Mission of the Triune God.

Have you ever wondered what God is doing in this world? Has God created it, spun it like a top and taken his hands off to see what would happen? Does he just help those who help themselves like a motivational guru? Or is he actively doing something? If he is doing something, what is it? What is his plan for his creation?

Our passage today reveals for us what God has been planning from before creation. Bringing humanity into right standing before him.

But did God just create the universe, set it in motion like a top and then take his hands off to see how it would all work out? There are many in this world that would give this as their understanding of God if they would even grant that God exists at all.

But what does the bible have to say about God’s mission in this world that he has created? Our passage reveals for us the pinnacle of God’s plan to save sinners from their just punishment which is eternal hell.

Let’s read verses 21,22.

The Triune God’s mission is to reconcile sinners to himself. This is accomplished by God sending Jesus as God in the flesh to earth as the perfect human. He then empowers Jesus by the Holy Spirit to fulfill this mission on our behalf.

Since there is much we cannot cover in the message, we will going more into depth in care group tomorrow so write any questions down on your sheet.

Point #1 - Jesus is one of us.

Point #1 - Jesus is one of us.

Throughout Luke’s gospel, we have discussed how Jesus is fully God and fully man. Since humanity is sinful from Adam, no human can be spared of God’s wrath because no one can remove the guilt. In the Old Covenant, God made a way for the forgiveness of sin through the continual sacrificial system of animals and birds. A better sacrifice was needed to accomplish the removal of sin once and for all. This is what the new covenant is all about.

Before the foundation of the world, God had a plan to redeem sinners and it was always going to be the 2nd person of the Trinity. This is Jesus who was sent by God to be the perfect sacrifice as the Lamb of God. A perfect human without the sinful nature who would accomplish all that the Father required of humanity to be reconciled to God like Adam & Eve had at the beginning before the fall.

When all the people who had come out to be baptized had been finished, Jesus comes to be baptized as well. Now, a question that should come up in our minds is “why would Jesus be baptized for the forgiveness of sins if he was sinless?”

When all the people who had come out to be baptized had been finished, Jesus comes to be baptized as well. Now, if we have been paying attention, a question that should come up in our minds is “why would Jesus be baptized for the forgiveness of sins if he was sinless?”

The Apostle John help us fill in some details in that Jesus was baptized so that he would be revealed to Israel as the Saviour, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Matthew tells us that Jesus was baptized because he was fulfilling righteousness. Jesus did not come to remove the law for it is holy. Rather he came to fulfill it, to perfectly obey God’s will in all areas.

God’s will was for sinners to repent and be baptized. Jesus gets baptized because he is human and associates with us in being our Substitute, our Representative in every way. His first act of his earthly ministry is to reveal his solidarity with the sinful human race. He takes sin upon himself as the sinless One to reconcile and redeem sinners. Jesus is one of us in every way.

Is it not comforting to hear that Jesus truly wants us to know he is with us? Would our PM go into the streets where corruption and filth reign? Would the Queen leave her guard behind and live with common people? Not a chance. But the King of kings gets into the cesspool of sin and says I am with you until you are with me in glory.

John the Baptist tells Jesus in Matthew’s gospel that he should be baptized by Jesus because he knew he was a sinner not Jesus. But our precious Saviour says no, you baptize me because this is the will of God in being the perfect human. The human that Adam was supposed to be but failed.

After being baptized Jesus prays. He communes with his Father and the heavens are opened. As one commentator states, this majestic and glorious opening of the heavens reveals to Jesus’ human consciousness the fullness of who he really is. Fully God, fully man.

Well now the next act of God reveals the work of the 3rd person of the Trinity.

Point #2 - The anointing of the Messiah.

From heaven comes down to Jesus the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove. This symbolizes love, purity and innocence. The bible tells us that the Spirit is revealed in bodily form in numerous ways. For the Israelites leaving Egypt the Holy Spirit led them by a cloud in the day and a pillar of fire at night. In the holy of holies he appeared as divine light. At Pentecost he appeared as tongues of fire above the heads or the apostles.

Now, if you remember from before Christmas we talked about the 3 offices of the Messiah. They are the prophet, priest and king. From the OT, those who held these offices were anointed with oil. However, Jesus is not anointed with oil as the Messiah but with the Holy Spirit.

Jesus is now empowered by the Spirit of God to fulfill his ministry that he is now beginning.

One of the significances of a prophet, priest of king being anointed was that it was a public display that those who were witnesses to this act would know what was happening with this individual. In the same way, God himself anoints his Son in making it public that this was the long awaited Messiah who would redeem sinners and bring them peace, love and purity.

In Jesus, humanity would become holy just like how the

The Holy Spirit now equips Jesus with all power and gifts to do the will of the Father in overcoming Satan and his temptations. Healing sicknesses, preaching the good news about himself as Saviour, resurrecting the dead, teaching his disciples and performing many miracles.

The Holy Spirit now equips Jesus with all power and gifts to do the will of the Father in overcoming Satan and his temptations. Healing sicknesses, preaching the good news about himself as Saviour, resurrecting the dead, teaching his disciples and performing many miracles.

The Holy Spirit that equipped Jesus to fulfill his ministry is the same Spirit whom we are baptized with when we are born again. By our union to Jesus, we also become prophets, priests and kings to a lesser degree. In Christ we are supernaturally empowered by the Holy Spirit to fulfill the Great Commission and be faithful disciples.

The Holy Spirit that equipped Jesus to fulfill his ministry is the same Spirit whom we are baptized with when we are born again. We don’t perform miracles like Jesus because we are not the Messiah But in Christ we are supernaturally empowered by the Holy Spirit to fulfill the Great Commission and be faithful disciples.

Thus far we have seen how two of the three persons of the Trinity fulfill their mission of salvation. Jesus accomplishes salvation in his solidarity with us as humans,. The Spirit applies the power to save. Now we see the vital importance of the Father’s love for his Son.

Point #3 - The delight of the Father.

If we are to look at this portion of the verse and glance over it, we would miss a glorious truth that we need to recognize. The Father says to Jesus, “You are my beloved Son, with you I am well pleased.”

Jesus, the Son with whom God is pleased. The God-man. The second and better Adam. The eternal Son who has always been with the Father and the Holy Spirit. Everything about Jesus pleases his heavenly Father and brings him great delight. He is the perfect Son in every way.

Was God always pleased with Adam his first son? Was God always pleased with Israel whom he refers to as son? No, they sinned and rebelled against God’s goodness and kindness. But in Jesus, his only begotten Son he greatly delights in.

For man to be in right relationship with God like in the garden of Eden, God demands that man must be perfectly obedient to his commands. As we know, we cannot obey this way. Righteousness must come from outside of us. God’s image bearer, must be 100% obedient. Not pretty good, not 99%. But perfect in obedience.

This Son Jesus is the eternal begotten Son who obeyed his Father in leaving his throne in heaven to come to earth and take on flesh of man. This beloved Son has perfectly obeyed the Father throughout his life under the care of his earthly parents. This Son that the Father delights in would perfectly obey right to the cross and die for his enemies as the perfect sacrifice to atone for sin completely. This Son that God is well pleased with would be resurrected from the dead. This beloved Son would take the keys to the kingdom back from Satan. Where the 1st Adam failed, the 2nd Adam Jesus would perfectly accomplish on behalf of you and me.

Jesus is the eternal begotten Son who obeyed his Father in leaving his throne in heaven to come to earth and take on flesh of man. This beloved Son perfectly obeyed the Father throughout his life under the care of his earthly parents. This Son that the Father delights in would perfectly obey right to the cross and die for his enemies as the perfect sacrifice. This Son that God is well pleased with would be resurrected from the dead. This beloved Son would take the keys to the kingdom back from Satan. Where the 1st Adam failed, the 2nd Adam Jesus would perfectly accomplish what it means to be truly human.

God the Father had a plan for redeeming his lost children from their condemnation. His plan was hidden in his infinite mind long before he said “Let there be light.” His plan of salvation was always Jesus not Adam. Now after thousands of years of giving hints to humanity about the Messiah, the time has now come.

I cannot let us skip past the depth of these precious words of a Father’s love and delight with his Son. By our faith in Jesus as our Saviour, God adopts us as his own dear children. As Jesus is the Son that God delights in, our union to Christ means he also delights in us in the same way.

Therefore, even though we still sin, God looks at us as he looks at Jesus because we are hidden in his beloved Son.

Now, if we are truly born of God, we will not abuse this grace that has been given to us. We now have new affections to desire obedience even though we fail daily. We are baptized with the same Spirit that anointed Jesus to continue to press on and fulfill our ministry on behalf of our King. So be encouraged brothers and sisters in knowing who you really are and that you are loved by our Father.

If you have rejected Christ as Lord and Saviour, will you today turn from sin and trust in Jesus for the forgiveness of your sins? If you refuse, you are living in a precarious situation. The justice of God will be executed against you with eternal damnation. Your only hope of being declared innocent in God’s court is found only in Jesus whom God is well pleased. I plead with you to throw yourself on the mercy of God and be saved.

So, to sum this all up, the mission of the Triune God is to save sinful human beings from what they deserve which is justice. He reconciles humanity so that we will have everlasting fellowship with him. The Father, Son and Holy Spirit accomplish this in Jesus alone by grace. Let us therefore rejoice and live out our lives for the glory of God. Walking in a manner worthy of our calling as children that God is well pleased in. Let us be thankful. Let us praise “our” Father who saved us.

The mission of the Triune God in saving sinners is accomplished by God alone on our behalf.