“Is Jesus still a man, and does it really make any difference if He is or isn’t?” I’ve had this conversation with a several friends this past week, and I want to say YES he IS, and that makes ALL the difference in the world!  If the whole incarnation was about nothing more than Jesus going to the cross to purchase forgiveness, then I suppose it really doesn’t matter.   The humanity of Jesus might easily be something he could shed like a suit of work clothes once the job was completed.  But if the incarnation goes beyond forgiveness to adoption, then the fact that there is still a man, (a divine God-man), sitting at the right hand of the Father means that you and I have a tangible human connection – a “brother” – within the eternal circle of the Trinity.

“That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” (John 3:6)  Jesus, being a Spirit from eternity past, had to be born of the flesh in order to become in every sense the God-man. In the same way, you and I, having been born of the flesh a few decades ago, must also be born of the Spirit in order to share that same amazing relationship He enjoys with his Father. (John 17:11 & 22)  Jesus is not only our Savior; he is our divine/human connection between the Triune God and mankind.  And that is crucially important if we are to delight in our place as God’s adopted sons and daughters. (See Ephesians 1:5 and Galatians 4:5)

How do we know Jesus is still a man?  The resurrected Jesus invited Thomas to feel the wounds in his hands. (John 20:27). He was hungry, asked for food, and ate it. (Luke 24:42).  He ascended into heaven as a man, (a glorified man, yet still a man), and the angel promised that He would return “in the same way you saw him go up into heaven.” (Acts 1:11)

Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormons and Gnostics of every sort reject this idea.  But more tragic still, the church has overlooked it to the point that many even wonder if it’s important at all.  And so we stop at forgiveness when we could be enjoying fellowship around the table of the Father, Son, and Spirit.  This Christmas I’m rejoicing not only because the Savior broke the curse of sin, but because his incarnation gives me a place at his table today.  I am no longer alone.

“God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children.” (Galatians 5:5)

Today I had a sweet opportunity to share my Kingdom stuff, (six hours worth), with a small group of missionary friends. It’s the first time I’ve had the chance to share the teaching in its entirety here in Sarajevo. And that in itself was a real gift

But even sweeter was a dream I had last night: I fell asleep thinking about the Trinity, and how so much of life reflects the stunning oneness in diversity that spoke the world into existence.

At 2:30 am I woke up with a string of ideas rumbling around so strongly in my heart that I had to get up and write them down: Human beings are a trinity of body, soul and spirit. Atoms a trinity of electron, neutron, proton. Family is a trinity of man, woman, child. Music a triune oneness of melody, harmony and rhythm. Musical harmony consists of three distinct tones played as one. All the colors of the spectrum flow from a trinity of three primary colors. Matter exists in a threeness of liquid, solid, and gas. Time is comprised of past, present and future. Creation is a trinity of animal, vegetable and mineral kingdoms. And we live in a three dimensional world of height, width depth. It’s no wonder the angels cry Holy! Holy! Holy!

Been thinking about Truth for the past several weeks.   For most of my life I’ve viewed Truth as something found in a series of propositions:  God is omnipotent, omniscient, almighty, merciful, etc.  Sometimes we build our fellowship around systems, concepts and ideas like “Baptist, Pentecostal, Evangelical”, etc., and we end the day separating into doctrinal puddles like oil in water.  

 But the Truth is a person (John 14:6), and it seems likely we’ll best discover Him in relationships.  That’s gotta be the reason why I get such a kick out of talking with my buddies at Aroma Underground about the mysteries of the Godhead.  The very act of sitting face-to-face in friendship reveals – in a small way – the relational nature of God.

Of the commandments, God instructed Israel to “…talk about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road…”   (Deut 11:19) “Wherever two or three of you are gathered in my name, there am I in your midst.”  (Matt. 18:20)   Don’t you see it?  A loving trinity of friendship is a thousand times better picture of Father, Son, and Spirit than pages and pages of theology.  If only we could catch hold of the notion that fellowship ought to be built around Jesus Himself rather than statements about a him, perhaps the world would begin to see the True Christ.

This week I’ve been taking notice of the way we humans experience wholeness through relationship. It’s popped up in movies, in conversations, in Emails, and just about everywhere I look. Relationship is the miracle balm that encircles our broken hearts and binds the fractured pieces of our lives together again.

It all goes back once more to the Father, Son, and Spirit, doesn’t it? The Triune God, the “One” who exists forever in the otherness of threeness created us in His image. Aloneness could never be natural because it is foreign to God himself. When we’re alone, we’re broken. It’s as simple as that. Solitary human hermits can never reflect the happy glory of a Trinity who laughs and dances together in joy.

“I have come to believe that the root of all our personal and emotional difficulties is a lack of togetherness, a failure to connect that keeps us from receiving life and prevents the life in us from spilling over onto others.” (Larry Crabb: Connecting)

It’s breaking my heart this week to see so many friends who are feeling disconnected, excluded, and abandoned. Even in the middle of writing this update I had a friend plop down and begin to pour her heart out about the pain of feeling alone. It seems to be everywhere I turn. If only we could believe, (REALLY believe), that Jesus has stepped into our freezing loneliness, broken down every wall of separation and adopted us into His Family, then maybe our healing would begin.

These two photos illustrate the power of relationship: in the first one, the premature twin on the left was struggling for her life in a separate incubator until a wise nurse moved them into a single incubator. When the frail baby’s sister put her arm around her, the weaker twin’s heart stabalized, and her temperature rose to normal.

The abandoned monkey in the second photo was close to death when it was rescued to an animal shelter in China. And even though it’s health began improving, the little monkey remained listless until he befriended a pigeon. From their “friendship” he drew a fresh lease on life.

What does this say about the stunning relational nature of the Trinity who created humans, monkeys and pigeons?  Would such a tender God, could such a tender God leave us as orphans?

Holy Father,
servant Son,
Spirit Teacher
Three in One

Embrace my heart,
eternal Grace;
Great God of love,
reveal your face.

Fearful soul,
backs away;
Bring me from
my hiding place.

Orphaned child,
lost, alone;
Adopt me as
Your very own.

A Father’s voice
I long to hear;
Whisper love
into my ear.

Where can I go?
Where can I flee?
from perfect Love,
Great Trinity?

Don Stephens 9/26/07 Budapest