Beloved friends, we welcome you to the broadcast of God's precious word. We greet you in the worthy name of our Lord Jesus as we read the prophetic word foretelling the birth of Christ from the prophecy of Isaiah chapter nine, verse six. We read the word saying, For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder. And his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. May God bless the reading of this wonderful verse from the Holy Bible. Many years before, the prophecies of the Old Testament pointed to the coming of the Messiah, the King of Israel. and some of the greatest scriptures foretold his coming birth. In Isaiah chapter seven and verse fourteen, for instance, the prophet previously declared, Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Emmanuel, which means God with us. But in Isaiah chapter nine and verse six, The Spirit of God enlightens our hearts much more greatly in regard to the birth of Christ, with words of eternal truth regarding his blessed person and the wonderful attributes belonging to him. So may we, by the help of the Holy Spirit, meditate prayerfully and profitably on the text of Isaiah chapter nine and verse six. The only words plainly declare to us, the incarnation of Christ and its perfect humanity. We read the opening words, For unto us a child is born. Now let us realize that the blessed Babel was born in Bethlehem, becoming flesh and blood, which he had never been before, became very human. as the Apostle Paul has well written in Romans eight and verse three. He came and he was made in the likeness of sinful flesh, with a body like ours, but never sinful. But in our text the next words emphasize to us his great deity, his blessed Godhead, saying unto us a son is given. The Son is given. Do, does not this prove the words of John chapter three and verse sixteen, confirming the words of our blessed Savior when he was here upon the earth, and saying to us, For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. How precious are the words also of Romans eight in verse thirty two. He that spared not his own son, but delivered him up for us all. How shall he not then with him freely give us all things? Surely we know that it was on the cross of Calvary that God gave the Lord Jesus to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. So we would correlate together. The Lord was made both human as well as retaining his deity when he was born in the stable at Bethlehem. But then the next words of our text declare very plainly the purpose of his birth to be the king of Israel, nay greater still, to be the king of the whole world. For we read the words saying, The government shall be upon his shoulder. Now if you study the preceding words of this chapter in Isaiah and the following words, following our text, you cannot help but fail to notice, it refers in particular to the coming and the glorious kingdom. of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Messiah of Israel, over all the earth. He was born to be a king. Yes, it is true. He was rejected by both Gentiles and his earthly people, Israel. But he was born to be a king. Praise God that he will be someday. Shall we not listen to the wise men? when they asked the first question that is recorded in the New Testament when they came to Jerusalem from the Far East, saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? Also listen to the words of Pilate the Governor, when trying the Lord Jesus before sentencing him to death. As Jesus stood before the Governor, the Governor asked him, art thou the king of the Jews? And Jesus said unto him, Thou saith it, meaning, that's right, I am. Read the Gospel of Matthew chapter twenty-seven, and verse thirty-seven particularly, and you will read that upon the cross they said over his head this accusation, this is Jesus, The King of the Jews. There still are the words of Gabriel to Mary, found in Luke chapter one, verses one through thirty-three. Thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great. He shall be called the Son of the highest. and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David, and he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there shall be no end. My beloved listener, take in the truth, the one who was born at Bethlehem, the one who was cradled in that manger in the stable, was the divinely appointed king. And Isaiah properly is written in our text, the government, the rulership, not only of Israel, but of the whole world, the government of the world shall be upon his shoulder. Would you know particularly, and very especially, that the government is to be placed upon one shoulder. The government shall be upon his shoulder. It is not written in the plural. Shoulders. The government shall be upon his shoulder. But may I remind my beloved fellow believer as well as any unbeliever When we read in the Gospel of Luke chapter fifteen that blessed parable of the good shepherd, when this blessed shepherd finds one lost sheep, he carries it home on both of his shoulders, rejoicing and saying, Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost. We read that in Luke chapter fifteen, verses five and six. But may I point out the precious contrast? With one shoulder will he maintain in righteousness and peace his world government in the day of his coming power and glory. Now let me ask my beloved fellow hearers and listeners the question. May I ask, have he found you? Is he carrying you upon his shoulders rejoicing? For this one who is the Savior of sinners, who said upon the earth, The Son of man is come to seek and to say that which was lost. That was the ultimate purpose for which he was born at Bethlehem. Yes, my beloved, let me state from the prophecy of Isaiah. He will be the rightful, glorious, righteous king over all the earth, the government of the earth, not just one nation, but the government of all the earth will be upon his shoulder. But, oh, I rejoice to know that the night he saved my precious soul when I came to the Lord Jesus as a poor, lost, guilty sinner. the lost sheep for whom he had been seeking. When he had found me, he placed me upon his shoulders to take me home rejoicing. My beloved, that is why the Savior came. Oh, forget not, as you may be celebrating the time of his birth, forget not why he came. Well, did the Apostle Paul write, Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. But may I remind you from Isaiah's precious word, that same babe of Bethlehem has been appointed to be the king over all the earth. Oh, what a royal baby was. Royalty there was greater, and is greater, than all the royalty of earth, born to be a king. Yes, he has not reigned as the King has yet, but he will, and he's coming soon. But in the meantime, the joy of knowing that I can say, Jesus, my Savior, to Bethlehem, came, born in an angel, midst sorrow and shame. Oh, it is wonderful, blessed be his name, seeking for me, for me. My beloved, will you not worship that blessed person whom we remember as coming to be born at Bethlehem? And so he came into this world, born in a manger, a stranger to the earth. But he came to save my precious soul. Oh, my beloved radio friend, as you may remember that he came, God grant you will understand why he came, and that to save your soul and to save mine. Well, I remind you that the beginning of his birth was but the beginning of his travel to Calvary's cross to save you and me by the shedding of his own precious blood. And yet this is the one Isaiah says, the government of the world will be upon his shoulder in the coming day. Oh, my beloved radio friends, let us pray that the Lord may be known by you and me as our Savior today. In his precious and worthy name we ask it. Amen.