On Easter Day we sing “Alleluia”, as our song of joy in the light of Christ’s victory over death. Today also, the Feast of the Ascension, we sing “Alleluia”, just as much so, and maybe even more, as Christ takes his place forever in the glory of his Father.
What Christ accomplished today he accomplished on behalf of us. He entered heaven in his sacred humanity, in order to prepare a place for us to follow. So what we celebrate today - his triumph, his victory, his glory - is also our own triumph, and victory, and glory. Today we celebrate the definitive enthronement of goodness, love, truth, holiness, mercy, forgiveness - permanently victorious over their opposites - for ever and ever.
Last Saturday here we had a performance of Handel’s Messiah. Everyone present was I think extremely happy with it all. The famous Halleluia chorus was a high point: surely capturing something of the power of today’s Feast. It’s an unforgettable moment in this most loved of all Oratorios. So moving is this Chorus, so magnificent, with such power to thrill us, or stir us to the depths, that traditionally the whole audience stands for it.
We Christians sing Halleluia, because in Christ the story of human history reaches its definitively happy ending. If that weren’t true, no one would ever have dared to invent it, or to believe it. But it is true!
To flesh out his Chorus, Handel wove into it three New Testament texts.
First, from the Nineteenth Chapter of the Apocalypse: For the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth, Halleluia! (19:6)
Previously the Oratorio had set selected scriptural texts to show how Christ’s power was expressed in weakness, above all in his bitter Passion and death. Those of us who know the score well cannot ever hear these texts from Isaiah without also hearing Handel’s music:
The Alto Aria: He was despiséd and rejected of men; a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.... He hid not his face from shame and spitting...
Then a full Chorus: He was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace was upon him. And with his stripes we are healed.
Then a Tenor solo: Behold and see if there is any sorrow like unto his sorrow...
But now Christ’s power precisely over sin, death and the devil is, as it were, publicly manifested in glory, and the only possible response to that is the repeated and full voiced cry of Halleluia!
The second text for the Halleluia Chorus is from the Eleventh Chapter of the Apocalypse: The Kingdom of this world is become the Kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign for ever and ever, Halleluia! (Apoc 11:15).
The Kingdom of Satan is overthrown. The Kingdom of Caesar also is overthrown. All worldly corruption, all worldly tyranny, all worldly power is ultimately overthrown. These things last indeed for a day, but then only Christ’s Kingdom is left in eternal possession. His is a Kingdom of righteousness and peace, a Kingdom of perfect freedom, perfect communion, and perfect joy: God’s Kingdom; our Kingdom, for ever. Halleluia!
Then finally, a text from St. Paul’s First Letter to Timothy: King of Kings, and Lord of Lords (6:15). The repeated musical phrases, with their rhythm of punched out monosyllables, and ever rising pitch, help us savour these words, and let their enormous impact sink in. King of Kings, and Lord of Lords - for ever and ever, Halleluia! This text could be a good one for our meditation today. We reflect on Christ’s eternal Kingship with tears of joy and thanksgiving. Because: in Jesus Christ, and in his reign, we find all our worries and anxieties cleared away; all our best hopes and aspirations fulfilled, and superabundantly more than fulfilled.
So we sing, as we should, and repeatedly, and especially today: Halleluia, Halleluia, Amen, Amen!