Messiah (HWV 56), the English-language oratorio composed by George Frideric Handel in 1741, is structured in three parts, listed here in tables for their musical setting and biblical sources. Oratorio The libretto by Charles Jennens is drawn from the Bible: mostly from the Old Testament of the King James Bible, but with several psalms taken from the Book of Common Prayer. Regarding the text, Jennens commented: "...the Subject excells every other Subject. The Subject is Messiah ...". Messiah differs from Handel's other oratorios in that it does not contain an encompassing narrative, instead offering contemplation on different aspects of the Christian Messiah: Structure and concept The oratorio's structure follows the liturgical year: Part I corresponding with Advent, Christmas, and the life of Jesus; Part II with Lent, Easter, the Ascension, and Pentecost; and Part III with the end of the church year—dealing with the end of time. The birth and death of Jesus are told in the words of the prophet Isaiah, the most prominent source for the libretto. The only true "scene" of the oratorio is the annunciation to the shepherds which is taken from the Gospel of Luke. The imagery of shepherd and lamb features prominently in many movements, for example: in the aria "He shall feed His flock like a shepherd" (the only extended piece to talk about the Messiah on earth), in the opening of Part II ("Behold the Lamb of God"), in the chorus "All we like sheep", and in the closing chorus of the work ("Worthy is the Lamb"). Scenes The librettist arranged his compilation in "scenes", each concentrating on a topic. Part I "The prophecy and realisation of God's plan to redeem mankind by the coming of the Messiah" Scene 1: "Isaiah's prophecy of salvation" (movements 2–4) Scene 2: "The prophecy of the coming of Messiah and the question, despite (1), of what this may portend for the World" (movements 5–7) Scene 3: "The prophecy of the Virgin Birth" (movements 8–12) Scene 4: "The appearance of the Angels to the Shepherds" (movements 13–17) Scene 5: "Christ's redemptive miracles on earth" (movements 18–21) Part II "The accomplishment of redemption by the sacrifice of Christ, mankind's rejection of God's offer, and mankind's utter defeat when trying to oppose the power of the Almighty" Scene 1: "The redemptive sacrifice, the scourging and the agony on the cross" (movements 22–30) Scene 2: "His sacrificial death, His passage