The Road to Bethlehem: The Government On His Shoulders

Yesterday, we read about how it was prophesied that the Messiah would be a son. Today, we'll look at the next phrase in the prophecy: "the government will be on his shoulders."

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 9:6

Here in Virginia, the governor is the one person of whom it can be said that the government is on his shoulders. There is no higher authority in Virgina than the governor. In the United States, the President holds that distinction. There is no one person who has greater authority for the running of the United States than does the President. In Isaiah 9, we read that the Messiah has the government on his shoulders.

• What are some of the implications of the government being on the Messiah's shoulders?
• He has authority. You can't run a government if you don't have any authority. Jesus says in Matthew 28:18 "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me." Jesus has authority. He is in charge.
• He is over all the earth. Jesus doesn't just have the government of one part of the earth on His shoulders, he has it all. As we just saw "all authority in heaven and on earth" was given to Jesus. There is nowhere on Earth where He is not in charge.
• He is involved with our daily lives. The world is not like a wind-up toy that you wind up and let go and then watch what it does. The world is more like our electric Polar Express train. It only runs when you are running it. As Jesus is running the world, He is daily running it. Every day, He is a part of it. If He weren't, the world wouldn't run.
• He has our best interests at heart. In America, if the country didn't feel that the President had their best interests at heart, he wouldn't get reelected. We know that Jesus has our best interests at heart because we know that He came to save us from our sin and to bring us close to God.
• In Pinky and the Brain, the Brain is always trying to take over the world. Does it ever work for him? No
• Is the Brain truly capable of running the world? No
• Is Jesus capable of running the world? Yes, of course He is
• Who would you rather run the world? The Brain or Jesus? Why?