Matthew 3:13-17 | Behold the Triune God

Today we are going to address the doctrine of the Trinity. Behold our Triune God.

“[The doctrine of the Trinity] confronts us with perhaps the most difficult thought that the human mind has ever been asked to handle.” J.I. Packer

Challenge: Finite minds trying to comprehend an infinitely perfect God

Illustrations:

This morning was -16 (-37 windchill) in Morris, MN. Meanwhile back home 74 (74 windchill). That’s a 90 (110) difference in temperature.

Aunt: “I noticed you come to visit us in January or February. Why is that?”

Me: “It’s very cold where I live in Minnesota. The temperature in our refrigerator freezer is warmer than it is back home.”

Aunt: “How is that even humanly possible? How can people survive in such weather?”

In her mind, there was no category for such thing.

the doctrine of the Trinity can evoke the same reaction, “how’s that even possible?”

Trinity: One God in three persons (trinity, “tri-unity”)

How can God be 3 and 1 at the same time?

Let’s read one of the many passages that mention the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Read Matthew 3:13–17 “13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. 14 John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” 15 But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. 16 And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; 17 and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.””

Pray!

Insights from Church History

Throughout church history, many people have attempted to explain the relationship between the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Sadly, many of them turned into erroneous teachings such as

Modalism: The belief that “one person” appears to us in three different modes throughout the Bible. In this view, the appearance of the three persons is merely three modes of existence of the one God. For instance, God reveals himself as Father when he is creating and giving the law, as Son in redemption, and as Spirit in the church age

Think superman going into telephone booth:

The Father puts on his Jesus outfit and comes to earth

Jesus goes up to heaven and puts on his Holy Spirit outfit and comes to earth.

Explanation and Scriptural basis

Definition: There is only one God who eternally exists as three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and each person is fully God.

This definition affirms three essential truths:

(1) There is only one God

(2) God eternally exists as three persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

(3) Each person is fully God.

[Graphic] TRINITY

(1) There is only one God

Scripture is very firm on this reality. When you look at the OT you will discover that the nations that surrounded Israel (monotheist) believed in many gods (polytheistic). These nations believed that different gods were responsible for different regions of the world. You were taught to be aware when you passed from one area controlled by a certain god to an area controlled by another god.

The beginning of the book of Genesis is extremely important in light of the different religions surrounding the nation of Israel. The opening line of the Bible reads, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” (Gen 1:1)

This passage reveals three fundamental things:

(1) There is only one God

(2) who created the universe

(3) and therefore, he alone has rightful rulership over everything that exists. God is both creator and Lord. He not only created everything that is, but he rules over all he has made.

Illustration:

In 1 Kings 18 we read that the prophet Elijah wanted the nation of Israel to make up their mind whether they would serve the one true God or whether they would serve a false god Baal (the god of the neighboring nations).

Elijah asks the nation of Israel, “How long will you go limping between two different opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.” (v.21).

Elijah issues a challenge to the prophets of Baal: You present an animal sacrifice to Baal and I’ll present an animal sacrifice to YHWH but let’s not put fire to it.

You pray to Baal and I’ll pray to YHWH. Whichever god answers by fire is true god.

Challenge accepted!

The prophets of Baal prepared the animal sacrifice and called out to Baal from morning until noon - nothing happened.

When it was time for Elijah, he built an altar and even put lots of water on it, making it harder for it to be burned up. Elijah prayed and God consumed the altar with fire thus demonstrating who the true God was.

One interesting fact about the story: Notice the event took place at Mt. Carmel, an area that was supposed to be where Baal was in charge.

God proved that day that he alone is the one true God who is charge of the whole universe (not certain places).

Let me show you a couple of other passages that shows us the reality that there is only one God.

Deuteronomy 6:4, “Here, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.”

Listen to Salomon’s words in his prayer of dedication for the Temple in 1 Kings 8:60. Salomon calls for God’s people to live faithfully, “that all the peoples of the earth may know that the Lord is God; there is no other.”

Isaiah 45:5–6 “5 I am the Lord, and there is no other, besides me there is no God; I equip you, though you do not know me, 6 that people may know, from the rising of the sun and from the west, that there is none besides me; I am the Lord, and there is no other.”

The Bible is clear: There is only one God.

(2) God eternally exists as three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

We see in many NT passages:

Matthew 3:16–17 “16 And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; 17 and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.””

Matthew 28:19–20 “19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.””

Notice how Jesus commands his disciples to baptize believers in the “name” of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Jesus used the word “name” (singular) not “names” (plural). What do you think that is? I believe Jesus was affirming the reality that God is one in nature. But interestingly the name of God is three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Jesus is affirming that there is “one” God in three persons.

2 Corinthians 13:14 “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.”

Paul is a Jew who believes in the reality that there is one God. Yet his language also expresses the reality that this one God exists in three persons.

Ephesians 2:18 “For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.”

Notice how Paul makes mention of all three members of the Trinity. When you put you trust in Christ as Savior and Lord you come to the Father because of the work of Christ and through the Spirit who now lives within you by faith.

(3) Each person is fully God

The Father is fully God.

The Son is fully God. John 1:1–2 “1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God.”

The Holy Spirit is fully God. Before I address this reality let me remind about the fact that the Holy Spirit is a real and genuine person. He is not “it” (i.e. The Holy Spirit, it help us…”) He is not some force or power like the force of the wind or the power of electricity.

In Scripture, the Holy Spirit is treated as a person:

He can be lied to ( Acts 5:3)

He can be insulted (Hebrews 10:29)

He has a mind (1 Cor. 2:10-11)

He has emotions: the Holy Spirit can be grieved (Eph. 4:30)

He has a will (1 Cor. 12:11)

The Holy Spirit is fully God. He is a divine person.

In Acts 5, Peter rebukes Ananias for lying to the Holy Spirit about the land he has sold. The Peter says, “You have not lied to men but to God” (Acts 5:4). So when Ananias lied to the Holy Spirit he was actually lying to God.

The Holy Spirit is fully God. We see him involved in the creation of the world, “Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.” (Ge 1:2)

The Holy Spirit is often referred as the One who gives new life to people so they can believe in Christ and be saved, “he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit,” (Tt 3:5)

The Holy Spirit inspired the writers of the books of the Bible so that the Bible would be the Word of God, “For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” (2 Pe 1:21)

The Holy Spirit shares the attributes of God:

He lives forever (Heb. 9:14)

He is everywhere present (Ps 139:7-10)

He has all knowledge (1 Cor. 2:10)

The Holy Spirit is indeed a personal being and a divine Person.

So what?

Relationships

The Trinity, God in three persons, is by nature relational.

“In Christianity God is not an impersonal thing nor a static thing—not even just one person—but a dynamic pulsating activity, a life, a kind of drama, almost, if you will not think me irreverent, a kind of dance…. [The] pattern of this three-personal life is…the great fountain of energy and beauty spurting up at the very center of reality.” C.S. Lewis

The world by made by a God who is a community of persons: The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit eternally existing in a loving unity

Our relationships are meant to pattern the Trinity - to be other centered

Sin destroys that by being self-centered.

Jesus restores our broken fellowship with God and each other

John 17:20–24 “20 “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, 21 that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, 23 I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me. 24 Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.”

Jesus, the second person of the Trinity, took on flesh in order to die for our sins so that we can experience this wonderful love.

If you want to experience transformation in your relationships, come and drink from the fountain of life…

2 Corinthians 13:14 “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.”