Trinity Sunday
June 3, 2007
Today is Trinity Sunday. It is the mark of the True Christian Church to believe in the doctrine/teaching of the Trinity. It says that there is only One God but that there are three Persons in this Holy Unity. It says that the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God. There seems to be little disagreement about the Father being God. Jews, Muslims, Jehovah Witnesses, and even Unitarians will say that. But the Christian Creed says that Jesus and the Holy Spirit are also God. Today I want to look at why it is so important that Jesus Christ, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity is God.
The New Testament Gospels are very clear that Jesus is God. The Christmas stories of Matthew and Luke tell how the virgin Maryfs son was the son of God. In Mark, at the foot of the cross when Jesus had died, the centurion said, gTruly this man was the Son of God.h In John, the Gospel beings using philosophical language about Jesus who is called the gWord,h gIn the beginning was the Word, and Word was with God, and the Word was God.h Then at the end of the Gospel, doubting Thomas, no longer doubting says, gMy Lord and my God.h
But why is this important. It is important because Jesus is God almighty come down to this earth. He is true God and true Man. And so when Jesus is on the cross, God is on the cross. When Jesus died on the cross, God died on the cross. Because he was divine, Jesus could take the sin of the whole world upon himself and be the supreme sacrifice that forgave that sin. Just a normal person could not do that. And it shows the supreme love of God. God was willing to die for us people. That is the greatest love of all. Then Jesus rose from the dead, it means that we too will rise from the dead and be given eternal life.
Without Christ, we could not know the love of God the Father, we would only know his anger at sin. But in Jesus we know that love. But without the Holy Spirit, our sinful, fallen hearts could not know about Jesus. So the Holy Spirit comes to us and gives us faith. The Holy Spirit shows us Christ who shows us the Father.
Again, here is why it is very important that Jesus is God. With our eyes, we cannot see God the Father or God the Holy Spirit, but in Jesus, we can see God. It is not that God has a body with two arms and two legs, but that God has a heart that loves us. When we are stricken by sin and fear, in Jesus we see God who forgives us and protects us. When we grieve or are sad, we see in Jesus that God is also sad because of the pain and death in this world. When we are lonely, we see in Jesus that God loves us and that he is with us. When we are fearful of the future or of death, we see in Jesus that he has prepared an eternal home for us. Since Jesus is God, his promises have almighty power, and so will be fulfilled.
People who do not know Jesus can only know a God who is strict and demanding and fearful. But in Jesus Christ we see love and hope. This is why Christians enjoy the doctrine of the Trinity. It makes us happy because we see the whole love and plan of God for our salvation.
Amen.
May the blessings of God Almighty, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit be with you always. Amen.
Michael Nearhood, Pastor
Okinawa Lutheran Church