Good Morning Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
Every year at Christmas, there will be many messages preached and many teachings about the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, the Son of God and the Son of man. For many years, from my youth up, Isaiah 9:6 a prophetic scripture about the birth of Christ, was always read and spoken to in the messages. There is a part of the verse that reads, “and the government shall be upon His shoulder…” We heard everything about the “government” being the world system, the Romans, the Jews, Satan, others, those that would persecute Jesus, etc.
Isaiah 9:6
6 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, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
And, for many years, I believed what I heard. Well, I’m here today to tell you if you’ve been taught this, it is absolutely and completely false and wrong. It couldn’t be further from the Truth. Let’s examine and learn of the Truth of this verse. Once you receive the Truth, it will change your thinking, decreeing, and receiving. For me, when I learned this, so many verses made sense and I had a newfound power in my thinking, decreeing, and receiving.
Let’s start by turning the page to Isaiah 10:27. Isaiah 10:27 is a prophetic scripture about the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. But, it speaks to the effects of Jesus’ death and resurrection.
Isaiah 10:27
And it shall come to pass in that day, that his [Satan] burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder, and his [Satan] yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing.
We must understand prior to the birth, and death and resurrection, of Jesus Christ, Satan was the god of this world. He had taken the rightful ownership and title of god of this earth from Adam and Eve in the Fall in the Garden. As a result of the Fall, Satan’s government replaced God’s government in the earth. What do we mean by government? Simply, the laws by which we operate to achieve results.
God is the Creator. Everything good and perfect was created by God. God is the Father of life and blessing. Satan is the god of death and cursing. Satan CANNOT create anything. If he could, he would be a god of life and blessing. Satan can only take something good and perfect from God and pervert it.
When Satan became god of this world, his yoke and burden fell upon the shoulders of man. Man was now burdened with death and with the curses and the results of the curses. A yoke is a piece of equipment used to tie animals together to perform a common action such as plowing a field or pulling a wagon. The animal is pulling or shouldering a burden in its labor to pull whatever it’s tied to, whether a plow or a wagon. Man was now yoked to Satan upon his birth and had to bear the burden of sin, death, and curses in the earth.
Isaiah 10:27 tells us the great and wonderful news that upon the birth of Jesus and His death and resurrection, mankind would be released from Satan’s yoke, from his burden. And, it goes further to say when Jesus was anointed, the yoke would be destroyed. Jesus was anointed by the Holy Spirit when He was baptized by John the Baptist and the power of the Holy Spirit filled Him. Once Jesus was anointed, His ministry of what is referred to as “miracles” began. What did He do in His ministry? He reversed all the death and curses of Satan, god of this world. He raised the dead, healed the sick and infirmed, cast out demons, oppression, and terror, taught the poor how to become rich spiritually which led to riches materially and physically, controlled the atmosphere, forgave sin, destroyed the yoke and burden of Satan just as Isaiah 10:27 prophesized.
Now, let’s turn to Matthew 11:28-30.
Matthew 11:28-30
28 Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
29 Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
30 For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.
What awesome Words from our King and Lord. Jesus is referencing, indirectly, Isaiah 10:27. Jesus says, “all of you that are under the yoke and burden of Satan, come unto Me, and I will give you rest. Let’s replace Satan’s yoke and burden with My yoke and burden. I’m willing to share Mine with you. I’m willing to share My inheritance with you. I love you. I want you to rest as I said in Psalm 23, in the green pastures, by the calm, still waters, with only abundance in everything for you. My yoke is easy, My burden is light because I bear it for you. I’ve already done the plowing, the pulling, the heavy labor. You are only to rest in what I, Jesus, have already done because I Iove you so much.”
Just writing the words above fills my heart with overwhelming thanks for my Father and my Brother. We were created to be winners, all the time.
Now, where does a yoke reside when placed on animals? Yes, on the shoulders. Where was the government going to reside on Jesus in Isaiah 9:6? Yes, on the shoulder.
The “government” spoken of in Isaiah 9:6 is the “Kingdom of God.” Remember, there is the Kingdom of Heaven, which is a place. The Kingdom of God is the government. Where is the Kingdom of God located?
Luke 17:21
Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.
Jesus tells us in Luke 17:21 the Kingdom of God is in our spiritual hearts. It is God’s laws of government operating in us. Spiritual laws such as the Law of Faith (Romans 3:27), Law of Confession (Joshua 1:8), Law of Sowing and Reaping (II Corinthians 9:6), etc. It is how we operate the Word of God to achieve Jesus’ results on this earth.
What did Jesus come to do in His time on earth?
Mark 1:14:15
14 Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the Kingdom of God,
15 And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.
Jesus came to show Believers how to operate as Adam and Eve operated before the Fall – in the Kingdom of God. Faith was a sixth sense to Adam and Eve. It was lost in the Fall, and all they retained were their earthly senses. Before the Fall, they operated easily and naturally in faith. Jesus is the example to us. Every result Jesus achieved on this earth, we can achieve – and greater (John 14:12). Not because we’re greater; but because we have the “Greater One” in us.
What did Jesus command us to do? The first thing we’re to do every single day is “seek the Kingdom of God and His righteousness.” Where do we seek the Kingdom of God? Yes, in God’s Word. God’s Word tells us about the Kingdom of God and how to operate in it to achieve the results of Jesus and greater results.
Matthew 6:33
But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
What did Jesus say would happen if we seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness every day? YES!! “All the things of life you need AND desire shall be added unto you.”
So, in closing, the yoke Jesus speaks of is the Kingdom of God. Jesus commands us to be yoked with the Kingdom of God, to learn of Him, and to carry His burden which is light. What is the burden of Christ that you carry? You find it in Revelation 5:12: power, wisdom, riches, strength, honor, glory, and blessing. I think I’ll carry Christ’s burden. What about you?
Walk with the heart of a lamb and the belief of a lion.
In Christ,
Larry