Sept. 8, 2019 - The Triune God
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If you were with us last week, you remember that in the passage of scripture that we walked thru...
…Jesus Christ brought all the tension that had been building between He and the Jews to a head...
If you remember, Jesus has been making claims about Himself AND mankind that has CAUSED mankind to now DEAL with this man Jesus...
And how did they deal with Him?
52 The Jews said to him, “Now we know that you have a demon! Abraham died, as did the prophets, yet you say, ‘If anyone keeps my word, he will never taste death.’
So the Jews think Christ is crazy...
Jesus doesn’t back down - continues to make these BOLD claims...
And then the Jews respond by bringing Abraham into the equation!
They began to say - Ok Jesus - if what You’re saying is true, then you would be greater than Abraham...
53 Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? And the prophets died! Who do you make yourself out to be?”
Now Jesus could have just said - YES, yes I am…and left it at that...
But He doesn’t
How does He respond?
First - He gives them a small preview...
56 Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad.”
This of course caused the Jews to scratch their heads, do some math…and ask again
57 So the Jews said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?”
And this is where Christ blows their minds…and the text we’ll focus in on - today...
58 Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.”
59 So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.
And here we have Christ claiming to be God
SLIDE: Jesus Christ: As God
Jesus Christ
Jesus Christ
The Jews would have heard this “I AM” statement by Christ and they would have tied it to MANY instances of the same phrase found in the OT...
But most notably.... Exodus 3:14
14 God said to Moses, “I am who I am.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I am has sent me to you.’ ”
The Jews knew that Jesus was claiming to be God...
When Christ used the phrase “I AM” to describe Himself - they knew what He was implying...
HOW DO WE KNOW THEY KNEW…?
How did the Jews responded to this claim ..?
58 Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.”
59 So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.
They try to kill Him…why?
16 Whoever blasphemes the name of the Lord shall surely be put to death. All the congregation shall stone him. The sojourner as well as the native, when he blasphemes the Name, shall be put to death.
When Jesus said - "Before Abraham was, I AM"....the Jews KNEW He was claiming to be God.....and in their minds, He therefore deserved to die!
And so what did the Jews believe about God which would CAUSE them to believe Christ's claim was blasphemy?
Let's go to Deut 6:4
4 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.
• now, when we read Deut. 6:4....
• We think - OK, they're right on...the Lord is one...
• BUT- we filter this through the rest of Scripture...
• We know what Isaiah 43:10 says...
10 “You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord, “and my servant whom I have chosen, that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor shall there be any after me.
• We hear this and think - Yes, that's right...
• BUT the Jews understood it in a different way...
• Their thoughts on the ONENESS of God lead them down the path that ended with the belief that there was no TRINITY...
• In Jewish theology, the thought that One God would exist in 3 separate persons...
• was heretical!
• They couldn't wrap their heads around it...
• And so what are the implications of that?!!!
• The incarnation? - According to Jewish theology....it did not happen
• See in Jewish theology, the Messiah was going to be born AS OTHER MEN...
• The belief was that the Messiah would be born as other men...AND that he would NOT be sinless...
• Now WE hear that and we think - that's crazy...
• BUT, when we look at Scripture....we see this belief play itself out...
18 Now it happened that as he was praying alone, the disciples were with him. And he asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?”
19 And they answered, “John the Baptist. But others say, Elijah, and others, that one of the prophets of old has risen.”
• Do you see where their minds DEFAULT to?
• The CROWDS saw Jesus...
• they saw His miracles...
• they saw the works He performed...
• And so one ONE HAND they KNEW that this guy "Jesus" was doing things that no NORMAL man could do!
• BUT...
• on the OTHER HAND they COULDN'T say - this is GOD IN THE FLESH...
• remember - God is ONE • and so what was the conclusion??
• Who did they say Jesus WAS?
• Well, it's not GOD in the flesh - it MUST be John the Baptist (back from the dead)...
• Or it's Elijah (back from the dead)
• Or Jeremiah...
• Or one of the prophets...(back from the dead)
• And so in SEEING the works of Jesus, the people were willing to believe that God had sent these mere mortals back to earth to DO these things...
• but they wouldn't say that this was - God Himself...walking among them...
• ...And they couldn't say that - because their theology wouldn't LET them say that.
• And so their theology REMOVED the deity of Christ... SO - when Jesus says - I AM GOD - - the Jews said - NO HE's NOT....Kill Him!
NOW - the Jews didn't believe in Jesus as Man & as God
They didn't accept the Trinity...
But WE do..!
WHY?
Because someone just told us it’s true??!
Let's look at the Bible's teaching of the Trinity...AND
- the blessings that come to us - EVEN TODAY - through the Triune God
First thing - let's look at the Biblical teaching of the Trinity...
SLIDE: Image
So let’s ASK ourselves this question:
What would the Bible have to say in order for the Trinity to be true?
Well - to answer that question...we actually see IN Scripture that the concept of the Trinity is founded on 3 Biblical Revelations...
1. Monotheism
2. 3 Divine Persons represented in Scripture
3. The Equality of those 3 Persons
If the Bible teaches THESE 3 things, then the Trinity would in fact be - REALITY!
SLIDE:
Monotheism
Monotheism
To see this in Scripture, we actually go to the same verses the 1st century Jews went to to DENOUNCE the Trinity...
4 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.
10 “You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord, “and my servant whom I have chosen, that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor shall there be any after me.
6 Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: “I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god.
22 Therefore you are great, O Lord God. For there is none like you, and there is no God besides you, according to all that we have heard with our ears.
9 remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me,
5 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,
The Bible teaches that there is ONE God.
ONE God of ULTIMATE authority...
Satan is referred to in Scripture as the god of this world…but it doesn’t teach that satan has ultimate authority...
This book is a MONOTHEISTIC Book...
NOW -
SLIDE: 3 Divine Persons
3 Divine Persons
3 Divine Persons
Does the Bible teach that there are 3 Divine persons?
Does it teach that the Father is God?
That the Son is God?
And that the Holy Spirit is God?
The Father was God:
1 See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.
6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
20 To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.
Ok, not too many people deny that the Father is God...
How about the Son?
The Son as God:
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Alright - what is the WORD referring to here? Jesus
v14 says - And the WORD became flesh... So we know that the Word is JESUS!
SO - In the beginning was the WORD (Jesus) (this isn’t referring to a specific point in time)
So in eternity past
Jesus was (truth 1)....
and He was WITH God (truth 2)....
and He was God (truth 3)
So- this says...
Jesus was not created
Jesus existed distinctly (He was WITH God)
Jesus is God
Do we see evidence of this in Scripture...
10 Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written, “ ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’ ”
So Jesus says here that we’re ONLY TO WORSHIP - who? - - GOD
8 So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples.
9 And behold, Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him.
Jesus here - ACCEPTS the worship of the disciples… what does that tell us? Jesus is God!
58 Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.”
Remember how the Jews responded to this? They knew what Jesus was claiming!
And John 10:33 speaks to this...
33 The Jews answered him, “It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you but for blasphemy, because you, being a man, make yourself God.”
Jesus claimed to be God and He demonstrated that He was!
Ok- so we see the Bible teach us that the Father is God, and Jesus is God...
What about the Holy Spirit?
To see this let’s go to a story in Acts...
1 But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property,
2 and with his wife’s knowledge he kept back for himself some of the proceeds and brought only a part of it and laid it at the apostles’ feet.
3 But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land?
4 While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to man but to God.”
So we see Peter say - You lied to the Holy Spirit. You lied to God.
So the Spirit of God - is God!
NOW - are they DISTINCT?
Is the Father distinct from the Son, who’s distinct from the Holy Spirit?
Does the Bible TEACH this?
Part of being 3 DIVINE persons…is that each one is DISTINCT!
NOW - if the Trinity is true, we SHOULD in scripture - see an occasion when ALL 3 are together - at work...
Well here it is!
Matt 3:16
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;
What does Jesus see when He came up out of the water?
Jesus sees the Spirit!
So we have JESUS....and we have the Spirit....at work.
Each one DISTINCT!!
Now what about the Father?
17 and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”
So we have:
Jesus, distinct from the Spirit...
And each of them DISTINCT from the Father…speaking here.
What did the Father say?
He said - THIS is my Son… (implying - the Son is NOT ME!)
While the SON exists - I AM well pleased IN HIM!
We are DISTINCT!
Not only that, but Jesus PRAYS to the Father in John 17...
1 When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you,
2 since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him.
Jesus here - PRAYING to the Father!
Now is Jesus still divine here? - WHILE He’s praying?
What does this verse say? (2)
“Since you HAVE GIVEN him (Jesus) - authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given Him”
Jesus - WHILE He prays his prayer - HAS AUTHORITY over all flesh - to give eternal life to whom the Father has given to Him...
Jesus here - WHILE He’s praying - is FULLY God!
Distinct from the Father!
Another case where we see the DISTINCTION between - the Father and the Son.
So - the Bible teaches us that the Father and the Son, and the Holy Spirit -
are 3 DISTINCT…DIVINE persons…each one God.
NOW - the 3rd foundation biblical teaching...
The Equality of the 3 Persons
The Equality of the 3 Persons
If the first 2 teachings are taught in the Bible...
That there is ONE God...
And
That there are 3 Divine Persons…WHICH WE’VE SEEN the Bible do...
THEN - IF those 3 DIVINE persons are EQUAL…in nature...
THEN what we would have is - THE TRINITY!
So let’s go to Isaiah 53 ...
6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
The LORD here referring to THE FATHER - This is Yahweh - REFERRING to the Father!
There are MANY passages QUOTED from the OT where YAHWEH is speaking and applied to the FATHER in the NT...
But look at this...
In Hebrews chapter 1..
10 And, “You, Lord, laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning, and the heavens are the work of your hands;
11 they will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment,
12 like a robe you will roll them up, like a garment they will be changed. But you are the same, and your years will have no end.”
Here we have the writer of Hebrews...
This writer - who would have gotten up EVERY morning and recited the Shema...
a Jewish prayer declaring that God is ONE...
4 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.
Hear O Isreal: Yahweh our God; Yahweh is ONE...
That same, faithful Jewish writer....also wrote this....
AND TOOK a passage in Psalm 102:25-27 - a passage that was APPLIED to Yahweh in the OT...
And he APPLIES it to JESUS here in Hebrews chapter 1...
ANOTHER instance of this same thing happening is found in:
John chapter 12 where John quotes Isaiah chapter 6.
A passage applied to Yahweh in Isaiah 6 is applied to Jesus in John 12.
AND SO here we see the EQUALITY of the Father and the SON...
Let’s also look at John 10:30
30 I and the Father are one.”
Now - some believe this verse points to a Modalistic God...
That God - is ONE BEING - and that the ONE Being reveals Himself at different times as different persons...
This is called Modalism.
That God (basically) puts masks on himself at different times..
That at times He is the Father, and at other times He is Jesus, and then the Holy Spirit
And this verse is one that is thought to point in that direction...
What’s interesting is this - THIS VERSE is true...
BUT HOW should we think about this verse?
Does the “ONE” in this verse refer to PERSONHOOD...
Meaning - Is Jesus saying here that He and the Father are the same PERSON?
Here’s the thing - the REST of the Bible will give us the answer.
We’ve seen today - that this is NOT what the verse is referring to.
John 1:1 said - Jesus was WITH God....AND was God. (Jesus is DISTINCT)
John 17 - we saw Jesus using PERSONAL pronouns describing HIMSELF - while He’s praying to the FATHER!
Jesus and the Father are DISTINCT!!
So what is Jesus referring to here…?
What does this “ONE” in this verse refer to...
We know the answer...
1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.
The word GOD in this verse - is PLURAL
In the next verse we see the Spirit involved in creation...
Keep going…v26
26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”
27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.
Do you see now how JOHN 1:1 makes sense...
And the WORD (Jesus) was WITH God and He was God!
The Father…the Son....and the Holy Spirit...
taught in Scripture as DIVINE…DISTINCT…and EQUAL...
The doctrine of the Trinity is a biblical doctrine...And it's blessings flow to us today...
- EVEN today…
Consider this...
The Gospel
The Gospel
Who in here has been BLESSED by the Gospel?
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places,
The Gospel finds its ORIGIN with God the Father....who BLESSED us IN Christ!
And speaking of IN CHRIST...
It’s IN CHRIST that the Gospel is accomplished...
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
God’s love for us FLOWS through Jesus Christ!
9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.
The Gospel finds its ORIGIN with God the Father...
It finds its COMPLETION in the SON...
AND…it is APPLIED - by the Holy Spirit!
11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
It’s the SPIRIT who brings LIFE...
63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.
Again - the Gospel is TRIUNE in nature...
The Gospel finds its ORIGIN with God the Father...
It finds its COMPLETION in the SON...
AND…it is APPLIED - through the work of the Holy Spirit!
And let’s CLOSE with this...
Another BLESSING that flows from THE Triune God is this:
The Intercessory Work of Christ
The Intercessory Work of Christ
Let’s go to Hebrews...
22 This makes Jesus the guarantor of a better covenant.
23 The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office,
24 but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever.
25 Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.
What assurance we have...Our assurance ROOTED in the Son of God - who intercedes for us....
Who's our advocate - as we sit here today?
1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.
How BLESSED we are…the TRIUNE God working on our behalf...
What have we seen today?
The concept of the Trinity rests on 3 biblical revelations:
Monotheism
3 Divine Persons (presented in Scripture (each is identified as Yahweh, each does things only God can do))
The Equality of These Persons
Blessings that flow from the Triune God
the Gospel (origin with the Father, Completion through the Son, Application by the Holy Spirit)
Intercessory Work of Christ
Jesus - Our hope, our assurance, our advocate, and our salvation!
May your hope and confidence in Him continue to grow!
Let’s pray...