Messiah
The Greatest Sermon Ever Sung
Tony Pittenger (Author), Jonathan Mayer (Illustrator)
Messiah is a stunningly illustrated running commentary on G. F. Handel's great oratorio. The understandable explanations and insightful artwork help the reader appreciate the theology expressed by librettist Charles Jennens' scriptural selections as well as Handel's musical treatment of the texts.
Originally designed as a listening Bible study, this book is also suitable for home devotional use. The perfect conversation starter, it will not remain on a coffee table or bookshelf for long. Illuminating an annual Christmas tradition, Messiah tells the whole story: the story of sin, the story of salvation, and the story of our Savior.
Released on March 6, 2012
Available as Hardcover
Handel's Messiah is a perennial favorite, perhaps the most well-known musical presentation of scripture texts in the English language. Mayer's illustrations invite us to reconsider those familiar texts in an inspiring and thought-provoking media. It may be that those who experience Messiah through these insightful images and Pittenger's Christ-centered commentary will never again hear these texts or listen to this music in quite the same way.
Excerpts
PART I
- Prelude / Sinfony
- Comfort ye, my people (Isaiah 40:1-3)
- Every valley shall be exalted (Isaiah 40:4)
- And the glory of the LORD (Isaiah 40:5)
- Thus saith the LORD of hosts (Haggai 2:6-7)
- The Lord, whom ye seek (Malachi 3:1)
- But who may abide (Malachi 3:2)
- And he shall purify (Malachi 3:3)
- Behold, a virgin shall conceive (Isaiah 7:14)
- O thou that tellest (Isaiah 40:9, Isaiah 60:1)
- For behold, darkness (Isaiah 60:2-3)
- The people that walked (Isaiah 9:2)
- For unto us (Isaiah 9:6)
- Pastoral symphony / Pifa
- There were shepherds (Luke 2:8)
- And lo, the angel (Luke 2:9)
- And the angel said (Luke 2:10-11)
- And suddenly (Luke 2:13)
- Glory to God (Luke 2:14)
- Rejoice greatly (Zechariah 9:9-10)
- Then shall the eyes (Isaiah 35:5-6)
- He shall feed his flock (Isaiah 40:11, Matthew 11:28-29)
- His yoke is easy (Matthew 11:30)
PART II
- Behold the Lamb of God (John 1:29)
- He was despised (Isaiah 53:3, Isaiah 50:6)
- Surely he hath borne (Isaiah 53:4-5)
- All we like sheep (Isaiah 53:6)
- All they that see him (Psalm 22:7)
- He trusted in God (Psalm 22:8)
- Thy rebuke hath broken (Psalm 69:20)
- Behold, and see (Lamentations 1:12)
- He was cut off (Isaiah 53:8)
- But thou didst not leave (Psalm 16:10)
- Lift up your heads (Psalm 24:7-10)
- Unto which of the angels (Hebrews 1:5)
- Let all the angels of God (Hebrews 1:6)
- Thou art gone up (Psalm 68:18)
- The Lord gave the word (Psalm 68:11)
- How beautiful are the feet (Romans 10:15)
- (Break forth into joy)
- Their sound is gone out (Romans 10:18)
- Why do the nations rage (Psalm 2:1-2)
- Let us break their bonds (Psalm 2:3)
- He that dwelleth in heaven (Psalm 2:4)
- Thou shalt break them (Psalm 2:9)
- Hallelujah (Revelation 19:6, 11:15, 19:16)
PART III
- I know that my Redeemer liveth (Job 19:25-26)
- Since by man came death (1 Corinthians 15:20-22)
- Behold, I tell you (1 Corinthians 15:51-52)
- The trumpet shall sound (1 Corinthians 15:52-53)
- Then shall be brought to pass (1 Corinthians 15:54)
- Death, where is thy sting (1 Corinthians 15:55-56)
- But thanks be to God (1 Corinthians 15:57)
- If God be for us (Romans 8:31, 33-34)
- Worthy is the Lamb (Revelation 5:12-13)
- Amen