WE SEE THE TRIUNE GOD AT JESUS’ BAPTISM
June 4, 2023 – Trinity Sunday – MATTHEW 3:13-17
INTRO.: The whole earth is full of the Lord’s glory! Part of the Lord’s glory includes the Biblical teaching about the Triune God. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in three persons: One God. Such a truth might stretch one’s human thinking. Faith thinking believes what the Scriptures reveal to us as truth. Jesus spoke of the Triune God: Father, Holy Spirit, and himself, the Son of God. “But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and remind you of everything I told you” (JOHN 14:26). WE SEE (AND HEAR) THE TRIUNE GOD AT JESUS’ BAPTISM.
I. Jesus is true God. II. The Father is God. III. Holy Spirit is God.
I. JESUS IS TRUE GOD.
A. Verse 13. Jesus came to be baptized by John: The baptizer. The Jordan river had water.
1. Verse 14. John tried to stop Jesus. The ever-humble John felt unworthy for such a task.
2. John knew Jesus was more than a man. He was the promised Messiah, Christ, anointed.
B. Verse 15. Jesus answered John’s reluctance: “…it is proper to fulfill all righteousness.”
1. Jesus came to do his Father’s will. Jesus would also fulfill all the laws of mankind.
2. The human flesh could be put to death. Jesus’ perfect obedience paid the price for sin.
C. Jesus took on human flesh and blood. This flesh and blood body of Jesus would suffer, die, and be buried. Jesus also was true God. Jesus rose again on the third day. This is God’s resurrection power! Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection paid the price for the world’s disobedience. Only the perfect life of Jesus could, would, and did pay for our sins. The sins of the world. "For just as through the disobedience of one man the many became sinners, so also through the obedience of one man the many will become righteous" (ROMANS 5:19). The one man who disobeyed was Adam. Jesus is the man who obeyed. Saved us.
D. All too many try to rob Jesus of his divinity. Some religions like Jesus. But they wrongly believe and teach he was just a good man. Teacher. Miracle worker. They do not worship the one true God: Triune God. Some claim Jesus did not call himself God. Or Lord. In the gospel of John Jesus clearly stated: “I and the Father are One” (10:22). Over and over God’s Word simply states the Jesus is God. "We know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true, in his Son, Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life” (1 JOHN 5:20).
WE SEE THE TRIUNE GOD AT JESUS’ BAPTISM. Jesus, the Christ, is true God.
II. THE FATHER IS GOD.
A. John baptized Jesus in the Jordan river. All righteousness fulfilled. Jesus came out of the Jordan.
B. Verse 17. A voice out of the heavens declared: “This is my Son, whom I love.”
1. A voice from heaven? Could only be the voice of God. Testimony again: Jesus is God’s Son.
2. John heard the voice of God. The gathered crowd heard God’s voice. Proof positive.
C. The voice of our heavenly Father is powerful. The Lord God of heavenly Armies created the world and everything in it. The Lord created everything that was seen from things that were not visible. This is creation definition. The Lord did all this by his Word. “Let there be!” And it was. Note the care our loving, heavenly Father took at the creation of mankind. He used what was created to make his crowning glory of all creation. “The LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being" (GENESIS 2:7). Simple dust with divine breath of God yields miraculous human body. Complex bodies. Father’s creation power.
D. Holy, holy, holy is the Lord! The whole earth is full of his glory. Look around and be filled with awe and wonder at all things created. Our world is renewed every spring. The Lord created seasons for the land to rest. Be renewed. Come to life. The Lord has established the boundaries of land. Oceans. Planets. Stars. In all of this majestic and awesome power the Lord God of Armies is our Father.
"And because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts to shout, ‘Abba, Father!’" (GALATIANS 4:6). We experience great love in earthly, family relationships. The love of our heavenly Father is greater. Perfect. Eternal. Anytime, anywhere we can cry out to our Father: Father.
WE SEE THE TRIUNE GOD AT JESUS’ BAPTISM. God the Father is true God.
III. HOLY SPIRIT IS GOD.
A. The setting of Jesus’ baptism: John, Jesus, Jordan river. Crowds of people are also gathered.
1. People from the whole region came out to see John. Hear Gospel. Be baptized.
2. Jesus is baptized. Voice of Father came from the heavens. John, the crowd sees and hears.
B. Verse 16. After being baptized Jesus came up out of the Jordan river. Heavens were opened.
1. “He saw the Spirit of God, descending like a dove and landing on him…” Holy Spirit appeared.
2. Holy Spirit descended like a dove. Human words to describe the divine event.
a. Spirit: like a dove. b. Pentecost: like fire. c. In person even more miraculous.
C. Our text shows us God’s Son, Jesus. God the Father announces Jesus is his Son. The Holy Spirit descends on Jesus. Like Jesus many do not consider the Holy Spirit to be God. Scripture is quite clear. The Holy Spirit, like Jesus, IS God. Holy Spirit has the same powers as God. Same qualities. The Holy Spirit is also called God. This is not man’s teaching. It is God’s truth. “The Spirit of God made me. The breath of the Almighty gave me life" (JOB 33:4). The Spirit of God created. In the beginning, in Genesis, God the Father created all things. Holy Spirit part of divine creating power. Was hovering over the waters (Genesis 1:2). [In the beginning was the Word (JESUS)…Word was with God (John 1:1).]
D. Without the Holy Spirit no one would know anything divine. The first and foremost gift of the Holy Spirit is faith. Faith that knows and confesses: “I believe” in the Triune God. Father. Son. Holy Spirit. There are different gifts of the Holy Spirit. All of these gifts flow from faith. Without faith it is impossible to please God. True Christian faith believes in the Word of God as truth. Perfectly. The Pentecost crowd in Jerusalem wanted to know how to be saved. “Peter answered them, ‘Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit’” (ACTS 2:38). Baptism provides forgiveness through faith in Christ. That faith in Christ is the gift of the Holy Spirit. Saved by faith alone. Grace alone. Scripture alone. Triune God.
CONCL.: At Jesus’ baptism we see the Triune God simply, distinctly revealed. John recognized Jesus as the Messiah. God’s Son. God the Father speaks from heaven. Declares Jesus to be his Son. The Holy Spirit descends on Jesus. Three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. One God. A blessing often used declares the truth of the Trinity. "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all” (2 CORINTHIANS 13:14). Jesus’ grace: sin payment. God’s love: forgiveness. Holy Spirit fellowship: faith uniting believers as God’s family. WE SEE (HEAR) THE TRIUNE GOD AT JESUS’ BAPTISM. Amen. Pastor Timm O. Meyer
TRINITY SUNDAY readings: ISAIAH 6:1-8; 2 COR 13:11-14; MATT. 28:16-20; (PSALM 150)
SERVICES: 8:00am @ McCook (Sun) / 10:30am @ Redeemer (Sun) / NCF 1:00 Min. (Sat) & 12:00 Med. (Sun)
Sunday radio broadcast @ 9:00am on KQNK 106.7FM / 102.5FM / 1530AM & Facebook
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