Each of the Gospel writers begin telling the story of Jesus in different ways. Mark, whose account we are reading this year, skips the normal birth narrative altogether. The only birth that is described in Mark’s Gospel is the watery birth of baptism. Matthew, Luke, and John also have their different approaches to the beginning of the story of Jesus.

When George Frederick Handel begins his telling of the “Messiah” story, he also begins the story in a unique way. After the instrumental introduction, Handel has a tenor step forward and slowly, clearly sing Isaiah 40.

Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God.

Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her,

that her warfare is accomplished,

that her iniquity is pardoned:

for she hath received of the LORD's hand double for all her sins.

(Click Here for a Video of the Tenor Aria)

The tenor doesn’t rush through this verse, he dwells pointedly on that first word. Comfort. Before the music allows us to move on, we hear the word comfort no fewer than six times.

Our culture, given the choice, would start and end it with the Hallelujah Chorus (Handel does neither), because we always want to skip to Hallelujahs. But Handel and the Church understand what God’s people often need, especially when we’re in exile, is comfort.

We are in need of comfort these days, for so much of what we’re experiencing is so un-comfortable. And on the Second Sunday in Advent that is exactly what the prophet brings to us:

A God who offers comfort.

A shepherd who tends and feeds his flock.

A shepherd who will gather his lambs into his arms.

And will place them on his lap.

And will gently guide us.