Some people have asked why the title of my book is The Stranger’s Conflict. The question centers around the idea of the word stranger in the title. The answer to that question is simple, profound, and woven throughout Scripture, though not always obvious.
Jesus: A Stranger in This World
The idea that you and I as believers in Jesus Christ are strangers in this world begins with the One in whom we trust for salvation. In his writings, the apostle John focused on the divine nature of Jesus. While the other gospel writers wrote about Jesus’ human birth and events surrounding His life and ministry in this world, John focused on the eternal and divine aspects of who Jesus is.
From the opening verses of his gospel, John sets a tone that flows throughout the book. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. All things were created through him, and apart from him not one thing was created that has been created,” John 1:1-3 CSB.
John makes it clear that he is sharing his testimony regarding his personal experience with the Creator of heaven and earth. In verse 14 he continues, “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. We observed his glory, the glory as the one and only Son from the father, full of grace and truth,” CSB. While Jesus was born human flesh, there is an aspect of His nature that is not of this world. He is not only human; He is also divine in essence and nature.
In Philippians 2:6-8, Paul wrote that Jesus set aside His divinity and took on the form of humanity. Having been born a human being, he became obedient to the father, even to the point of death. The One who existed from eternity past left the throne of His glory to enter the world to serve in humility and execute the plan of salvation for human beings. It was the plan that God had in mind since the foundations of the world were laid.
Jesus’ Kingdom is not of This World
Jesus was open about His origin and mission. In John chapter 6, Jesus fed 5,000 (certainly more when women and children are included) with a few loaves and fishes. Later, He spoke of Himself as the Bread from heaven. The people present that day were talking about the bread that Moses gave the Israelites as they wandered in the wilderness. But Jesus said He is the Bread from heaven that the Father gives to bring life. Just as the manna gave sustenance to the Israelites in the desert wilderness, Jesus provides sustenance for His followers in the wilderness of this world.
In John 8, Jesus was teaching in the Temple. As usual, the Jewish leaders were questioning Him and arguing with Him. At one point Jesus, said, “You are from below,” he told them, “I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world.,” verse 23 CSB. In one of His seven “I am” statements in the book of John, Jesus said, “I am the Light of the world,” John 8;12 CSB. The people were expecting a Messiah to deliver them from physical oppression. But Jesus came to bring them spiritual light and to save not only the Jewish people, but the world from sin and spiritual darkness.
On the final night Jesus spent with His disciples, He told them that since they had seen Him, they had seen the Father, John 14:9. In His discourse and prayer for His disciples that night, Jesus made it clear who He is. He is the fulfillment of Old Testament scriptures such as Psalm 2, which was recognized as a passage about the Messiah who would come to deliver Israel. Verse 7 quotes God as saying to Messiah, “You are my Son; today I have become your Father.” Messiah then was to be the Son of God.
In His prayer for the disciples on that last night He said, “They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I also have sent them into the world,” John 17:16-18 CSB.
As Jesus stood before Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea, Pilate asked Jesus if He was a king. Jesus’ reply was to say that His kingdom is not of this world, John 18:37. Clearly, Jesus is building a kingdom that this world does not understand, nor can it overcome it. Jesus’ kingdom will prevail.
Reading John’s gospel, we see how Jesus clearly declared His divinity, His equality with God. The Jewish leaders hated Him, rejected Him, and had Him crucified because of his claim. The Romans saw Him as just another Jewish rebel, though Pilate tried to release Him.
Citizenship in Heaven: The Believer’s Identity
Additional support for using the Stanger motif is found in Hebrews 11:13-16, where the writer states that the patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob) were living by faith. In fact, they did not see the promises given to them in this lifetime, but they were looking for a country that was not of this world. While they were in this world, they lived as “foreigners and strangers” (verse 13 NIV). Because they trusted in the Creator of heaven and earth, those who lived by faith in the Old Testament were considered foreigners here as well.
Peter wrote something similar when he addressed his readers as “strangers and pilgrims,” 1 Peter 2:11 KJV. Other versions use terms such as exiles, foreigners, pilgrims, or sojourners. It is clear from the context that Peter is referring to followers of Jesus being out of place in this world. We are not to be like those who do not know Jesus. We are to live by different standards.
In Romans 12:1-3, Paul wrote that followers of Jesus-citizens of Christ’s heavenly kingdom-should present their physical bodies to God and not be conformed to the ways of this present world. We are to be transformed from living the way the world lives by the renewing of our minds. In doing this, we will not only understand God’s will for our lives, but we will be pleasing to Him. Our entire lives will be an act of worship to the One who created and saved us.
The Perfect Stranger, Jesus, has given to us a citizenship that transforms us from simple worldly people into those who belong to Him. As such, He calls us ambassadors of His kingdom (2 Corinthians 5:20); the kingdom that He proclaimed before Pilate that is not of this world.
Paul captures this idea when he says that through faith in Jesus Christ, we have become citizens of heaven. As he discusses how we should be working toward attaining the goal of living for Christ, he contrasts the worldly individual with the believer in Christ. He compares the worldly person with the believer as having a citizenship in heaven, Philippians 3:20-21 CSB. It is this citizenship in heaven that gives us a worldly distinctive.
As those who have received God’s Holy Spirit through faith in Jesus Christ, we are foreigners in this world system. The spirit of the world, who drives many people who do not believe in Jesus, hates the Spirit of God within us. Jesus stated that the world hated Him and would therefore hate His followers because He would be in them, John 15:18. So, like it did with Jesus, the world will frequently show hatred towards us just by the very fact that we love Jesus and are intent on following Him. In Western culture that hatred is not always overt, though we are seeing more overt hatred expressed in recent years. Frequently, the hatred the world has for Christ is expressed by assigning labels to people who do not buy into worldly philosophies or ways of living life. Another way that hatred is expressed is through subtle exclusion from events or attempting to shame people for having a different world view.
Conclusion: Our Identity as Strangers and Aliens
The answer then as to why I use the stranger motif in my writings is based on the simple truth that though Jesus was with God and was God and made everything that was made. When He came to earth in human form, He was viewed and treated as a stranger, an alien, and He was rejected by His own people. By faith in Him, we too have become those who are not of this world, but have been transformed and continually are being transformed, by the work of His Spirit within us. Because we identify with Christ, we are now also strangers and aliens in this life. We long for the revelation of His kingdom on earth and wait with eager expectation for a country where God is acknowledged and reigns in perfect righteousness. Maranatha!
Check out my book, The Stranger’s Conflict on Amazon at: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DSFZNSN6/