"messiah" tells the story of christ. it is divided into three parts. part one tells of the coming and the birth of christ. part two is about his death on the cross, and his ascension into heaven, and part iii concentrates on paul's teaching of the resurrection of the dead and christ's glorification in heaven. handel usually performed his oratorios in theatres, not in churches, and his audience went as a change from going to the opera. they did not go for religious worship.