorded songs that are all Christ-centered and recognize the holiness and reverence of this joyous season.

Whether you are a follower of Jesus or just someone who enjoys good music, this album will minister to your soul, lift your spirit and most importantly focus your attention on Christ. I had the chance to speak with Luke about "Baby Boy."

Please tell me about the background message behind the song.

What's weird about writing a Christmas song is that you typically write them in the summer. You have to get them ready to record in time for Christmas. We wrote this song in June of last year, and both Joel and I didn't know what to expect. I came in with the idea of an "Alleluia" chorus and didn't know where it would go from there. As we talked about it in the room we discussed how the war was won by a baby boy, and how counterintuitive that is, and how true it is. Jesus saved us all and came to the world as a baby. It's the first Christmas song we've written. Never since have we written a song that quickly. I think it was on the tip of our tongues and was very real and raw and we were very thankful for this song. It is very special for us.

Which Bible verses connect to the message of the song?

Luke 2:7-14 (NKJV): And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger." And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: "Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!"
 
Revelation 19:1 (NKJV): After these things I heard a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, "Alleluia! Salvation and glory and honor and power belong to the Lord our God!"

What's the takeaway message for listeners about the song?

I think that when it comes to Christmas, we need to remember well. We need to remember truly what Jesus came to do, who He was, and who He is. I think sometimes we forget that a little bit. We forget who He really was. We see the mangers and all that and forget how He came. He came as a little boy and in the most humble and simple way, and the most extraordinary way all at the same time. Really, we've never seen anything like that.

Nobody who is a King comes so humbly. That's incredible. We need to remember Him well, and remember who He was and who He is and not just what makes us feel good or what society or the media tells us about Christmas. In writing a Christmas song, we wrote the same type of song we'd otherwise write, but used Christmas phrases and paint that picture, but the melodies are more of what we know and how we write. We perform this song all year long, and we say this is one thing we should never forget. We should never forget the birth of our Savior.

Lyrics:

If you told me all about your sorrows
I'd tell you 'bout a cure
If you told me you can't fight the battle
There's a baby boy who won the war
The war was won by a baby boy

Alleluia
We can sing it
Alleluia
Heaven's ringing
Alleluia
Endless hope, relentless joy
Started with a baby boy

Oh before that silent night
No savior and no Jesus Christ
The world cried out so desperately
And a baby boy was the reply
Yes, heaven's reply was a baby boy

Alleluia
We can sing it
Alleluia
Heaven's ringing
Alleluia
Endless hope, relentless joy
Started with a baby boy

See the King is coming down
And He's here without a crown
The baby boy without a bed
Giving life back to the dead

Hear the angels shout it out
As the people come and bow
Unexpected majesty
Alleluia, what a king

Alleluia
We can sing it
Alleluia
Heaven's ringing
Alleluia
Endless hope, relentless joy
Started with a baby boy

I am moved every time I read the Gospel account in Luke of the angels singing "Glory to God in the Highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!" This song perfectly captures that celebratory revering of Jesus. What's amazing is that because of how humbly Jesus came to earth, people didn't recognize Him. As the song says, "See the King is coming down / and He's here without a crown / the baby boy without a bed / giving life back to the dead."

We should never forget that Jesus was born in a stable, probably a cave, with animals, and his parents were running for their lives. There are still billions of people on earth that don't know Jesus as their King. One day He will rule the new heavens and the new earth, and every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess that He is Lord.

The world is still crying out desperately for a Savior, and our job as followers of Jesus is to tell the world that He came, He lived a perfect, sinless life, He died for our sins, and He is risen! That's cause to celebrate and sing out loudly, "Alleluia / we can sing it / Alleluia / Heaven's ringing / Alleluia / Endless hope, relentless joy / Started with a baby boy." Amen to that!

(Check out the lyric video.)