Matthew 3 … Consider Him, the Triune God

Originally posted: 04/02/2019

After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him, 17 and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased,” (3:16-17).

The Trinity. How can we comprehend Him? We can’t. So today, let us once again acknowledge the fact that He is beyond our ability to understand, but in faith accept His truth as we sincerely ponder and consider Him as revealed in His Word. While nowhere in the Bible is the term, “Trinity” used, it is abundantly evident that our God, although One, is the Triune God.

Consider Him the Triune God

  • “I, even I, am the Lord, and there is no savior besides Me,” (Isaiah 43:11).
  • “Let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead… 11 He is the stone which was rejected by you, the builders, but which became the chief corner stone. 12 And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved,” (Acts 4:10-12).
  •  Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God,” (John 3:5).

God, the Father

  • “I, even I, am the Lord, and there is no savior besides Me,” (Isaiah 43:11).
  • “But now, O Lord, You are our Father, we are the clay, and You our potter; and all of us are the work of Your hand,” (Isaiah 64:8).
  • A father of the fatherless and a judge for the widows, is God in His holy habitation, (Psalm 68:5).
  • …one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all, (Ephesians 4:6).
  •  Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow, (James 1:17).
  • Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, (Ephesians 1:3).
  • We have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world, (1 John 4:14).

God, the Son

  • “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved,” (Acts 4:12).
  • “…for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord,” (Luke 2:11).
  •  “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost,” (Luke 19:10).
  • It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners… (1 Timothy 1:15).
  • …looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, (Titus 2:13).
  • In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being… And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth, (John 1:1-3, 14).
  • “I and the Father are one,” (John 10:30).

God, the Holy Spirit

  • Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born, can he?” Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit,” (John 3:3-8).
  • “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; 17 that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you… 26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you,” (John 14:16-17, 26).
  • Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go up and join this chariot,” (Acts 8:29).
  • “The Spirit told me to go with them without misgivings,” (Acts 11:12).
  • While they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them,” (Acts 13:2).
  • But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back some of the price of the land? While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not under your control? Why is it that you have conceived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God,” (Acts 5:3-4).

God, the Triune God

  • “Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one!” (Deuteronomy 6:4).
  • After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him, 17 and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased,” (3:16-17).

How do we respond to Him, the Triune God?

We cannot possibly explain Him with our finite minds. Reflect on the following words written by Francis Chan:

Not being able to fully understand God is frustrating but it is ridiculous for us to think we have the right to limit God to something we are capable of comprehending. What a stunted, insignificant god that would be! If my mind is the size of a soda can and God is the size of all the oceans, it would be stupid for me to say He is only the small amount of water I can scoop into my little can. God is so much bigger, so far beyond our time-encased, air/food/sleep-dependent lives.” (Crazy Love, pgs. 30-31).

So let’s not be so “stupid” as to think we can explain Him. Instead let us be so wise as to seek Him by faith; meditate on Him as He has revealed Himself to us; and obey what we know for certain!

The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever, that we may observe all the words of this law, (Deuteronomy 29:29).

What He has revealed is ours forever and ours to obey!

Let’s Grow Together!

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