The Broad Shoulders of Christ
Introduction:
The prophet Isaiah has so many wonderful insights into the suffering of our Lord and the glory that follows.
Isaiah 53:4-6 KJV "Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all."
Bernard of Clairvaux is said to have asked the Lord once in prayer what His greatest unrecorded suffering was. He said that the Lord replied, "I had on My Shoulder, while I bore My Cross on the Way of Sorrows, a grievous Wound, which was more painful than the others, and which is not recorded by men."
There is a prayer that has been prayed by many seeking healing through the years that focuses on this wound of Christ's. It says:
O Loving Jesus, meek Lamb of God, I a miserable sinner, salute and worship the most Sacred Wound of Thy Shoulder on which Thou didst bear Thy heavy Cross, which so tore Thy flesh and laid bare Thy Bones as to inflict on Thee an anguish greater than any other wound of Thy Most Blessed Body. I adore Thee, O Jesus most sorrowful; I praise and glorify Thee, and give Thee thanks for this most sacred and painful Wound, beseeching Thee by that exceeding pain, and by the crushing burden of Thy heavy Cross to be merciful to me, a sinner, to forgive me all my big and little sins, and to lead me on towards Heaven along the Way of the Cross. Amen.
In another place Isaiah wrote a passage that we often read during the Christmas season:
Isaiah 9:6-7 KJV
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. 7 Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.
It was on our Lord's Shoulders that the cross was laid. He carried the weight of the world upon His Shoulders and I know that He will carry you. He Has Broad Shoulders.
Our Shoulders Speak:
Our shoulders speak. Wide muscular shoulders like those in the statue of David speak of strength and virility. Men's suit jackets have shoulder padding added to give us the "V" shape. Wide shoulders communicate power and dominance. Criminals tend to go after those without the "V" shape. One criminal said silverbacks don't go after silverbacks. The soldiers guarding the tomb of the unknown soldier have good posture. No slouching. They walk back and forth with their chests our and their shoulders straight to communicate that they are on duty. They are protecting and guarding. (See https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/spycatcher/201205/what-the-shoulders-say-about-us)
Our shoulders speak. Dancers roll their shoulders to indicate joy and to look seductive. The shoulders reveal the heart. To slump may be to be discouraged, lack confidence or interest. To shrug the shoulders can mean that we do not know or that we do not care.
Our shoulders speak. We talk about those who have a chip on their shoulder. We have all experienced someone giving us the "cold shoulder." When we are suspicious we find ourselves looking over our shoulders. We, like the apostle Paul, expect everyone to shoulder their own load. And are willing to put our shoulder under the load with them when they do.
Our shoulders speak. Some in superstition find themselves throwing spilled salt over their shoulder hoping to avoid bad luck. None of us arrive at success in any area of life alone. We find ourselves standing on the shoulders of those who have proceeded us! Our shoulders speak.
Some Scriptural Shoulders:
The first mention of the shoulder in Scripture is found in the story of Noah after the flood. Noah has found himself drunk and naked. His youngest son mocks him and makes fun. But his other two sons
"...Shem and Japheth took a garment, laid it on both their shoulders, and walked backward and covered the nakedness of their father. Their faces were turned backward, and they did not see their father’s nakedness." (Gen 9:23)
Love covers a multitude of sins. Our Precious Lord bearing the cross upon His Shoulder and hanging naked in shame upon the cross baring His Sacred Shoulder covers our shame. He does not want to expose your sin to anyone, He seeks love.
Abraham placed bread, water, and the child Ishmael on Hagar's shoulder as she went out into the wilderness (Gen 21:14). When the LORD found her in the wilderness he relieved her burden.
Rebecca was carrying her water jar on her shoulder when Abraham's servant met her at the well of destiny. She let her jar down and gave him a drink and his camels. She shouldered a load and was willing to serve others and she got more than she bargained for! (Gen 24:15) Jesus carried all the weight of all that humanity will ever need upon His Shoulder and He is letting down His Refreshing Jar today and inviting us to drink!
Job said he would wear his defense (a record of his righteous life) on his shoulder (Job 31:36). He wanted all to see. What He did not know is that the LORD did see and He has seen our suffering from the front row seat of the cross. You are not suffering alone. His Shoulder has felt the splinters of the Cross.
Isaiah mentions shoulders in our text. First, he mentions the shoulders of the nation of Judah.
Isaiah 9:4 (cf. 10:27; 14:25)
For thou hast broken the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, as in the day of Midian.
Psalm 81:6 says that the LORD relieved Israel's shoulder from the burden. One of Jesus's condemnations of the Pharisees of His day was that they laid heavy burdens on men's shoulders (Matt 23:4). He however is like the Shepherd who leaves the ninety-nine and searches for the one lost sheep and when He has found it lays it upon His Shoulder and rejoices (Luke 15:5)! His yoke is easy and His burden is light!
This One whose Shoulders are large enough to bear the weight of the world invites all who are weary to come to Him and take on His yoke and learn of Him. He is willing to Shoulder the load of life along with us! You have faced a heavy burden. The Lord is inviting you to unload.
Psalm 37:5 LSV
"Roll your way on YHWH, And trust on Him, and He works"
He is coming alongside you right now and inviting you to roll your burden over on His Broad Shoulders.
Isaiah 9:6 (Cf. 22:22)
And the government shall be upon His Shoulder...
Our shoulders are not wide enough to bear everything that life confronts us with. But, the message of Advent (Christmas) is that the Messiah's Shoulders are. Because they are broad enough to bear it all we can:
1. Resign From the Throne
We lose a lot of sleep worrying about things that it is impossible for us to change. Someone said that worry is interest paid on trouble that hasn't happened yet and may never happen.
Mark Twain quipped: “I've lived through some terrible things in my life, some of which actually happened."
A person at the equator is spinning at 1,660 kilometers per hour. The Earth is circling around the Sun at about 107,000 kilometers per hour. Our Solar System is rotating around the Milky Way galaxy at about 700,000 kilometers per hour. The galaxy is also traveling at huge speed away from every other galaxy as the universe continues to expand, although with vastly differing relative speeds depending on the distances of the galaxies from us. To give some indication, scientists have calculated that our galaxy is traveling at about 2.2 million kilometers per hour relative to the cosmic background radiation which pervades the universe. (See https://www.physicsoftheuniverse.com/how-fast-are-we-traveling-through space). It's enough to make you dizzy!
There are thousands of dangerous asteroids that miss us each year and we do not give it a second thought. There are some things that we do not even think about. We expect that there are some Shoulders that are larger than ours that can bear the weight of upholding the universe!
Because the government is upon His Shoulders, you can resign from your position as ruler of the universe. He is in control of the cosmos, from the macro to the micro! He knows the number of hairs on your head. He feeds the ravens that cry. Go ahead and resign. There is One God and you aren't Him.
2. Realize That He Is Enough
Isaiah 9:6 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.
The message of Advent (Christmas) is that we have an All-Sufficient Savior who is accessible. When Jacob fled from his brother Esau and found himself asleep on a stone pillow, he dreamed of a ladder whose top reached to heaven and saw an escalator carrying divine messengers up and down. At the top of the ladder was the LORD. When Jacob finally had to go home and face his brother, the LORD met him in Person and placed Himself into Jacob's grasp. At Christmas, JESUS came to us in an accessible way. He came as a baby. Vulnerable. And in the mystery of godliness, in that frail form dwelt all the fullness other the Divinity in a bodily form (Col 2:9). A Child born to us, A Son is given to us.
Everything that we need is in JESUS. He is:
Wonderful Counselor: His shoulders are large enough to bear whatever it is that you need to tell Him. He has the right advice for you no matter what the topic of discussion. You're carrying things you do not have to. Take it to the Lord and leave it there!
The Mighty God: He does not need any padding in His jacket. His Shoulders are large enough that they intimidate your enemies. He is a Warrior God.
The Everlasting Father: He is our Father. The Father of Eternity. He said if you have seen Me, you have seen the Father. I will not leave you, orphans, I will come to you! I will never leave you, nor forsake you. I and the children which God has given to Me. We are born of God, a God Who can carry us. He bore Israel on Eagle's Wings.
The Prince of Peace: His Shoulders are wide enough to handle your turmoil and brokenness. The chastisement of our peace was upon Him and by His Wounds, we are healed. Peace is Shalom. It means wholeness in every area of life. Beloved, I wish above all things that you may prosper and be in health even as your soul prospers (3 John 2). Our shoulders cannot bear the weight of getting it all right, but His can! He is the peace speaker! He can speak to your storms. He can calm them all!
Realize He is Enough. His Shoulders are Wide enough.
3. Regain Your Wonder
7 Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.
Jesus describes the kingdom of God as ever-increasing. Like a mustard seed planted in the ground that grows night and day while men sleep until it is a fruitful lodging-place for birds. Or like leaven that a woman placed in three measures of meal and let rise until the entire batch was leavened. It is like the Stone cut out without hands in Daniel's vision that smote the image of the nations of the world and then grew into a mountain that filled the whole earth.
The increase of His government and peace there shall be no end. The kingdom is already in us through water baptism into Christ (Gal 3:27) and the baptism of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38). We should live in ever-increasing peace. Not turmoil.
We need to regain the wonder of salvation.
When we first came to the LORD, we were so excited about how far we had come. That is not all there is!
We need to regain our wonder of the Incarnation, that God has come to us in Christ! That the Child born and the Son given is Wonderful Counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace!
We need to pray with David, "Lord, restore unto me the joy of your salvation." It has been a hard couple of years. This Christmas we need to regain the wonder of the truth of the Virginal Conception, of the sinless life of our Lord, of His Death, Burial, Descent to the Dead, His Resurrection, and Ascension!
We need to regain the newness of life in Him! Of the increase of what He bears on His Shoulders there shall be no end!
Would you give it to Him this morning? He can order it and establish it!
His Shoulders are broad enough.
Conclusion and exhortation
Would you determine this morning to resign from being the ruler of the world? You're not doing a great job at it. Jesus is Lord.
Would you realize that He is Enough? If you know JESUS, you know enough. Talk to Him right now and ask Him to help you this Advent season to Regain the Wonder of Who He is!
Let us pray.
