Holy Week Meditations from Handel's Messiah

Thy rebuke hath broken His heart

Psalm 69:20

[Thy] rebuke hath broken [His] heart; [He is] full of heaviness. [He] looked for some to have pity [on Him], but there was none; neither found [He] any to comfort [Him].

Behold, and see if there be any sorrow

Lamentations 1:12

Behold, and see if there be any sorrow like unto [His] sorrow. . .

He was cut off out of the land of the living

Isaiah 53:8b

He was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of [Thy] people was He stricken.

But Thou didst not leave His soul in hell

Psalm 16:10 (Acts 2:27)

[But] Thou [didst] not leave [His] soul in hell; neither [didst] Thou suffer Thy Holy One to see corruption.

Lift up your heads, O ye gates

Psalm 24:7-10

Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of Glory shall come in.

Who is the King of Glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle.

Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of Glory shall come in.

Who is the King of Glory? The Lord of Hosts, He is the King of Glory.

This is a picture of the Golden (Mercy) Gate. It lies on the Eastern side of the Old City of Jerusalem and faces the Mount of Olives. According to the Jews, this is the gate spoken of in Psalm 24, through which Christ will return.

Related Tags: Messiah, Handel, Easter, scripture, The Mercy Gate, The Old City of Jerusalem, Mount of Olives