Handel's Messiah: The Person and Work of Christ

36. The Greatest Announcement in All of History

By Dr. Paul M. Elliott
The angelic announcement of Luke chapter 2 is indeed stupendous.

From the TeachingtheWord Bible Knowledgebase

Part 36 of a series. Read part 35.

The angelic announcement of Luke chapter 2 is indeed stupendous.

The Scripture-based libretto of Handel's Messiah now moves from the realm of prophecy to that of fulfillment. The next five musical settings are all based upon Luke 2:8-11 and 13-14. In the Authorized Version the text is as follows:

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock 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 this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. 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. (Luke 2:8-14)

Charles Jennens' libretto uses a slightly paraphrased form:

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 peace on earth, good will towards men." (Luke 2:8-11, 13-14)

A Stupendous Announcement

The words we have before us are the most stupendous announcement in all of history. I use the word "stupendous" deliberately. Webster's 1913 Dictionary defines it as "astonishing; wonderful; amazing; especially, astonishing in magnitude or elevation." The announcement of the angels is certainly all of that.

First of all, it was a historic announcement. The first advent of the Messiah is the center point of history. The angel announced the fact that God Himself had come to earth, taking on human form, to accomplish all that had been long promised in the Law and the Prophets.

It was also, indeed, an astonishing announcement - not only because the messengers were the angels of Heaven, but also because the ones to whom these glorious beings brought the message were lowly shepherds in the hills of Judea - that last people one would expect to be the first to hear the news of the greatest event in history.

It was also stupendous in that it signified God's long-planned invasion of Satan's domain to reclaim for eternity that which had been ruined by the Fall. It was an announcement of the greatest magnitude because it signified the initiation of the fulfillment of God's promise to send the Messiah not only to redeem a people for Himself, but to redeem and renovate the entire created order as their perfect eternal dwelling place.

It was an amazing announcement because those who brought it were not the caricatures often depicted in Christmas pageants, greeting cards, and even some hymns.

It was also a stupendous announcement because the words "peace on earth, good will toward men" are, as we shall see, among the most mistranslated and misunderstood in all of Scripture.

And finally, it was an announcement "astonishing in magnitude or elevation" because it signified the entrance of the greatest Personality of eternity into the realm of time and space, the One who is truly worthy of the preeminence in all things.

How Do You Respond?

Dear reader, is this, to you, the greatest announcement of all time? Do you understand that all other events of history pale into insignificance in comparison to this? Do you understand that all the great personages who have crossed the world's stage, both those who have wrought the greatest havoc and those who have done the greatest good, are nothing as compared to this singular Personage, Jesus the Messiah?

Is your hope and trust in this great Personage, and in the stupendous work He has done on earth, now carries on in glory, and will consummate when He comes again? Do you eagerly look for His appearing? If so, I praise God with you that His Spirit has placed these things within your heart.

But on the other hand, do you not fully understand - or perhaps even reject - who Jesus is and what He has done? Do you say, with the Jews of old, "We will not have this Man to rule over us"? Do you understand the great peril involved in such an attitude - that eternal death awaits you unless you repent and turn to the only One who can save you from such a state of heart and mind? I pray that as we continue this series that the Spirit of God may open your heart to understand, receive, and act upon the great facts contained in this, the greatest announcement in all of history.

  

Next: The Smallest Audience for the Greatest Announcement

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