The Holy Trinity is an interesting teaching of the Christian church. The word “Trinity” doesn’t appear in the bible so it has been disputed by many denominations like the Jehovah’s Witnesses and Christadelphians. Many of the heresies from the early church were created by well meaning Christians wanting to explain the mystery of One God, three Persons. As a result the Creeds were written to keep the teaching pure and if you’ve never taken notice they are in 3 parts – I believe in God the Father almighty … I believe in Jesus Christ his Son … I believe in the Holy Spirit.
As the church grew the creeds had to become more descriptive as we see in the Nicene Creed to protect the teaching of Jesus being equal in the Godhead. We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one being with the father. Through whom all things were made. A church Father by the name of Athanasius went even stronger writing what is known as our 3rd Creed, the Athanasian Creed which begins: Whosoever will be saved, before all things it is necessary that he hold the catholic faith. Which faith unless every one do keep whole and undefiled, without doubt he shall perish everlastingly. And the catholic faith is this: that we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity; neither confounding the Persons, nor dividing the Essence.
Muslims reject Christianity for worshipping more than one God or that God could have a son. Jews reject Christianity for suggesting that Jesus, a mere human, could be the Son of God and the promised Messiah. So you can understand that the Trinity has been an important doctrine of the Christian Church. But what is the importance of it for our everyday Christian faith? Do we have to fully understand it in order to believe it?
I believe in today’s readings, even though there is no reference to The Trinity, that we can understand that it’s the relationship of Father, Son and Holy Spirit and through Jesus’ death and resurrection the extension of that relationship is now given to us which is of vital importance and comfort.
First of all we see in Jesus’ words: All that the Father has is mine and that he will take what is mine and declare it to you. Whatever God the Father has he gives to Jesus his Son through the Holy Spirit is now given to us because we are children of God. There we see the unity of the Trinity at work but it doesn’t end there. The Holy Spirit takes what is Jesus’ and give it to us.
So not only is there unity in the Trinity, Father, Sona and Holy Spirit – BUT – we have been included in that unity because through Jesus’ death, as Paul says – we are heirs – everything Jesus has, we have. And that’s what Paul is describing in our 2nd reading: Since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand. We have access to God. And that’s what the Book of Hebrews also describes: We have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body.
The Curtain? You may recall that at his death it says that the curtain in the temple was torn in two. The curtain that divided the temple and would only allow the High Priest to enter the Most Holy Place once a year – on the Day of Atonement. But now, we can enter that Holy Place always. Not just at church – no, the Christian faith goes well beyond our worship on Sundays. But in our prayers, in our reading of the Word – the HOLY Bible – we have confidence that we come into the presence of God.
This relationship we now have through the Trinity means that we can truly “know” God. And there are differences in “knowing”. As we celebrate the Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II, as you look at all the celebrations throughout the Commonwealth and beyond – there are millions, if not billions of people who know the Queen. But that doesn’t give you access to the Queen nor does she know you. But “knowing” God is on a whole different level. God invites you to speak to him – to touch him – and he knows you and in fact knows the very hairs on your head.
Understanding God as Trinity is not about holding the correct opinion on God’s nature. It is the starting place for truly knowing him. To believe in and have a relationship with God, building a real friendship with God.
It enables us to worship our Heavenly Father and know that we stand, not as peasants or unimportant mortals, but as his beloved children, as coheirs of his Heavenly Kingdom: as the beloved creatures to whom he gives all that he has – As Psalm 8 says: – When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers— the moon and the stars you set in place— what are mere mortals that you should think about them, human beings that you should care for them?
This is to truly know God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Not getting the explanation right but getting the relationship right. And the amazing thing about leaving the details and explanations to God is that we don’t limit God to our explanation. That’s the beauty of leaving it as a mystery. And that’s what Jesus said in our Gospel reading. “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth;
Too often we limit God by our limitations. Think of when Paul was taken into heaven and given a glimpse of Paradise in 2 Corinthians: I know that this man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows— was caught up to paradise and heard inexpressible things, things that no one is permitted to tell. Was it because Paul was told a secret and wasn’t allowed to tell us or was it because there were no words in our limited vocabulary and understanding that could give proper understanding of what he saw and heard. Was it too much for us to bear right now?
The amazing thing about our relationship with God is that it is only limited by us. So when we pray, forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us – it is saying that our understanding of God’s forgiveness in our lives is limited to our forgiveness of others. It’s not limited by God The love we experience from God is only limited by the love we show others. That’s why Jesus says – love one another as I have loved you. And, love your enemies. And that’s why the Trinity is not to be explained or described but rather experienced. Always you’ll find that Jesus wants us to experience what he has experienced from his Father. Love one another as I have loved you. As the Father has sent me so I am sending you. The Father and I are one.
In Jesus Christ, we see everything there is to see about a Father’s love. And in Jesus we experience everything there is to experience of the Father’s love.
And, as Paul says, God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us. That’s the Trinity at work. Whether we understand it or not. Whether we can explain it or not. Sometimes the best things are left unexplained. Because as soon as we explain something then we limit it to that explanation. But when it comes to the mystery of God – the Holy Trinity – Jesus says that he has more to give to us than we can possibly bear and that includes the love of God that he pours into our hearts.
