Handel’s Messiah Pt.2

George Frideric Handel is given all the accolades for the oratorio, ‘Messiah’.  He is indeed worthy of the highest praise for this musical masterpiece, a masterpiece as popular today as when it was first performed in Dublin in April 1742.  Handel, however, was only responsible for the musical score.  It was Charles Jennens who was the mastermind behind the arrangement of the Scripture texts.  These are arranged to show how the Old Testament is perfectly fulfilled in the New.  In a wonderful way these texts depict the person and work of Christ.  This article will concentrate on the Birth of the Messiah.

Isaiah was the prophet who had the privilege of revealing that “a virgin would conceive and bear a son”.  The Holy Spirit also revealed to him and the other prophets important and momentous information about the location, childhood home, and the identity and mission of Messiah.

THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF MESSIAH’S BIRTH

When a baby is born parents are careful to ensure that the first people to know are the grandparents.  In being informed first they are being greatly honoured and highly privileged

Humble, poor, downtrodden shepherds were the first people to be informed of Messiah’s birth?  So despised where shepherds, as a class of men in first century Judaism, that they were excluded from giving testimony in the law courts.  But God operates on a different system of values.  (1 Corinthians 1: 27, 28)  In the middle of the night, as these shepherds were protecting their flock on a Bethlehem hillside, an angel appeared to them.  Naturally such an exceptional sight made them afraid.  The heavenly visitor immediately reassured them and informed them of the purpose of his visit.

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

What a momentous message the shepherds received from the angel.  It was “good news”.  We all like to hear good news and the information disclosed by the angel was of monumental significance for the human race.

This news concerned a Saviour who had been born in Bethlehem.  But this was no ordinary saviour.  Other saviours had come and gone; men like Joshua, Gideon, Jephthah and Samson.  They only delivered the Jews from hostile neighbouring kingdoms.  This Saviour would set believers free from Satan’s kingdom and bring them into Messiah’s eternal kingdom.  (Colossians 1:13)

This Saviour is further identified as “Christ the Lord”.  Christ means, ‘the Anointed One’.  Other men were anointed for a specific responsibility in Israel.  For example, David was anointed by Samuel as the future king of Israel. (1 Samuel 16:13).  This child born in Bethlehem was no ordinary anointed one.  He was anointed to be king over the entire universe, “King of kings and Lord of lords”.  (Revelation 19:16)

Messiah was and is also “Christ the Lord”.  The appellation ‘Lord’ reveals the Divine status of this Messiah.  This Saviour is the long-awaited seed of the woman promised in Eden after the Fall.  This Saviour was indeed the Messiah for whom faithful Jews had been waiting for centuries.  Jesus was the One who would crush the serpent’s head (Satan) through the cross and save his people from the penalty and power of sin, and ultimately the presence of sin.

This was the best news the human race had ever heard.  It was calculated to be the source of “a great joy … for all the people”; not only for Jews but also for Gentiles.  If you know and trust this Saviour, who is Christ the Lord, joy should fill your heart and praise should flow from your lips.

As soon as the shepherds had heard the news of the Incarnation an angelic host appeared to praise God for such Divine provision for the fallen sons and daughters of Adam. 

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”  (Luke 2:14)

What an impact this made on those humble shepherds.  They responded immediately by visiting the child in the manger.  The stable looked and smelled like any other stable.  Mary and Joseph appeared like any other Jewish parents.  The baby wrapped in strips of cloth was just like any other Jewish child.  But by faith the shepherds knew who he was; the Saviour who is “Christ the Lord”.  They left that stable telling everyone within earshot what they had heard and seen.  Their witness made an impact.  “And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them.” (Luke 2:18)

If you are a Christian, you too have experienced God’s favour in salvation blessing.  Share that experience with others so that they will have cause to reflect on how they ought to respond to the Saviour who is Christ the Lord.

THE LOCATION OF MESSIAH’S CHILDHOOD

Messiah’s home is identified in the memorable line from the oratorio “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light”. (Isaiah 9:2)  The previous verse in Isaiah identifies the location – the land of Zebulon and Naphtali.  700 years later these tribal names were more or less extinct.  The region had become known as Galilee. 

In the centre of Galilee was a little backwater village called Nazareth.  It was there that Messiah grew up to shine as a brilliant light in the home where he was nurtured, and in the synagogue where he worshipped.  It was there in the land of Zebulon and Naphtali that the inhabitants saw a great light.  “the people who walked in darkness have seen a saw a great light.”  Sadly, the record reveals (Luke 4:28, 29) that very few of these people were drawn to that light; very few accepted Jesus as “the light of the world”.  Many still adopt the same attitude to Jesus, rejecting the only one who can bring them out of darkness into his marvellous light (1 Peter 2:9).  Don’t be one of them!

THE IDENTITY OF MESSIAH’S PERSON

Both Joseph and Mary were informed by the angel that the baby was to be called ‘Jesus’, meaning Saviour.  This name, the angel explained to Joseph, revealed Messiah’s mission, “for he will save his people from their sins”  (Matthew 1:21).  This salvation would only be experienced through faith, as the Philippian jailer was informed, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” (Acts 16:31)

We must never forget that Jesus has many names which we discover in other parts of the Bible.  The oratorio ‘Messiah’ focuses on the names revealed through Isaiah in chapter 9:6.

“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 Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” 

These names describe for us something of Messiah’s majestic person and glorious work.

Wonderful Counsellor

When Jesus embarked on his public ministry he gave supernatural counsel through the sermons he preached and the spiritual questions he answered.  Jesus always spoke with authority and the content of his preaching left the crowds overawed by the simplicity of the message and the precision of the application (Matthew 13:54;  22:33)  On one occasion the temple police were sent by the Sanhedrin to arrest Jesus.  They returned empty handed, explaining to their employers: “No one ever spoke like this man”.  (John 7:32:45, 46) 

Mighty God

“To us a child is born – Mighty God”.  What a contrast.  And yet the child in the manger would repeatedly demonstrate throughout his earthly ministry that he was indeed the ‘Mighty God’.  The momentous miracles he performed were evidence of his Divine nature.  On one occasion he was accused of blasphemy because he forgave the paralytic his sins.  He answered the accusation by stating explicitly that he as “The Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”  (Mark 2:1-12)

Everlasting Father

This name refers to the child’s eternal existence.  He is from everlasting to everlasting (Micah 5:2)  On one occasion Jesus astonished the Pharisees by saying:  “… before Abraham was, I am.” (John 8:57)

The name ‘Father’ is not usually attributed to Jesus.  As a title it belongs primarily to the first person of the Trinity.  Nevertheless, as a concept, it perfectly describes the nature of Messiah.  In a fatherly way he is the one who intimately loves his people: particularly caring for the hurting, graciously providing for the needy, untiringly supporting the weak and graciously comforting the distressed.

Prince of Peace

Sin means that a man is born into this world estranged from his Maker; at enmity with God.  This hostility towards God is illustrated in the recent laws regarding ‘same-sex’ marriage and abortion imposed on Northern Ireland by the Westminster Parliament.  These laws are directly opposed to the Word of God.  But sinful man delights in casting aside the divine cords that bind him to the Moral Law. (Psalm 2:3)

Sinful rebellion by individuals and by nations provokes Divine wrath and incurs Divine judgement.  This wrath can only be appeased, and judgement averted, by looking in faith to Jesus Christ who came to earth to make “peace by the blood of his cross”. (Colossians 1:20)  Micah, with reference to Messiah in chapter 5:5 strikingly identifies his peace-making role.  “And he shall be their peace”.

Part 1 of ‘Messiah’ concludes with words taken from Zechariah 9:9, 10. 

“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!  Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem!  Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation … he shall speak peace to the nations”.

The communicating of this gospel which will bring peace with God and peace among men is of paramount importance.  The unpretentious shepherds played their part in sharing this good news and so must we.