Handel’s Messiah, Part I

Messiah is an oratorio written by George Frideric Handel and first performed in 1742. An oratorio is a large musical composition which includes a choir, orchestra and soloists.

Messiah deals with God’s plan for the salvation of the world, the coming of Jesus Christ, His ministry in this world, His death, resurrection and the victory over death that He won on our behalf, and the eventual triumph of the kingdom of God over evil. The libretto (text) of Messiah was written by Charles Jennens and completely consists of Bible quotations. The King James Version of the Bible, the prevalent translation at the time, was used.

What follows is the text or lyrics of Messiah with references to where in the Bible the relevant scripture verses can be found, along with YouTube videos for each section. After that is a modern English translation of the same scriptures, along with some commentary and explanation of the meaning and significance of those scriptures.

This page has Part I, which focuses on Christ’s coming to earth as a man and much of His earthly ministry. There are also pages for Part II and Part III.

With multiple videos on this page, things can sometimes get slow, particularly if starting a video before another video has finished buffering. If this happens, refresh the page, then start the video you want to watch.

OVERTURE

RECITATIVE. (Accompanied – Tenor) Comfort ye, comfort ye My people, saith your God; speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem; and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned. The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness:-Prepare ye the way of the Lord: make straight in the desert a highway for our God. (Isaiah 40:1-3)

AIR (Tenor)
Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill made low, the crooked straight and the rough places plain. (Isaiah 40:4)

CHORUS And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it. (Isaiah 40:5)

RECITATIVE. (Accompanied – Bass)
Thus saith the Lord of Hosts:-Yet once a little while and I will shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land; and
I will shake all nations; and the desire of all nations shall come. The Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to His temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, He shall come, saith the Lord of Hosts. (Haggai 2:6,7; Malachi 3:1)

AIR (Bass) But who may abide the day of His coming? and who shall stand when He appeareth? For He is like a refiner’s fire. (Malachi 3:2)

CHORUS
And He shall purify the sons of Levi, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness. (Malachi 3:3)

RECITATIVE. (Alto)
Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call his name Emmanuel, God with us. (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:23)

AIR (Alto)
and CHORUS O thou that tellest good tidings to Zion, get thee up into the high mountain: O thou that tellest good tidings to Jerusalem, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold you God! Arise, shine, for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. (Isaiah 40:9; 60:1)

RECITATIVE. (Accompanied – Bass)
For Behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people; but the Lord shall rise upon thee, and His glory
shall be seen upon thee, and the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to
the brightness of thy rising. (Isaiah 60:2,3)

AIR (Bass) The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light; and they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined. (Isaiah 9:2; Matthew 4:16)

CHORUS
For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given, and the government shall be upon His shoulder; and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6)

PASTORAL SYMPHONY

RECITATIVE. (Soprano) There were shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. (Luke 2:8)

RECITATIVE. (Accompanied – Soprano) And lo! the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them, and they were sore afraid. (Luke 2:9)

RECITATIVE. (Soprano)
And the angel said unto the, Fear not; for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people; for unto you is
born this day in the City of David, a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. (Luke 2:10,11)

RECITATIVE. (Accompanied – Soprano) And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying:- (Luke 2:13)

CHORUS
Glory to God in the highest, and peace on earth, goodwill towards men. (Luke 2:14)

AIR. (Soprano)
Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! behold, thy King cometh unto thee! He is the righteous Saviour, and He shall speak peace unto the heathen. (Zechariah 9:9,10; Matthew 21:5)

RECITATIVE. (Alto)
Then shall the eyes of the blind be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall the lame man leap as a hart, and the tongue of the dumb shall sing. (Isaiah 35:5,6)

AIR (Alto)
He shall feed His flock like a shepherd: and He shall gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom, and gently lead those that are with young. (Isaiah 40:11)

AIR (Alto)
Come unto Him, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and He will give you rest. Take His yoke upon you, and learn of Him, for He is meek and lowly of heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls. (Matthew 11:28,29)

CHORUS
His yoke is easy and His burden is light. (Matthew 11:30)

*****

“Comfort, comfort my people,” says your God. “Speak kindly to Jerusalem, and tell her that her time of warfare is over, that her punishment is completed. For the LORD has made her pay double for all her sins.” A voice cries out, “In the wilderness clear a way for the LORD; construct in the desert a road for our God.” (Isaiah 40:1-3)

Over 100 years before ancient Israel would be conquered by Babylon and her people sent into exile, and 700 years before Christ would come to earth, the prophet Isaiah foretold of God restoring and healing His chosen people, and told Israel to begin to prepare for the coming of the LORD.

“Every valley must be elevated, and every mountain and hill leveled. The rough terrain will become a level plain, the rugged landscape a wide valley.” (Isaiah 40:4)

The coming of the LORD was of such significance and importance that any and every obstacle to it would be removed.

“The splendor of the LORD will be revealed, and all people will see it at the same time. For the LORD has decreed it.” (Isaiah 40:5)

“Moreover, the LORD who rules over all says: ‘In just a little while I will once again shake the sky and the earth, the sea and the dry ground. I will also shake up all the nations, and they will offer their treasures; then I will fill this temple with glory,’ says the LORD who rules over all.” (Haggai 2:6,7) “I am about to send my messenger, who will clear the way before me. Indeed, the Lord you are seeking will suddenly come to his temple, and the messenger of the covenant, whom you long for, is certainly coming,” says the LORD who rules over all. (Malachi 3:1)

The prophet Haggai, speaking to the Jews after they had been restored to their land from exile and as they were rebuilding the temple, encouraged them with the LORD’s promise that “in just a little while” He would “fill this temple with glory”. The prophet Malachi spoke of a “messenger who will clear the way” for the “Lord you are seeking” who “will suddenly come to his temple”.

Who can endure the day of his coming? Who can keep standing when he appears? For he will be like a refiner’s fire, like a launderer’s soap. (Malachi 3:2)

The “refiner’s fire” refered to a process used to purify and refine metal by melting it and allowing the impurities, which floated to the surface, to be removed.

He will act like a refiner and purifier of silver and will cleanse the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then they will offer the LORD a proper offering. (Malachi 3:3)

At one time the tribe of Levi had been, among the twelve tribes of Israel, the one tribe to be occupied entirely with ministering before God and offering Him sacrifices on behalf of all the people. They and the rest of Israel had turned away from God long ago. But God, through the one He would send, would cleanse His people from their wrongdoing, and then they would be able to worship God properly.

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. (Isaiah 7:14, ESV)

This prophecy alludes to the Messiah and the way He would come into this world. Immanuel means God with us. According to Matthew 1:23 the prophecy was fulfilled 700 years later when the virgin Mary was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit, and an angel of the Lord told Joseph to name the child Jesus, which is the Greek form of Joshua, which means the LORD saves.

Get you up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good news; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good news; lift it up, fear not; say to the cities of Judah, “Behold your God!” (Isaiah 40:9) Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you. (Isaiah 60:1, ESV)

Here is more prophecy, emphatic and insistent, to the effect that God would come to His people in a way that would be readily apparent to the “cities of Judah.”

For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the LORD will arise upon you, and his glory will be seen upon you. And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising. (Isaiah 60:2,3, ESV)

This prophecy offered hope to God’s people in the centuries before the birth of Jesus. At the same time it looks to the more distant future and the coming of the kingdom of God, particularly the time when the LORD would come in power and glory to establish His everlasting reign — a time which is still in the future even for us today.

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined. (Isaiah 9:2, ESV)

Isaiah refers to the coming of the Messiah; here he talks about this future event as if it has happened. He speaks for all people; all of us have been or are in darkness, but Light has come and we can be delivered from that darkness.

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6, ESV)

It is hard to put into words what this passage means to us believers in Christ. According to Isaiah, the coming Savior would be a ruler who could be looked up to far more than any mortal leader who had come before (or has come since).

And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. (Luke 2:8,9)

Two thousand years ago, some shepherds near Bethlehem in Judea were about to be the recipients of the greatest announcement God has ever made in the history of the world.

And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. (Luke 2:10,11, ESV)

The “city of David” here refers to Bethlehem. “Christ” is Greek for “the anointed one”; “Messiah” means the same thing in Hebrew. By this time, the Jews reserved this phrase for the great ruler who was fortold by Isaiah and the other prophets. We who follow Him understand Him to be the Son of God who came to deliver us from sin and death and to show us what God is like.

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 among people with whom he is pleased!” (Luke 2:13,14, ESV)

“A multitude of the heavenly host” is literally, in the original Greek, “a multitude of the armies of heaven.” We can only imagine what the shepherds were experiencing at this point! This “heavenly host” praised God and proclaimed peace among those with whom He is pleased. This peace originates from God and is available to all who will turn to Him.

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the war horse from Jerusalem; and the battle bow shall be cut off, and he shall speak peace to the nations; his rule shall be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth. (Zechariah 9:9,10, ESV)

Zechariah was a prophet in Judah around 500 years before Christ, during the period after the Jews’ return from exile. His prophecy looks ahead to the time when the Messiah will come in power and glory, abolishing warfare and establishing His reign and authority “to the ends of the earth.” And yet He is also pictured as coming to Jerusalem on a donkey. The gospel of Matthew quotes this scripture as it describes the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem during His earthly ministry — Jesus, who through His teachings and sacrifice on the cross, has spoken peace to everyone as the Way by which we can be reconciled to God and each other. This same Jesus will someday come again in power and glory to establish His everlasting reign.

Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy. For waters break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert… (Isaiah 35:5,6, ESV)

This prophetic passage echoes the one from Isaiah 61 that Jesus read in the synagogue at the beginning of His earthly ministry (see Luke 4:16-21). Jesus went around bringing physical healing and renewal to people. Even more importantly, he brought spiritual healing, renewal and awareness to all those willing to believe in Him.

He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young. (Isaiah 40:11, ESV)

A recurring theme in the Bible is how God’s people are sheep, and religious leaders — those in positions of responsibility for their spiritual well-being — are shepherds. Sheep are very dependent on shepherds to guide, protect and direct them. Those called to be shepherds of the people of God bear a heavy responsibility for looking after those entrusted to them, rather than looking to their own gain — something they have sometimes failed to do through history. Jesus, during His earthly ministry, described Himself as the “good shepherd” (see John 10). He went around helping people and ministering to their spiritual and physical needs. More importantly, He, through His sacrifice for us, established the church — which includes all those who will believe in Him and be reconciled to God. He is the head of the church and a shepherd we can always rely on to look after us and take care of us.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke on you and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Matthew 11:28,29)

This is something Jesus said to everyone, including us. He is the Way, the Truth and the Life. Whatever oppresses us in this world, we will find relief from if we follow Him. And the Way which Jesus personifies for us and offers to us is not a Way in which we trade one oppressor for another; rather, it is a Way of life, love, peace, kindness, gentleness, humility and giving.

“For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:30, ESV)

A yoke is a wooden bar or frame used to join two animals together to pull something such as a wagon or plow. Here it is used figuratively to describe the things which are required of someone who follows Jesus. No matter who or what we decide to follow, there is a cost, there are requirements that come with it. Jesus is a benevolent King. Unlike others who would have our allegience, He does not lord His authority over us. And unlike with the others, faith in Him gives us power and purpose in our lives that makes the burdens worthwhile, easy and even a joy to bear.