Trinity Sermon

TRINITY SUNDAY – Matthew 28.16-20

• Short sermon today because I’ve been away at a busy ICS conference. Also because we are also going to be hearing from one of our mission partners Sister Pilar, about her work in Pakistan.

• Today is Trinity Sunday and I want to explain this key Christian doctrine as simply and clearly as possible (laughter? Impossible task?).

• Jesus said “Who do people say that I am?” His disciples replied “Some say you are John the Baptist returned from the dead; others say Elijah or another of the prophets.” Jesus replied “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered “You are the Logos, existing in the Father as his rationality and then, by an act of his will, being generated, in consideration of the various functions by which God is related to his creation, with each member of the Trinity being coequal with every other member and each acting inseperably with and interpenetrating every other member, with only an economic subordination within God, but causing no division which would make the substance no longer simple.” And Jesus answered “What?!?”

• The Bible of course does not use the word “trinity” but an understanding of it is behind all the NT gospels and epistles, most clearly in John and in today’s short reading from Matthew, traditionally called the “great commission”.

• WHERE in this short passage is the doctrine of the trinity explained? Apparently in the baptism formula – v19. But this really doesn’t explain anything, it just begs the question. The fact that Jesus tells the disciples to baptize new followers in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit must be because there is a trinity, a relationship between the 3 persons named, but without explaining what the relationship is or how it works.

• Fortunately in the rest of the reading there are some very clear pointers to what the trinity is about.

• V17-18 Bear in mind that the first disciples were all Jews and that for them it was of first importance that there is only ONE God and you should worship that true God and no one else. Yet when they saw Jesus here (between resurrection and ascension) we are told they WORSHIPPED him (even though some doubted – a very human and authentic touch!).

• Jesus would of course have stopped them worshipping him if it had been wrong. So here we have a clear statement that when Jesus is present, God is fully present. This is backed up by many other NT passages, e.g. John 14.9, Colossians 1.19, Hebrews 1.3.

• So whereas muslims, jehovah’s witnesses and many others would agree that Jesus was a great prophet and teacher sent by God, the Christian claim about Jesus has always been stronger than that, right from the start. When Jesus is present, God is fully present, we see the exact likeness of God and the right response is worship.

• This is reinforced in v18 where Jesus tells the disciples that all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to him. Again these Jewish disciples knew that all authority in heaven and on earth belonged only to God, but believed the claim of Jesus and obeyed and followed him. It was obvious to them that when Jesus was present, God was present. That when Jesus spoke, he spoke the words of God, that when Jesus acted, he did the works of God, displayed the attitudes of God…

• Its not just that Jesus is the most obedient, man who ever lived, the most submissive to God’s will – more than that is claimed. Jesus is God, from the beginning to the end.

• The SECOND aspect of the trinity is clear in the final verse when Jesus says “I AM with you always, to the very end of the age.” He will BE WITH THEM even though this risen body is about to leave them, to return to heaven. He will be with them and indeed IN THEM in a new way, by the presence of his Holy Spirit which will soon be poured out.

• Again this is supported by other bible passages, e.g. John 14.17, 20, Colossians 1. 27. When the Holy Spirit is in you, Jesus is in you, and when Jesus is in you, God is in you, part of your essential being, no matter how you might hide that truth, deliberately or accidentally.

• (Joke) The Trinity were planning a holiday. The Holy Spirit, showing the creative part of the divine nature, was coming up with the ideas. “Let’s go to New York” she suggested. “No, no, no” said the Father, “They are so liberal there they’ll probably start calling me Mother and it will drive me nuts.” So the Spirit said “I know, let’s go to Jerusalem. Its beautiful and then there’s all the history and everything.” “No way!” said the Son. “After what happened the last time, I’m never going there again.” At this point the Spirit went off in a huff. Later she returned and was surprised that the Father and the Son had an idea they agreed on. “Why don’t we go to Barcelona?” they said. “Perfect!” said the Spirit “I’ve never been there before!”

• A sermon on the trinity should have three points! My third point is simply this… don’t try to explain it, just show it! Not by striving to be something you are not, but by yielding control of your life to the Holy Spirit who is God in you and God for everyone you meet.

• This needs to be more than just being obedient to what God says in the Bible. Billie and I enjoyed watching paragliders soaring on the Alpine air currents with joy and freedom. But an even better final illustration of the way the Spirit carries us where we need to be, enables us to be who we were made to be, is a HOT AIR BALLOON – warmed by God’s flame within, to soar, to serve and to save!