Handel's Messiah is a masterpiece that celebrates redemption through the Messiah, Jesus Christ. The oratorio is divided into three parts: the prophecy and realization of God's plan, the accomplishment of redemption through Christ's sacrifice and humanity's rejection of God's offer, and a hymn of thanksgiving for the final overthrow of death. The work, composed in a remarkable three weeks, has endured for centuries due to its capacity for infinite self-renewal and its artistic portrayal of human redemption. Its enduring popularity is a testament to its profound message and musical brilliance.
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Tom Duncan asked me about two weeks ago if I would teach an adult class today. I think I had a moment of inspiration because he said, now make it something about Christmas. And so I had just been listening to a selection from Messiah and it occurred to me that it might be good for us this morning to consider something about the person who wrote this and then something about Messiah itself George Friedrich Handel composed Messiah by the way there is no the and the title, in the space of three weeks from August 22nd to September 14th, 1741.
The words had been selected and arranged from the Bible by Charles Jenner. If ever inspiration occurred in the composing of a major piece of music, I think it did occur again. Messiah was first performed on April 13, 1742, in Dublin, Ireland, in London, in March of 1743, and excerpt from it in this country on January 16, 1770, in a place called the New York City Tavern. It was not heard in its entirety in the United States until December 25th on Christmas Day in 1818 in Boston and as all of us know Messiah has retained its popularity for over two and a half centuries the characterizing trait of all authentic masterpieces is their capacity for infinite self-renewal wrote a famous music critic there's probably no work of the last two centuries of which this is more true than Handel's Messiah.
It has survived less than artistic performances by high school choirs, as well as beautiful renditions by professional musicians. It has flourished despite being performed in tiny one-room country churches or in vast cathedrals. It has endured performances which observed the letter and lost the spirit, and with many more that somehow found the spirit without observing more than a minimum of the letter. This magnificent masterpiece is the first instance in the history of music to attempt to view the drama of human redemption from an artistic standpoint.
Like all oratorios, Messiah is divided into three parts. If you have the screen sheet, you see what the three parts are. The prophecy and realization of God's plan to redeem mankind by the coming of the Messiah. Part two, the accomplishment of redemption by the sacrifice of Jesus, God's only son. Mankind's rejection of God's offer. And mankind's utter defeat when trying to oppose the power of the Almighty God. And third, a hymn of thanksgiving for the final overthrow of death. In some ways, Messiah is not the appropriate title for this work.
It should be called redemption, because in it handles, celebrates redemption through the redeemer, Messiah. Now this morning, with the help of Stephan Brandel, Bob Voughton, Paul Mao, Tom Duncan, and Judy Vandermuling. I hope we can experience some of what Handel must have experienced as he composed this great word. You will follow along on the green sheet. What will happen is that without further ado, we will have Scripture being read.
first from part one and then selections from those scriptures are going to be placed and then scripture from part two selections from that and then part three and then I'll have something to say about that. First from part one, Isaiah. Thank you.