What a thrill it is to hear a production of Handel's Messiah! The choice sacred Scriptures expressed in magnificent musical language cause the heart to soar as the remarkable prophecies of Messiah's coming, His birth, sufferings and death, His triumphant resurrection and the hallelujahs of the redeemed in glory are portrayed.

George Friderick Handel (1685-1759) was born in Halle, Germany. He showed remarkable musical genius at a very young age. By the time he was 11 he could play the organ, the piano, the violin and the oboe. Despite his father's insistence that he become a lawyer, even going so far as to throw all his young son's musical toys in the fire, circumstances would have it that Handel eventually did go to school to study music. A godly mother and aunt were a great influence in his life and no doubt were responsible for instilling in him a love, respect and knowledge of the Scriptures. Many of his compositions had a Biblical theme.

From Germany Handel traveled to Italy, then to England, all the time studying and composing. He composed fifty operas, twenty-three oratorios and many other outstanding works. It was a hard and stressful life, trying to please audiences whose taste in music were continually changing. The strain of many years of triumphs and failures and financial losses took their toll on him physically and mentally.

It was in August of 1741, a very low point in Handel's life, that a dear friend of his, Charles Jennens, brought over a folder and said, "Here is a collection called Messiah. See what you can make of it." What Handel found in that folder was a sequence of 79 Scripture verses which included portions from Job, Psalms, Isaiah, Lamentations, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi, Matthew, Luke, John, Romans, 1 Cor-inthians, Hebrews and Revelation.

How long it was before Handel actually started to compose the music to Messiah is not really known, but when he did, he totally immersed himself in the task. His servant told of finding Handel at different times sobbing over the Scriptures before him as he attempted to set to music the words that tell of Christ's redemptive work on the cross and His triumph over death. Trays of food were many times left un-touched. "Whether I was in my body or out of my body as I wrote Messiah, I know not," Handel said. Later when referring to that time he said, "I thought I saw all heaven open before me and the great God Himself." Handel remained secluded in his study for the entire twenty-four days it took to compose the full musical notes on 265 pages of manuscript. When it was completed, he signed it with the initials SDG, Latin for Soli Deo Gloria (to God alone the glory), then placed it in a drawer where it remained for seven weeks.

Messiah was first performed in Dublin, Ireland in 1742. In London in 1743 King George II was in attendance to hear Messiah. When the Hallelujah Chorus which declares that Christ would come and reign forever as King of kings and Lord of lords was sung, the king was so deeply moved that he rose to his feet and remained standing until the chorus had ended. That custom has remained to this day.

In April of 1759 Handel directed the Messiah at Covent Garden in London. As he was preparing to leave he fainted. When he regained consciousness he said, "I want to die on Good Friday in the hope of rejoining the good God, my sweet Lord and Saviour, on the day of His resurrection." During the night of April 13-14, 1759, Handel died. It was Good Friday. He was buried in state at the Poet's Corner in Westminster Abbey.

It has been 250 years since Messiah was written, but it continues to be loved and enjoyed all over the world, whether performed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir, or in concert halls, schools, or over the air. Handel is considered by many to be the greatest composer that ever lived. In writing the music for Messiah, he was working with the greatest words that were ever written concerning the greatest Person who ever lived—the central personality in God's symphony—His blessed Son, the Lord Jesus Christ—the MESSIAH!

Reader friend, the greatest decision you must make in your entire life is what you will do with Jesus. As Handel was touched by the Scriptures concerning Christ, we trust that they will also speak to your heart, leading you to repent of your sins and to trust Him as your Saviour, believing He died for you and rose again.

—M.S.J.