HOLY TRINITY SUNDAY
"This is the day the LORD hath made, let us rejoice and be glad in it."
Proverbs 8:22-31
Romans 5:15
John 16:12-15*
Psalm 8
A triangle together with three interlocking circles. A three-leaf
clover. The root, trunk, and braches of a tree. Those are some of the
ways Christians have pictured the Holy Trinity.
Many object that the word Trinity is not in the Bible. The triune God,
one God in three persons certainly is in the Bible. God is one in Deut.
6:4, "hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one" In Matthew
28:19 we hear God is three, "baptize them in the name of the Father and
of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."
How one can be three and three can be one is a mystery. We cannot fully
understand it. In faith we simply take God at His word and believe what
He says about himself. In today's text from John, Jesus has spoken of
the intricate relationship of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Jesus is
going away, but . . .
HOLY TRINITY SUNDAY
"This is the day the LORD hath made, let us rejoice and be glad in it."
Proverbs 8:22-31
Romans 5:15
John 16:12-15*
Psalm 8
A triangle together with three interlocking circles. A three-leaf clover. The root, trunk, and braches of a tree. Those are some of the ways Christians have pictured the Holy Trinity.
Many object that the word Trinity is not in the Bible. The triune God, one God in three persons certainly is in the Bible. God is one in Deut. 6:4, "hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one" In Matthew 28:19 we hear God is three, "baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."
How one can be three and three can be one is a mystery. We cannot fully understand it. In faith we simply take God at His word and believe what He says about himself. In today's text from John Jesus has spoken of the intricate relationship of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Jesus is going away, but the Spirit will come. Everything that belongs to the Father belongs also to Him. The Spirit takes from what is Jesus' and makes it known to us. How exactly does all this work? We admit this is a mystery. In heaven we will understand. But for now we simply have to trust and marvel at the blessings we have by the work of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
Praise God the Father who loved us and chose us in Christ before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight. Praise God the Holy Spirit who loved us and gave us spiritual rebirth.
No matter how we might try to picture the triune God, we must admit this teaching is a mystery. But His gifts of saving love, forgiveness, and eternal life are clear and lead us to proclaim, "Praise Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Christian friends, we need the triune God. We desperately need the love of God the Father and we are lost without the grace of our LORD Jesus Christ.
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
O Thou blessed Trinity;
One in essence, yet three persons
Thou, our God, we worship Thee..
PRAY - Almighty and everlasting God, since You have given us, Your servants, grace to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity by the confession of a true faith and to worship the true Unity in the power of Your divine majesty, keep us also steadfast in this true faith and worship, and defend us ever from all our adversaries; for You, O Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, live and reign, one God, now and forever. Amen