The Trinity Part 2

The Trinity  •  Sermon  •  Submitted
0 ratings
· 6 views
Notes
Transcript

Introduction

I concluded last week by pointing out that the doctrine of the Trinity is revealed to us in the Incarnation. That the nature of God’s existence, of which we now understand to be a trinity, was revealed at the coming of God’s Son. As God inaugurated the next phase of redemptive history, by the coming of his Son, in one sense, his plan of redemption necessitated a greater display of his own nature, specifically the nature of his own existence. In the NT, the arrival of Israel’s Messiah, meant the arrival of God himself, Emmanuel - God with us, in the man called Jesus.

The Trinity is assumed

And as we study this subject we must also understand that the doctrine of the Trinity is assumed within the NT. One cannot merely find the doctrine exhaustively described and articulated, point by point, in a single letter or book, and I think for many of us, that can be frustrating, because in our Western context we want bullet points, a thesis statement, comprehensive argumentation and a concluding statement, but this isn’t how the Bible was written, neither the OT or the NT. The Bible is messy, it’s personal, and its writers wrote according to their own contexts, and probably most important for us to realize, is that the Bible was written experientially. In other words, the Bible isn’t merely words dictated from heaven. We aren’t taught the doctrine of the Trinity, for instance, by some angel from heaven with words written on stone tablets like that of Mormonism or Islam. Instead, as the Apostle Peter says in 2 Peter 1:21, “men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”
Scripture is guided, protected from error, and preserved by the Holy Spirit, but never is what Moses writes, or what Paul writes divorced from their context or their personal human experience in history. So when the NT writers describe in their writings what the church has come to call the doctrine of the Trinity, they’re not only being carried along by the Holy Spirit when they write, but they’re being carried along by the Holy Spirit in the context of their own shared experiences. The disciples experienced the blessed Trinity, they experienced the Incarnation, they experienced the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, therefore when they wrote about these things, their shared experiences are usually assumed their writings.
And this isn’t any different than when you or I participate in shared experiences together with our families or with our friends, and later you talk about those experiences together, and when someone else is in the room, listening to your discussion, they find it challenging to understand what you’re talking about, because they weren’t there, and you’re speaking to one another with the assumption of your shared experiences. And in the same way the writers of the NT are experiential Trinitarians, for them, the Trinity is assumed, so it’s important for us to realize this as we study the Trinity.

Describing Jesus as God

And this is why the writers of the NT, for instance, so often used OT Scriptures that uniquely described God himself, to describe Jesus, without any explanation. They just attribute deity to Jesus like it was attributed to God in the OT, without thinking twice about it. And for people like us, from the outside looking in, we can sometimes be shocked by this! Why would the NT writers do this? And why don’t they explain themselves? Well, the reason, is that they were experiential Trinitarians, for them this was not an unsettled point, they had seen this revealed to them firsthand, and so they wrote under this assumption. They didn’t usually feel as though they had to explain themselves in their books and letters to first century Christians because these things were largely assumed, and had been a part of their regular teaching and experience.
This is why the Apostle Paul, in his pastoral letter to Titus would write in Titus 2:11-13 that,
“… the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ ...” (Tt 2:11–13)
Paul describes Jesus as our great God and Savior without qualification or explanation, it’s assumed, almost unremarkable to him, in one sense, as he writes to Titus.
Then in John’s Gospel, chapter 20, the disciple Thomas, who had doubted Jesus’ resurrection, all of a sudden sees Jesus standing near him with the other disciples, and after Jesus tells him to touch his hands and side, Thomas cries out, “My Lord and my God!”
Thomas doesn’t hesitate at all in his confession, and Jesus doesn’t rebuke or correct him. And the Apostle John, who’s recording this for us, certainly doesn’t give us any indication that what Thomas said was wrong. In fact, why would he? It’s in the very same book that the Apostle John wrote, where he also said in 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.

Then in Paul’s letter to the church in Rome, when describing that the Christ (or the Messiah) had descended, according to the flesh, from the Jewish people he writes in Romans 9:5 that,
“To [the Israelites] belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen.
It was not a strange thing for the Apostles to attribute deity to Jesus, in fact, they do it without even batting an eye. Paul even says in Colossians 2:9 that “in [Christ] the whole fulness of deity dwells bodily.”

Blasphemous language if Jesus isn’t God

The Apostles also used language to describe Jesus in ways that would otherwise be blasphemous if Jesus wasn’t God himself. In Acts 4:11-12 Peter, while after being questioned by the rulers in Israel, said,

11 This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. 12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

No other name? What about God? What about Yahweh? If Jesus isn’t God then this claim by Peter becomes utterly blasphemous.

Jesus as creator

Or listen to Hebrews 1:2-3a,

in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. 3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power.

The writer of Hebrews describes him here as the creator of the world, the very radiance of the glory of God, the exact imprint of his nature, the one who upholds the universe by the word of his power. Do we talk about Abraham like that? Would it be okay to talk about King David like that?
You see, when the Apostles start attributing uniquely divine attributes to Jesus we have to realize they’re either being blasphemous or teaching that Jesus is God.
In the Gospel of John, like Hebrews, the Apostle attributes, again, the role of creator to Jesus. He writes in John 1:3 that,

3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.

Now, some have tried to argue, like Mormons and Unitarians, that the Son of God had a beginning, that he was at some point in the past created, that he’s not eternal, but what John says here completely upends that claim. John not only says that “all things were made through him,” but he goes further to say that, “without him was not any thing made that was made.” John makes it irrefutably clear that there’s nothing that has been made apart from the Son of God, therefore you can’t successfully argue that the Son was created, because without the Son was not anything created that was created.
Jesus even talked about his own preexistence in John 17:5 in his high priestly prayer when he prays to his Father in heaven,

5 And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.

Jesus’ language about himself

So, like his disciples, Jesus also used language to describe himself in ways that would otherwise be blasphemous if he wasn’t God in the flesh. In Matthew 11:28-30 Jesus says,

28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Jesus directs the people of Israel to himself. And again, these are not things that Abraham, Moses, David, or any prophet of God would ever have said about themselves.
In John 14:1, Jesus says,

14 “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.

Then he goes on in verse 6 to say,

“I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Who gets away with calling themselves the way, the truth, and the life? No one does, unless you’re the Son of God.

Religious leaders and blasphemy

And the irony is that the religious leaders in Israel understood the implications of what Jesus taught about himself better than anyone. And for anyone who denies the deity of Christ the scribes and Pharisees bear hostile witness against them, because despite being Jesus’ fiercest opponents, Israel’s religious leaders fully understood what Jesus was saying about himself, they understood the claims he was making, in fact, it’s why they killed him.
Now, if you would, turn with me to John chapter 10, starting in verse 24, and let’s read one of those related accounts together. Jesus is at Jerusalem, he’s walking in the temple, then the Jews gather around him, and say to him,

“How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.”

then in verse 25 Jesus answers them,

“I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name bear witness about me, 26 but you do not believe because you are not among my sheep. 27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.”

then read what ensues there in verse 31,

31 The Jews picked up stones again to stone him. 32 Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you going to stone me?” 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.”

You see, the Jews got it, they understood what Jesus was saying. They completely understood how blasphemous it was for him to claim that he and the Father were one.

Jesus can forgive sin

Jesus also claimed to have the authority to forgive sin, which, as you can imagine, created no lack of controversy either. Turn with me to Mark chapter 2.

Jesus Heals a Paralytic

2 And when he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. 2 And many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even at the door. And he was preaching the word to them. 3 And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. 4 And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and when they had made an opening, they let down the bed on which the paralytic lay. 5 And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” 6 Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, 7 “Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” 8 And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, “Why do you question these things in your hearts? 9 Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk’? 10 But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralytic— 11 “I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home.” 12 And he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”

When Jesus says to the paralytic, “Your sins are forgiven!” the scribes that were there were shocked. How can this man dare to say such a thing? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone!
And they’re right! Only God has the authority to forgive sin. However, what they miss is that Jesus is God. This is why Jesus said to them “Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk’?” In other words, the fact that Jesus can heal a man with paralysis ought to demonstrate that he also has the authority to forgive sin, or as Jesus put it, “that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”.
My point here is that when Jesus claims to have the authority to forgive sin, he’s simultaneously claiming to be God in the flesh.

Jesus expected prayer

Jesus also expected that his disciples would pray to him, in John 16:23, Jesus says,

Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you.

and then notice how Jesus says the almost same thing in John 14:13-14 with a slight variation,

13 Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.

And later when Paul writes to the church at Corinth he says this,

2 To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours:

3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

We are expected to pray and call upon the name of our Lod Jesus Christ.

Jesus expects worship

And finally, Jesus is to be worshiped. An d we first see an example of this in Matthew’s Gospel, chapter 2, not long after Jesus’ birth. We read,

2 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”

So even at the beginning of Jesus’ life we see worship being given to him.
Then, later in Matthew 14, when Jesus’ disciples are rowing across the Sea of Galilee, against the wind and the waves, Jesus comes to them, walking on the water.

26 But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear. 27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.”

28 And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” 29 He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” 31 Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” 32 And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. 33 And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

Then, in Matthew 28, after Jesus’ resurrection, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary run into Jesus after encountering the empty tomb, and we’re told in verse 9 that,

they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him.

Then, in Hebrews chapter 1, we’re told that even the angels must worship him. So, if you would, turn with me to Hebrews 1, starting in verse 5,

5 For to which of the angels did God ever say,

“You are my Son,

today I have begotten you”?

Or again,

“I will be to him a father,

and he shall be to me a son”?

6 And again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says,

“Let all God’s angels worship him.”

7 Of the angels he says,

“He makes his angels winds,

and his ministers a flame of fire.”

8 But of the Son he says,

“Your throne, O God, is forever and ever,

the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom.

Conclusion

And finally, and we’ll end here, turn with me to Revelation 5, starting in verse 11,

11 Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, 12 saying with a loud voice,

“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain,

to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might

and honor and glory and blessing!”

13 And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying,

“To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb

be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!”

14 And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshiped.

The unitarian church I spent some of my childhood a part of had two of their representatives debate the subject of the Trinity many years ago with Dr. James White and Dr. Michael Brown. It’s been a couple of ears now, but I remember watching that debate on YouTube, and there was one part of that debate that still sticks with me to this day. The primary argument of the Unitarians boiled down to their assertion that Jesus was only an exalted man, that he was created, but exalted because of his obedience to God and his saving work on the cross. They even acknowledged that Jesus should be worshipped, and they even worship him in their churches, singing many of the same songs that we do, but this left them an insurmountable problem. In their theology they were forced to acknowledge that they were worshipping an exalted creature, and not God only. Whereas, we know that this an egregious violation of the first and second commandments. Exodus 34:14 explicitly says, “for you shall worship no other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.” Yet these men were content to worship a man they concluded was not God.
If anything, it’s examples like this, that teach us that theology matters. And it also teaches us that our theology should be dictated by what the Scriptures make plain to us, no matter how much it challenges our finite minds. Our goal ought to be biblical worship, to worship in spirit and in truth. Doctrines like the Trinity, and the Incarnation, ought to cause us to marvel at God and who he is, and his holiness, his other-ness should cause us to worship him that much more.
And the Scriptures teach us that Jesus is both our God and Savior, therefore let us say with all the angels in heaven,
“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain!
To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever! Amen.”

Prayer

Related Media
See more
Related Sermons
See more
Copyright 2024 Logos Bible SoftwareFeatures|Pricing|Privacy|Terms of Use|Support