The Messiah Does It Best

The Messiah Does It Best While I enjoy all the carols of this season, as far as I’m concerned George Frederic Handel’s Messiah best presents the true spirit of Christmas. Sometime during December virtually everyone in the western world will hear at least the well-known, majestic “Hallelujah Chorus” from this famous oratorio, written over 250 years ago. What a powerful reminder of the birth of the Savior! It may surprise many to learn that this work – composed entirely of quotations from Isaiah, Job, Psalms, Haggai, Malachi, Zechariah, Matthew, Luke, John, 1 Corinthians, and Revelation – was originally written as concert hall entertainment for the public. It wasn’t until nine years after it was first performed that this inspiring work was presented in a church setting and viewed as worship for Christians. Times have changed! The Messiah is divided into three parts. Part one draws the listeners’ attention to the prophecy which revealed God’s wondrous plan to redeem mankind from sin and death through the work of His Son, the Messiah. Part two focuses the audience on the birth, life, and redemptive work of our Lord on the cross. Part three is a hymn of thanksgiving for the final overthrow of sin and death, concluding with a great chorus of this verse: “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength and honor and glory and blessing” (Rev. 5:12). If the script of Handel’s Messiah is read apart from its musical score, it is easy to see why the work has such enduring appeal. It is the salvation story quoted directly from God’s Word. As we were leaving the auditorium after hearing the Messiah, I heard a man criticize Handel’s musical score. His companion retorted: “Handel may fall short in how he presented the story, but the story itself is perfect. It perfectly captures the spirit of the Christmas season.” To that I interjected a loud “Amen!”
By Larry Ondrejack