For unto us a child is born , Unto us a Son is given : And the government will be upon His shoulder. And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (Is 9:6). This is one of the more popular prophecies of Christmas. The prophet Isaiah spoke of the mission of the Lord Jesus. Though Jesus was born in a humble manger in Bethlehem, His mission was a grand scale. “The government shall be upon His shoulder.” In ancient days, the government was regarded as a burden, to be borne on a back or shoulders, and was sometimes symbolised by a key laid upon the shoulder. Sometimes kings would also wear a cape on their shoulders to symbolise the burden of their office. Jesus did not wear a cape on His shoulders. On His shoulders rested the hope of the human race. He was the King Who brought God’s rule to us.
I. Christ carried our sins.
Isaiah later prophesied that were all like sheep that have gone astray, yet God laid our sins on the Messiah. The heavy burden of the shoulders of the human race was the burden of Adam and Eve’s sin. Their sin in the Garden of Eden infected all of us. It separated us from God and stood in the way of our relationship with Him. Jesus came to lift that heavy burden from our shoulders and carry it for us. He bore our sins and paid the price for our redemption. In carrying our sin, the Lord Jesus cleared everything that stood in the way of our relationship with God. Christ brought God’s kingdom; the government of God is also called the Kingdom of God. Many of the prophetic passages in the Old Testament saw Him as a conquering King Who would set up God’s rule over the nations. Although Christ is a King, He is the unusual King. Other kings set up their rule by conquering lands and people. Jesus does the opposite. He redeems people and lands. Christ begins by setting up His government in our hearts. Have you received God’s government in your hearts?
