December 11 - Messiah - Isaiah 35:5-6

December 11 - Messiah - Isaiah 35:5-6

Then shall the eyes of the blind be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb shall sing.

Handel had originally intended the oratorio to be performed during Lent, but in 1791, annual performances of the piece during Christmas became a tradition and in 1818, the Handel and Haydn society of Boston offered the first complete performance of Messiah on Christmas Day, beginning a tradition that still continues.

The fulfillment of this passage in Isaiah is found throughout the Gospels.  The King which Israel hoped for would also bring healing to her people.

Jesus healed a man who had been born blind in John 9:1-41.  The disciples asked Jesus if his blindness was because of a sin that either he or his parents had committed, but Jesus responded that none of that was true, but that this blindness would be proof of the work of God in his life.  He announced that He (Jesus) was the light of the world.  Blindness would be set aside as His light shone throughout the world, then he made some mud, placed it on the man’s eyes and told him to wash in the Pool of Siloam.  When the mud washed away, the man could see. Light had come to him.

In Mark 7:31-37, we read the story of a man who was deaf and because of that, could not speak clearly.  Jesus placed his fingers into the man’s ears and touched the man’s tongue. He looked up to heaven and said “Be opened!”  At this, the man’s ears were opened and his tongue was loosened and he could speak plainly.

The story of Jesus healing a paralytic at Capernaum is found in Matthew 9:2-8; Mark 2:1-12 and Luke 5:17-26.  Jesus was teaching in a home. There were many people who had come to hear him, including Pharisees and lawyers.  But, some young men had brought a friend who was paralyzed.  They couldn’t get through the crowd, so they carried him to the roof and pulled back the part of the roof where Jesus was. Then, they lowered their friend so he was right in front of Jesus. Jesus recognized the intensity of the faith of the friends and said to the paralyzed man, “Your sins are forgiven.” At that, the man stood and walked on his own.

Isaiah’s prophecy was fulfilled in Jesus Christ.  Let our hearts sing as one who was once dumb.