Handel's Messiah: The Birth, Death, and Resurrection of Christ in Song

Handle's great oratorio, Messiah, is commonly thought of as a Christmastime work, when in fact, that is mistaken. The famous composer originally performed the music around Easter, and in its entirety, the oratorio fits better with the Easter season than it does Christmas.

In light of that fact, and because Messiah is one of my all-time favorite works of music, I present you with the lyrics of Messiah...

Handel's Messiah


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.


Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill made low, the crooked straight, and the rough places plain.


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.


Thus saith the Lord of Hosts; Yet once, a little while and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and 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.


But who may abide the day of His coming? and who shall stand when He appeareth? For He is like a refiner's fire.


And He shall purify the sons of Levi... that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness.


Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a Son, and shall call his name EMMANUEL, God with us.


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, and be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God!


Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.


For, behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people; but the Lord shall arise 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.


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.


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.


There were shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flocks by night.


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.


And the angel said unto them, 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.


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, good will toward men.


Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee. He is the righteous Savior... And he shall speak peace unto the heathen.


Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb shall sing.


He shall feed his flock like a shepherd; and he shall gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.


Come unto [Him], all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and [He shall] 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.


[His] yoke is easy, and [his]burden is light.


Behold the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sins of the world.


He is despised and rejected of men: a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief.


[He]gave [His] back to the smiters, and [His] cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: [He] hid not [His] face from shame and spitting.


Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows... He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him,


and with His stripes we are healed


All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.


All they that see [him] laugh [him] to scorn: they shoot out their lips, they shake their heads, saying:


He trusted [in God] that he would deliver him:let him deliver him, if he delight in him.


[Thy] rebuke hath broken [his] heart; [He is] full of heaviness. [He] looked for some to have pity [on Him], but there was none; neither found [He] any to comfort [Him].


Behold, and see if there be any sorrow like unto [his] sorrow.


He was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of [Thy] people was He stricken.


[But] thou [didst] not leave [his] soul in hell; neither [didst] thou suffer Thy Holy One to see corruption.


Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of Glory shall come in. Who is the King of Glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of Glory shall come in. Who is the King of Glory? The Lord of Hosts, He is the King of Glory.


For unto which of the angels said He at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee?


"Let all the angels of God worship Him."


Thou art gone up on high, Thou hast led captivity captive, and received gifts for men; yea, even for Thine enemies, that the Lord God might dwell among them.


The Lord gave the word: great was the company of [the preachers].


How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!


their sound is gone out into all lands, and their words unto the ends of the world.


Why do the heathen rage, and why do the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth rise up, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against His Anointed,


Let us break their bonds asunder, and cast away their yokes from us.


He that dwelleth in the heavens shall laugh them to scorn; the Lord shall have them in derision.


Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; Thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.


Hallelujah! for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.


The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ: and He shall reign for ever and ever.


KING OF KINGS, LORD OF LORDS.


I know that my redeemer liveth, and that He shall stand on the latter day upon the earth: And though worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God.


[For] now is Christ risen from the dead. . . the firstfruits of them that [sleep].


Since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.


Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep; but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in a twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet;


the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.


Then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, 'Death is swallowed up in victory.'


O death, where is thy sting? O grave where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.


But thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.


If God be for us, who can be against us? Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is at the right hand of God, who makes intercession for us.


Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. Blessing, and honour, glory and power, be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. Amen.

For those of you who actually read through the entire oratorio, wouldn't you agree with me that this work paints a beautiful and true story?

For those interested, here are the verse references, by line:

Isaiah 40:1-3
Isaiah 40:4
Isaiah 40:5
Haggai 2:6,7
Malachi 3:1
Malachi 3:2
Malachi 3:3
Isaiah 7:14 (Matthew 1:23)
Isaiah 40:9
Isaiah 60:1
Isaiah 60:2,3
Isaiah 9:2 (Matthew 3:16)
Isaiah 9:6
Luke 2:8
Luke 2:9
Luke 2:10,11
Luke 2:13
Luke 2:14
Zechariah 9:9,10 (Matthew 21:5)
Isaiah 35:5,6
Isaiah 40:11
Matthew 11:28, 29
Matthew 11:30
John 1:29
Isaiah 53:3
Isaiah 50:6
Isaiah 53:4,5
Isaiah 53:5b
Isaiah 53:6
Psalm 22:7
Psalm 22:8 (Matthew 27:43)
Psalm 69:20
Lamentations 1:12
Isaiah 53:8b
Psalm 16:10 (Acts 2:27)
Psalm 24:7-10
Hebrews 1:5 (Psalm 2:7)
Hebrews 1:6b
Psalm 68:18 (Ephesians 4:8)
Psalm 68:11
Romans 10:15 (Isaiah 52:7)
Romans 10:18 (Psalm 19:4)
Psalm 2:1,2 (Acts 4:25-26)
Psalm 2:3
Psalm 2:4
Psalm 2:9
Revelation 19:6
Revelation 11:15
Revelation 19:16
Job 19:25, 26
1 Corinthians 15:21,22
1 Corinthians 15:51,52
1 Corinthians 15:52b-53
1 Corinthians 15:54b (Isaiah 25:8)
1 Corinthians 15:55-56 (Hosea 13:14)
1 Corinthians 15:57
Romans 8:31, 33, 34
Revelation 5:12, 13