⁶ 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.
⁷ Of the greatness of his government and peace
    there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne
    and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
    with justice and righteousness
    from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the Lord Almighty
    will accomplish this.
(Isaiah 9:6-7 NIV, emphasis mine)

Isaiah continues his prophecy, describing Messiah first as a child (taking on flesh and blood, just like us) then to a son (the Son of God) and now ruler (King of Kings and Lord of Lords).

When Isaiah speaks of the burden of government on Messiah’s shoulders, he was looking back and looking forward:

For as in the day of Midian’s defeat,
    you have shattered
the yoke that burdens them,
    the bar across their shoulders,
    the rod of their oppressor.
(Isaiah 9:4 NIV)

Isaiah remembered back when God defeated the Midianites (Judges chapter 7), and freed the Israelites from their oppressors.  Isaiah looked forward to the day when God would establish His eternal kingdom with Messiah as its King.

And what about Jesus?  Did He embrace His prophecy as Messiah, His rule over all creation, and accept responsibility for the burden of rule over all?  Let’s permit Jesus to speak for Himself:

¹⁶ Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. ¹⁷ When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. ¹⁸ Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
(Matthew 28:16-18 NIV)

Just as God defeated the Midianites and broke their rule over the Israelites, so has Jesus broken the power and rule of sin and death (eternal separation from God) over us through His death and bodily resurrection.

So as our Eternal Commander-In-Chief, King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, what does He say to us?  Once again, let’s allow Jesus to finish speaking:

¹⁹ Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
(Matthew 28:19-20 NIV)

We now have the honor and privilege of sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ with the world.  The promise kept, and yet to come.

May peace rule in your hearts today, along with thanksgiving and worship of the One who made all this possible.  He empowered us to be part of His plan to show love to a hurting world in desperate need of hope.  May we see with His eyes and hear with His ears and have the courage to share freely what we have experienced in Christ.

Blessings,
~kevin