Jesus the dual national: An Easter message
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. All things came into being by Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being…in Him was LIFE… And the Word became flesh and we saw His glory…” Gospel of John, chapter 1 (NASB)
Easter Greetings to one and all!
It is a delight for me to share my heart with you this Easter. I’ve got some important news to share below too. It is a wonderful season for us to rejoice and be glad. As St.Augustine once said, we are a Alleluia people!
While contemplating the wonders of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, our King, I‘ve also been meditating on His incarnation. Sometimes I forget just how mysterious and glorious it is that God became a human being! Imagine!!
Here’s an illustration our ISAAC family understands. Together we are over 1,000 people who come from over 100 nations! Many of you speak several languages and hold more than one passport.
It’s impossible for us to know what it felt like for Jesus to be the Son of God and a human being at the same time. Perhaps we can begin to understand if we think of a person who has two nationalities and lives in two different cultures.
People who have double citizenship sometimes think, speak, and act in one language and sometimes in another without realizing they have switched. Many of our ISAAC friends will be thinking in Arabic or Chinese or Russian, even seeing these letters in their minds, while they are speaking in English. Amazing!
For Jesus it was natural to operate at times in His human nature and at other times in His divine nature. He could switch back and forth seamlessly with an internal consistency and knowing that set Him apart from all others. His divine nature was not limited or confined in any way!
Jesus clearly did this in Luke chapter 10: 1 – 24. Enjoy this passage and see how thrilled He was that everyday human beings were experiencing the unfolding Plan of Heaven!
Imagine if you can: From heaven He willed to descend into our earth realm, to be born in a virgin’s womb, to go about the earth doing supernatural deeds, to hang upon the cross, to conquer the great enemies of the human race (sin, Satan, the curse, death and the grave), to burst forth from the tomb in a glorified body, to spend time caring for His earthly followers, and then, to ascend victoriously to heaven. The tomb could not hold him!
You and I have two passports! We move across earthly borders with over 100 earthly passports but the source of our joyful fellowship and the love we share comes from knowing each other as fellow citizens of the Kingdom of God. It is a mystery that Jesus lives in us and fills our hearts with His supernatural compassion to truly care for people suffering in the bondage of addiction. We know the reality of His transforming power!
My Easter prayer is that we may grow in our love for God and for one another. May we proclaim with great joy, the mystery of our faith: Alleluia, Alleluia, Christ Our Lord is Risen! He is Risen indeed!
I also have some great ISAAC family news: Our dear friend and colleague Tom Bremer will be stepping into the role of President of ISAAC this spring! Tom and his wife Terry live in Portugal where he serves as the Director of European Teen Challenge. Many of us know and admire Tom for his wisdom, grace and generosity of spirit. You will be hearing more from Tom and Treflyn in the days ahead.
Since our first ISAAC Asia conference in Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia in 2010, I have been delighted to serve as your President and meet so many of you face to face! It’s been an honor to represent our fellowship the last eight years – across six continents, in churches and ministries, in rehabs, at professional gatherings, and at the United Nations. But best of all, is when we come together and marvel at what the Lord has done across the globe through our wonderful ISAAC family! Bravo!!
With deep love and affection,
Dr. Jean LaCour