It is Good Friday

I am blessed this Good Friday to have the music and words of Handel's Messiah that still plays in my head. I am beginning to realize that the experience of being in the chorus of The Messiah, and on top of it in the Lent and Easter Season, will always be with me. I will have the songs, the Scripture verses with me to remind me and teach me the birth, death, resurrection and hope in Christ.

Handel had chosen just these few verses from Scripture and put them with wonderful music to aptly tell the account of Jesus's suffering and death on the cross: Here is the Lamb of God that takes away your sin. He became despised and rejected in your place. He took upon your grief on himself. He was flogged and maimed. He has borne your griefs and carried your sorrows. Wounded for your transgressions. Bruised for your iniquities. And with all the stripes he suffered, we are ironically healed. But still, we are like sheep who have gone astray, we removed ourselves from his grace. We even laugh at him and question the drama of it all. Jesus suffered still. He knew it is the only way for our salvation. He was stricken. But...there is hope. There is life a-coming!


22. Chorus
Behold the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin of the world.
(John 1: 29)

23. Air  (Alto)
He was despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.
(Isaiah 53: 3)

He gave His back to the smiters, and His cheeks to them that plucked off His hair: He hid not His face from shame and spitting. He was despised...da capo

(Isaiah 53:6)


24. Chorus  
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.
(Isaiah 53: 4-5)

25. Chorus  
And with His stripes we are healed.
(Isaiah 53: 5)

26. Chorus  
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.
(Isaiah 53:6)


27. Accompagnato (Tenor)
All they that see Him laugh Him to scorn; they shoot out their lips, and shake their heads, saying:
(Psalm 22: 7)

28. Chorus  
"He trusted in God that He would deliver Him; let Him deliver Him, if He delight in Him."
(Psalm 22: 8)

29. Accompagnato (Tenor)
Thy rebuke hath broken His heart: He is full of heaviness. He looked for some to have pity on Him, but there was no man, neither found He any to comfort him.
(Psalm 69: 20)

30. Arioso (Tenor)
Behold, and see if there be any sorrow like unto His sorrow.
(Lamentations 1: 12)

31. Accompagnato (Tenor)
He was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgressions of Thy people was He stricken.
(Isaiah 53: 8)

32. Air (Tenor)
But Thou didst not leave His soul in hell; nor didst Thou suffer Thy Holy One to see corruption.
(Psalm 16: 10)

pearlie