Words of Life : A Child is Born

 WORDS OF LIFE 

Monday 15 December

ISAIAH 9:1-7

A child is born

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace (v 6)

I WAS once offered the opportunity to attend a performance of Handel's 

Messiah at St Paul's Cathedral in London, at the commencement of Advent. The cathedral choir was performing along with a London orchestra and guest soloists. It was a truly wonderful occasion. We had very good seats, just five or six rows from the front. The music was superb and the occasion unforgettable.

The climax of the evening for me came, following a tension-growing build-up, with the breathtaking, famous 'Hallelujah' chorus. Tradition now requires that the audience stands for this chorus, but it was the middle section of the chorus that was the absolute climax – 'The kingdom of this world is become the kingdom of our Lord, and of His Christ'. Every reason to jump up, shout and clap, and declare 'Hallelujah' over and over again.

Isaiah's prophecy of a coming Wonderful Counsellor and Mighty God is expressed beautifully in the 'Hallelujah' chorus. Handel composed Messiah in just 24 days, surviving on very little sleep and barely eating. While he was writing the 'Hallelujah' chorus, at one point Handel was discovered by his servant with tears in his eyes, exclaiming, 'I did think I did see all Heaven before me, and the great God Himself seated on His throne, with His company of Angels'.17

As we move through this Advent season, let us hold fast to the thought that, in the birth of Jesus, the kingdom of this world is become the Kingdom of our God and of his Christ. The world changed in that moment, and we have the opportunity to celebrate it again this year. We move towards the day that we celebrate the Messiah's birth, recognising again that we worship a world-changing, life-giving, inspiring Saviour – the Christ. HALLELUJAH!

IHQ

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