Embracing the Mystery of the Trinity

 

Summary

In our journey through the Bible, we have reached the Gospels, where Jesus Christ is revealed. Over the past weeks, we have explored His life, ministry, and the profound promise of His return. Today, we delve into the nature of God as revealed by Jesus, focusing on the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Jesus, in the Great Commission, emphasizes the unity and distinctiveness of the Trinity, urging us to be immersed in the fullness of God. Understanding God begins with acknowledging the mystery of the Trinity: one God in three persons. This is not a contradiction but a divine mystery that invites us into deeper worship and awe.

The Bible affirms the oneness of God, yet reveals the distinct persons of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Each is fully God, yet there is one God. Analogies often fall short in explaining this mystery, as they tend to obscure more than they reveal. Instead, we are called to embrace the mystery, allowing it to lead us into worship rather than trying to fully comprehend it. The mystery of the Trinity is like a mist that covers the town, making everything outside the truth clear. We must not turn away from this mystery but let it draw us into the splendor of God's glory.

Jesus reveals the Father to us, a knowledge hidden from the wise but revealed to those who humble themselves like little children. This revelation is a gift of grace, not dependent on intellectual capacity but on a heart willing to learn. Through Jesus, we are brought into a relationship with the Father, experiencing His love, submitting to His will, and sharing in His glory. This relationship is not based on our earthly experiences of fatherhood but on the perfect love between Jesus and His Father. Jesus came to bring us into this relationship, offering us the Father's everlasting love, the joy of doing His will, and the promise of sharing in His eternal glory.

Key Takeaways:

1. The Mystery of the Trinity: The Trinity is a divine mystery, not a contradiction. One God exists in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This mystery invites us into worship, acknowledging that while we cannot fully comprehend it, we can embrace the truth revealed to us. [08:42]

2. Revelation Through Humility: Knowing God is not about intellectual prowess but about humility. Jesus reveals the Father to those who approach with a childlike heart, willing to learn and be taught by God. This revelation is a gracious gift, accessible to all who humble themselves. [16:27]

3. Experiencing the Father's Love: Through Jesus, we enter into the love relationship He shares with the Father. This love is infinite and eternal, enabling us to love others even in difficult circumstances. The love of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is the source of all love. [28:42]

4. Submitting to the Father's Will: Jesus exemplifies joyful submission to the Father's will, even when it is costly. In our own lives, knowing the Father's love empowers us to choose His will, trusting in His goodness and glory. [32:59]

5. Sharing in the Father's Glory: Jesus brings us into the glory He shares with the Father. Despite the cost of following God's will, the glory that awaits us far surpasses any suffering. This promise of glory is a source of hope and strength. [34:57]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:13] - Introduction to the Gospels
- [00:40] - The Nature of God
- [01:08] - The Great Commission
- [02:10] - One God in Three Persons
- [03:34] - The Trinity Explained
- [06:32] - The Limitations of Analogies
- [08:06] - Mystery, Not Contradiction
- [09:14] - The Mountain Analogy
- [10:57] - Responding to the Mystery
- [13:02] - Hidden and Revealed
- [15:06] - Knowing God Through Jesus
- [19:52] - The Gift of Revelation
- [22:10] - My Father and Your Father
- [25:43] - Experiencing the Father's Love
- [30:43] - Submitting to the Father's Will
- [34:19] - Sharing in the Father's Glory
- [36:47] - Conclusion and Prayer

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
1. Matthew 11:25-27
2. Matthew 28:18-20
3. John 17:24-26

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Observation Questions:

1. In Matthew 11:25-27, what does Jesus say about who can know the Father? How does this relate to the concept of revelation through humility? [15:57]

2. According to Matthew 28:18-20, what does Jesus command His disciples to do, and how does this relate to the understanding of the Trinity? [01:24]

3. In John 17:24-26, what does Jesus express about the love between the Father and the Son, and how is this love extended to believers? [28:42]

4. How does the sermon describe the limitations of analogies when explaining the Trinity? What is the suggested response to this mystery? [06:32]

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Interpretation Questions:

1. How does the sermon explain the significance of Jesus revealing the Father to those with a childlike heart? What does this imply about the nature of revelation and understanding God? [16:27]

2. In what ways does the sermon suggest that the love shared between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is foundational to our understanding of love? How does this impact our relationships with others? [28:42]

3. How does the sermon illustrate the concept of joyful submission to the Father's will through Jesus' example? What does this teach about the nature of obedience and trust in God? [32:59]

4. What does the sermon suggest about the promise of sharing in the Father's glory, and how does this provide hope and strength to believers? [34:57]

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Application Questions:

1. Reflect on a time when you struggled to understand a mystery of faith. How did you respond, and how might embracing the mystery of the Trinity lead you into deeper worship? [12:26]

2. Consider your approach to knowing God. How can you cultivate a childlike heart that is open to learning and receiving revelation from Jesus? [16:27]

3. Think of a challenging relationship in your life. How can the infinite love of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit empower you to love others, even in difficult circumstances? [29:39]

4. Reflect on a decision you are currently facing. How can the example of Jesus' joyful submission to the Father's will guide you in choosing God's will, even if it is costly? [32:59]

5. How does the promise of sharing in the Father's glory influence your perspective on current struggles or sacrifices? What practical steps can you take to focus on this hope? [34:57]

6. Identify an area in your life where you feel distant from God's love. How can you intentionally seek to experience the Father's love through your relationship with Jesus? [25:43]

7. Consider how you can immerse yourself more fully in the life of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. What specific practices or changes can you implement to allow God to permeate every part of your life? [01:55]

Devotional

Day 1: Embracing the Divine Mystery of the Trinity
The Trinity is a profound mystery that invites us into a deeper relationship with God. It is not a contradiction but a divine truth that reveals one God in three distinct persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This mystery is not meant to be fully comprehended by human intellect but to be embraced with a heart of worship and awe. As we acknowledge the unity and distinctiveness of the Trinity, we are drawn into the fullness of God's presence, experiencing His love and glory. The mystery of the Trinity is like a mist that covers the town, making everything outside the truth clear. We are encouraged not to turn away from this mystery but to let it lead us into the splendor of God's glory. [08:42]

Isaiah 55:8-9 (ESV): "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."

Reflection: How can you embrace the mystery of the Trinity in your daily worship, allowing it to deepen your relationship with God?


Day 2: Humility as the Pathway to Divine Revelation
Knowing God is not about intellectual prowess but about approaching Him with humility. Jesus reveals the Father to those who come with a childlike heart, willing to learn and be taught by God. This revelation is a gracious gift, accessible to all who humble themselves before Him. It is not dependent on our intellectual capacity but on a heart that is open and receptive to God's truth. As we humble ourselves, we are invited into a deeper understanding of God's nature and His love for us. [16:27]

Matthew 11:25 (ESV): "At that time Jesus declared, 'I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children.'"

Reflection: In what areas of your life do you need to adopt a more childlike humility to receive God's revelation?


Day 3: Entering into the Father's Love
Through Jesus, we are invited into the love relationship He shares with the Father. This love is infinite and eternal, enabling us to love others even in difficult circumstances. The love of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is the source of all love, and through Jesus, we are brought into this divine relationship. This love is not based on our earthly experiences of fatherhood but on the perfect love between Jesus and His Father. As we experience the Father's love, we are empowered to love others with the same selfless and sacrificial love. [28:42]

1 John 4:16 (ESV): "So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him."

Reflection: How can you actively demonstrate the Father's love to someone in your life today, especially in challenging situations?


Day 4: Joyful Submission to the Father's Will
Jesus exemplifies joyful submission to the Father's will, even when it is costly. In our own lives, knowing the Father's love empowers us to choose His will, trusting in His goodness and glory. Submission to God's will is not a burden but a source of joy and fulfillment, as we align our desires with His perfect plan. As we follow Jesus' example, we find strength and courage to embrace God's will, even when it requires sacrifice and surrender. [32:59]

Hebrews 12:2 (ESV): "Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God."

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you struggle to submit to God's will, and how can you find joy in surrendering it to Him?


Day 5: Sharing in the Father's Glory
Jesus brings us into the glory He shares with the Father. Despite the cost of following God's will, the glory that awaits us far surpasses any suffering. This promise of glory is a source of hope and strength, encouraging us to persevere in our faith journey. As we share in the Father's glory, we are transformed into His likeness, reflecting His love and grace to the world. The promise of eternal glory motivates us to endure hardships and remain faithful to God's calling. [34:57]

2 Corinthians 4:17-18 (ESV): "For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal."

Reflection: How does the promise of sharing in the Father's glory inspire you to remain faithful in the face of challenges and trials?

Quotes


The Christian life is all about being immersed or drenched in God the Father, plunged into God the Son, soaked in God the Holy Spirit. To be a Christian is for the Father, the Son, and the Spirit to permeate every part of your life. [00:01:45]

The Bible makes the identity of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit absolutely clear. The Father sends the Son, the Spirit glorifies the Son, the Son prays to the Father, the Father and the Son pour out the Holy Spirit. [00:03:41]

Triune God is a mystery, but not a contradiction, and this is an important distinction to bear in mind. If Christians believe that there is one God and there are three gods, that would be a contradiction, wouldn't it? [00:08:16]

What God has revealed is beyond what any of us can understand. None of us can explain or see into or fathom into the mystery that there is one God and He exists in three persons, but we can clearly identify everything else that is outside of the boundaries of truth. [00:10:36]

Don't turn away from it because if you just kind of turn away as some people sometimes do, "Oh well, I can't even think about that, it's utterly beyond me," you just turn away from it and pay no attention at all. Here's what you are doing: you are turning away from the unfathomable splendor of the glory of God that will entrance you for all eternity. [00:11:32]

We like to think that we know God. We often speak as if by intuition we could know what God is like. You hear people saying this all the time, "I like to think of God like this," but Jesus is absolutely emphatic: knowing God is beyond our natural ability. [00:14:09]

The only way that you or anyone else, however bright you are, the only way that you will ever come to know God is to humble yourself and to say, "Lord, if I am to come to know you at all, I need you to teach me." [00:17:24]

We do not have the natural ability to know the Father, but Jesus does know the Father, and He has come into the world to reveal the Father to us, and we come to know the Father through the Son. [00:20:20]

The good news is not that God is everybody's Father. A lot of people have that idea, but that is not the good news of the Gospels. It is not that God is everybody's Father. The good news is that God is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ and that Jesus can bring us into the relationship that He has with the Father as His one and only Son. [00:22:00]

How great is the love that the Father has lavished on us, that whatever our earthly background, our experience in and through Jesus Christ, we should become children of God. [00:25:22]

The experience of Jesus from before the foundation of the world was to love the Father and to be loved by the Father. By the way, this is a great question to ask a secularist: where did love come from? [00:27:00]

When the cost of commitment is great, Jesus leans into His knowledge of the Father's love, and that is what enables Him to say, "Father, I know how much you love me, and in the light of that, not my will, but yours be done." [00:33:17]

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