Jesus Reveals the Holy Trinity!

1st Sunday after Pentecost, 6/19/11
Matthew 28:16-20


Jesus Reveals the Holy Trinity!
I. In universal authority
II. In gracious love


By and large we are practical people. We enjoy things that work for us, that help us, that make our lives easier and more productive. And we don’t necessarily have to know why they work for us or how they work for us, they just have to work. And when they fail to work, we want some expert to fix it for us as soon as possible, or we discard it and buy a new one. That goes for our cell phones, laptops, cable and satellite TV, and vehicles, just to name a few. We depend on those items so deeply, that when they don’t work for us, we have a hard time functioning. And yet how many of us understand completely how those things do what they do?

The same can be said in a much higher and far deeper way with the truth that our God is triune—three persons but only one God. No matter how intelligent you may be, that’s a truth we can never completely understand. It doesn’t make sense to our human minds. How can there be three persons but only one God? I can’t explain how. No one can. And yet the Bible clearly teaches it.

But it works for us. The triune God has tremendous, daily, practical impact on our lives. In fact, without our God, we wouldn’t exist. Neither would our world.

This morning we have listened to some of those sections of God’s word which speak about who the triune God is and what he does for us. We have one of those sections before us now—the familiar words of the end of Mathew’s Gospel. In those words Jesus reveals the Holy Trinity. While we can never understand that revelation completely, as we study these words this morning, may we come to a deeper faith in our triune God and his powerful, gracious working in our lives.

Part I.

He was just released from prison last week and was caught robbing a convenience store last night. Another person was arrested for the 10th time for driving under the influence, even though his driver’s license had been suspended years ago. She got married recently, for the 5th time. The young boy got grounded for not keeping his room clean for the 3rd time this month. What do all these situations have in common? I suppose there might be more than one, but the one that hit me is, “When will these people learn?”

I wonder how often Jesus asked himself that question in his dealings with his disciples and others who followed him. I’m almost sure he asked it again on the day when this event occurred.

The timing of this event is some time during the forty days between Jesus’ resurrection from the dead on Easter and his ascension into heaven. On Easter Jesus had appeared to the women and told them to tell his brothers to go to Galilee. And that’s what they did. Our text refers specifically to the eleven disciples. Bible scholars wonder if other followers of Jesus were there as well. In fact, some scholars wonder if this is the event that Paul refers to when he says that the risen Jesus appeared to 500 brothers at the same time. I mention these things because of one short phrase in our text. Listen to it again, “When they saw him, they worshipped him; but some doubted.” An acceptable translation of the Greek would also be, “but others doubted.” That some of the people who were there doubted is clear. We’re just not sure who these doubters were. What amazes us is that there were doubters at all with the risen Jesus in front of them. What did they doubt? That it really was Jesus? We’re not told. But I imagine Jesus again wondered, “When will they learn?”

So that they would learn, Jesus revealed the Holy Trinity to them. He said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” He didn’t say, “All power is given to me.” He said, “All authority is given to me.” While power and authority are closely related, they’re not the same. The authority of Jesus is the ability to do his will. The will of Jesus is that every sinner would come to faith in him as their personal Savior from sin and thus receive forgiveness and eternal life with him. The authority of Jesus saves.

But it also destroys. He has all authority in heaven and on earth. That means there is no authority higher or greater than he. He has authority over every human being, every earthly power, every earthly government, corporation and entity. He also has authority over every spiritual entity. Satan and his legions of demons war against our triune God and his kingdom night and day, every day. And every day we see their evil influence on people. But the universal authority of Jesus means that he has the ability to do his will in spite of their evil efforts.

And he’s not alone. That universal authority belongs also to the Father and the Holy Spirit. The Scriptures frequently refer to the fact that the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit all cooperate in their powerful influence in our lives and in our world. For instance, in spite of Satan’s all-out efforts to the contrary, Jesus rose from the dead. The Bible states that the Father raised Jesus, that Jesus raised himself, and that the Holy Spirit raised Jesus. All three are true. They all possess universal authority—the ability to do their will.

Jesus reveals the Holy Trinity in universal authority.

We wondered when these followers of Jesus would stop doubting and learn the lesson that Jesus is who he says he is and that he can do all things. A much better question is, “When will we?” Now, before you say, “Not so, Pastor,” ask yourself, “Have you ever lived a day of your life without doubting or worrying?” Let’s be honest. We have doubts and worries about literally everything in our lives—our relationships, health, employment, children, parents, friends, education, finances, even our clothing and our pets! All those worries reveal how shallow our trust is in the triune God. While our concern is on those earthly, temporal things, his concern is always on our eternal life with him. He showed that when the Father revealed his plan to save all sinners, when the Son came to this earth and fulfilled that plan with his life, death and resurrection, and when the Holy Spirit brought us into God’s kingdom when he brought us to faith in Jesus. There’s the powerful working of the Holy Trinity in your life. Rejoice and be comforted in his universal authority.

Part II.

You’ve heard the statement, “Absolute authority corrupts absolutely.” In fact, you’re probably quoted that statement yourself. We’ve seen far too many cases of it in the recent past. It’s at the heart and center of most, if not all, of the recent uprisings in countries around the world.

There’s only one person who handled absolute power correctly, and that was the one who spoke these words of our text, your Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Jesus didn’t walk this earth to impress us with his universal authority. He walked this earth to impress us with his gracious love. His cross is a symbol of that sacrificial love. He let nothing stop him from dying for our eternal life.

But his love for us didn’t end with that tremendous act. Listen for his love in action in these words, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” He sent his followers out, out to the ends of the earth, to all nations. Contrary to the way we might view others, especially those who are different than we are, Jesus loves all sinners, every sinner. And thus he sent his followers out to reach one and all.

That love also caused him to equip them for this mission. One of the means they were to use to bring sinners into his kingdom was the Sacrament of Baptism. And we see that they did exactly that on the Day of Pentecost. After the Holy Spirit filled them, they used Baptism to share that Spirit with others. And the church increased in dramatic fashion.

He also told them to use his word. He instructed his followers to teach his word to all nations. Not just some of his word. All of it. Everything he has commanded. There is no such thing as an unimportant teaching of Jesus. Everything Jesus said in his word is meant to bless us. It’s all important. Every word of it.

And lastly, he equipped them with his presence. He has promised to be with his people always. No matter what the time or situation, he is with us. In another one of the gospels he talked about him living in us and us living in him. By faith in Jesus we are inseparable from him. And that’s the way he wants it to be for eternity. Every person of the Trinity wants it to be that way for eternity. He wants us to experience his gracious love for all time.

Jesus reveals the Holy Trinity in gracious love.

The Triune God stated through the Apostle John, “God is love” (1 John 4:16). There’s no more simple yet profound way of revealing who the Holy Trinity is. Everything he is and says and does is evidence of his love for sinners. That’s a love we don’t deserve. And yet, when life gets tough we wonder where his love for us is. Look to the cross. Review what the triune God did for you there. Recall the fact that should have been me and you suffering for an eternity. And he did it all so that we could live in his presence forever. Now that’s love, a love that’s out of this world, a love found only in the Holy Trinity. Marvel at that love. And bask in the truth that your God, the triune God, wants you to enjoy that love eternally. Amen.