Graham Kendrick - The New World Has Come Lyrics
Lyrics
Maker to manger
Oh what a journey
Dancer at starbirth
Now firstborn of Mary
Emptied and helpless
Feeling first hunger
Tiny Almighty hand
Curls round her finger
Ageless and changeless
Gasping a first breath
God comes un-noticed
And the new world has come
The old order ending
And the first shoot has sprung
In the earth of Eden's new garden
Spirit who once turned
Chaos to cosmos
Hovers in silence
Over Nazareth rooftops
She hears the first heartbeat
The pulse of salvation
Love's incarnation
Spinner of planets
Pourer of oceans
Caught in the storm
Of human emotion
This staggering God
Takes his first steps towards us
On feet that will grow strong enough
To carry a cross
Video
Graham Kendrick - The New World Has Come (with lyrics) from Dreaming of a Holy Night
Meaning & Inspiration
Graham Kendrick's "The New World Has Come," released on November 12, 2007, as part of the album *Dreaming of a Holy Night*, offers a profound meditation on the incarnation of Christ, inviting listeners to witness the cosmic significance of a manger birth. The song bypasses conventional festive cheer, instead plunging into the awe-inspiring paradox of God becoming human, tracing a theological narrative from creation to ultimate redemption. It asserts that in this miraculous event, not just a child but a whole new era dawned, fundamentally altering humanity's relationship with the divine.
The song immediately establishes the infinite chasm bridged by Christ's birth: "Maker to manger." This powerful opening encapsulates the journey of the Creator of the universe, the "Dancer at starbirth," willingly confining Himself to human form. This echoes the profound truth found in John 1:1-3, where we learn that "in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God... Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made." The lyrics then underscore the voluntary self-emptying, a concept deeply rooted in Philippians 2:6-7, which describes Christ "being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he emptied himself by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness." It’s an act of unparalleled humility, where the one who sustains galaxies now experiences the vulnerability of an infant.
This vulnerability is vividly portrayed through imagery of helplessness and human need. "Emptied and helpless, Feeling first hunger," the song tells us, drawing us into the raw reality of the infant Jesus. The "Tiny Almighty hand Curls round her finger" is a masterful stroke, depicting the divine omnipotence paradoxically contained within a fragile, dependent grip, a reflection of Isaiah 9:6's proclamation of a child born who is also "Mighty God, Everlasting Father." The eternal and unchanging God, "Ageless and changeless," now gasps a "first breath," a moment of profound cosmic significance that nonetheless occurs "un-noticed" by the bustling world, reminding us of Luke 2:7, where there was "no guest room available for them." It's a testament to God's quiet, unassuming entry into human history, yet one that irrevocably shifts its course.
This shift is heralded with the declaration, "And the new world has come, The old order ending." Christ's birth is not merely an event but an inauguration. It signifies the commencement of a new covenant, where the old ways of sin and separation from God begin to fade, replaced by the promise of reconciliation and renewed life. The imagery of "the first shoot has sprung In the earth of Eden's new garden" is particularly resonant. It harks back to the original fall in Genesis 3, where humanity lost its place in God's perfect garden. With Christ, a new garden of redemption begins to blossom, fulfilling prophecies like Isaiah 11:1, "A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit." This directly connects to the New Testament concept of Christ as the "new Adam" (Romans 5:12-21), initiating a new creation where "the old has gone, the new is here!" (2 Corinthians 5:17).
The song continues by linking the Spirit's activity from creation to incarnation. "Spirit who once turned Chaos to cosmos Hovers in silence Over Nazareth rooftops" draws a direct parallel between the Spirit's primordial role in Genesis 1:2, "the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters," and His active, yet hidden, presence at the moment of Christ's conception. The Spirit's "hearing" of "the first heartbeat, The pulse of salvation, Love's incarnation" conveys an intimate, profound awareness of this divine miracle, echoing Luke 1:35 where the angel tells Mary, "The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God." It underscores the triune God's unified work in bringing forth the Savior, a testament to God's unwavering plan for salvation.
Finally, the lyrics return to the vastness of the Creator, "Spinner of planets, Pourer of oceans," only to contrast this immense power with the profound vulnerability of "Caught in the storm Of human emotion." This highlights Jesus' full humanity, his capacity to experience joy, sorrow, temptation, and love, as affirmed in Hebrews 4:15: "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but one who has in every respect been tempted as we are, yet without sin." The song poignantly connects Christ's first faltering steps as a child to his ultimate purpose: "This staggering God Takes his first steps towards us On feet that will grow strong enough To carry a cross." This prophetic vision embedded in His infancy reminds us that the entire journey of the incarnate God, from manger to grave, was oriented towards Calvary. It culminates in the sacrificial love that Philippians 2:8 describes as Christ "humbling himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross." "The New World Has Come" thus stands as an inspiring and deeply theological exploration of Christmas, encouraging us to ponder the immense, redemptive journey of our God who became one of us, for us.