June 12 2022
Trinity Sunday June 12th 2022
Old Testament: Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31
Psalm: Psalm 8
Epistle: Acts 2:14a, 22-36
Gospel: John 8:48-59
Sermon Text: John 8:48-59
Sermon Title:
In the name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Among our approximately 6000 LCMS congregations, St. John is the second most popular name and St. Paul is third; these are followed by (in order) Immanuel, Zion, Grace, Faith, Redeemer, Our Savior, Christ, Good Shepherd and St. Peter. The most popular name however, making up almost 10% of all LCMS churches, is Trinity. Now, I do not know why this is, but I find it interesting since the doctrine of the Trinity is one of the most controversial of all Christian doctrines. Perhaps some of these churches thought it was important to confess this truth of who God is, in their name.
The Trinity is a doctrine that clearly sets Christianity apart from all other religions (including other monotheistic religions like Judaism and Islam) and cults (such as Jehovah’s Witnesses) and even many (so-called) Christian churches. This doctrine is highly offensive to all of these false religions. The doctrine of the Holy Trinity is vitally important because it deals with who God is and how He works to save or redeem His people. It is imperative that we get this truth right; that we believe in One God; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, three distinct persons in one divine being. This is what we confess in each of the Creeds.
How has this been controversial? In more ways than we can get into in a single sermon; after all it involves nearly 2000 years of church history. To briefly summarize, rarely has the divinity of God the Father been questioned, but historically the person of the Holy Spirit has been the subject of much controversy in the church; some of which we discussed last Sunday. However, the biggest doctrinal fights have come over the person and work of Jesus Christ our Lord. Some have doubted His humanity others His divinity, saying (contrary to Holy Scripture) that He is inferior to the Father.
The truth is that the Holy Trinity is spoken of throughout the Bible, including the Old Testament, but much more clearly in the New Testament. So, Moses can write “The Lord our God is one” (Deuteronomy 6:4b, but also uses the plural to refer to God the creator in Genesis 1. In a similar way, the prophet Isaiah was called by God in this way; “Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?”. (Isaiah 6:8a) God is both One and Trinity, even in the Old Testament.
This truth is made abundantly clear in the New Testament with the trinitarian baptismal formula in Matthew’s Gospel; and the trinitarian benedictions of Saint Paul in 2nd Corinthians and elsewhere. Peter’s Pentecost sermon today brings this out as well saying, Jesus, “being exalted at the right hand of God, and receiving from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured out this, that you yourselves are seeing and hearing”. (Acts 2:33) We have also heard Jesus teach of this doctrine in the Gospel readings from the last several weeks saying, “the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things”. (John 14:26a)
So, we believe, teach, and confess what is taught about God in the three ecumenical Creeds. The Athanasian Creed covers two topics. The first half, which we confessed earlier, speaks at length about the mystery of the Holy Trinity; that “we worship one God in Trinity and Trinity in unity, neither confusing the persons or dividing the substance”. (Athanasian Creed, vs 4) The second half, which we will confess after the sermon, deals with the two natures of Jesus Christ, that “He is at the same time, both God and man”. (Athanasian Creed, vs 28b)
This is the doctrine that the unbelieving Jews in our text could not (or would not) understand. They had multiple opportunities to admit they were wrong about Jesus; to repent and believe the Gospel. Their discussion/confrontation with Jesus goes back to verse 12 of John chapter 8 and Jesus spoke clearly about who He is.
Just to give you a little background, in verse 13, the Pharisees said to Jesus, “You are bearing witness about yourself, that Your testimony is not true”. (John 8:13b) In other words, they called Jesus a liar. They continued throughout the chapter to question every single thing Jesus said, even insulting Him by saying that He was an illegitimate child, because of the unusual circumstances of His birth.
Finally, Jesus had had enough of their hateful nonsense saying; “Why do you not understand what I say? (answering His own question, Jesus said) It is because you cannot bear to hear My Word. You are of your father the devil and you will to do your father’s desires … (He is) a liar and the father of lies”. (John 8:43-44) “Whoever is of God hears the Word of God. The reason you do not hear it is that you are not of God”. (John 8:46b) Jesus is brutally honest with them; telling it like it is.
At the beginning of our text today, the enraged Pharisees continue their assault/insults of Jesus, answering Him; “Are we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan and have a demon”? (John 8:48) This is what a hardened heart looks like; refusal to even listen to the Word of God and insulting and abusing the one who speaks it; in this case Jesus, the very Son of God.
To say He has a demon is easily understood; they accused Jesus as having come from the devil; (rather than from God) while they themselves brag, “Abraham is our father”. (John 8:39a) But to call Him a Samaritan was also an insult. The Samaritans came from a group of Jews who had intermarried with the unbelieving nations and had thus corrupted their faith. Most faithful Jews, considered them unbelievers and refused to associate with them.
“Jesus answered, I do not have a demon, but I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me. Yet, I do not seek My own glory; there is One who seeks it; He is the judge. Truly, truly, I say to you, If anyone keeps My Word, he will never taste death”. (John 8:49-51) “Truly, I say to you, anyone who hears My words and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life”. (John 5:24) Jesus speaks clearly here of His own relationship to the Father.
In dishonoring Jesus with their rebukes, insults, and false accusations; the Pharisees are really attacking God the Father; whom they claim to believe in. They continue their rant against Jesus saying; “now we know that You have a demon! Abrahm died, as did the prophets, yet You say, if anyone keeps My Word, he will never taste death. Are You greater than our Father Abraham who died? And the prophets who died? Who do You make Yourself out to Be”? (John 8:52-53)
In saying, “now we know You have a demon” (John 8:52) the Pharisees double down on their attack on Jesus’ divinity; not at all accepting what Jesus has clearly said about Himself. “Jesus answered them, If I glorify Myself, My glory is nothing. It is My Father who glorifies Me; of whom you say, He is our God. But you have not known Him”. (John 8:54-55a) Do you hear what Jesus is saying to the leaders of the Jews? It is something He has said to them before, “He who sent Me is true and Him, you do not know”, (John 7:28) He tells them quite directly, You don’t know God!
But Jesus isn’t finished rebuking the Pharisees. He continues saying, “If I were to say, I do not know Him, I would be a liar like you; but I do know Him and keep His Word”. (John 8:55b) Wow! That wasn’t very nice of Jesus. Didn’t He know that it isn’t helpful to point out other people’s sins and false teaching in such a confrontational way?
Jesus not only doesn’t stop there, He continues saying “Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see My day. He saw it and was glad”. (John 8:56) The Pharisees were just bragging about being Abraham’s descendants and now Jesus claims even Abraham as His own. “So, the Jews said to Him, You are not yet fifty years old and You have seen Abraham”? (John 8:57) Again, their hearts are getter harder by the moment, even as Jesus is simply bearing witness to the truth.
Then He spoke even more directly to them; in a way they could not possibly misunderstand. “Jesus said to them, truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am”. (John 8:58) Not only had Jesus seen Abraham; He existed before Abraham. In using the Old Testament name for God, “I am”, Jesus is saying I am true God and also true man; the One through whom “all the nations of the earth will be blessed”. (Genesis 22:18a) Of course, they did not accept Jesus’ answer in any way and “they picked up stones to throw at Him, but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple”. (John 8:59)
The Pharisees were offended by Jesus’ words and this continues to be true today; for it is not just the unbelieving world that is offended by Jesus; many in the church are also offended by Jesus’ clear Word on any number of doctrines and teachings of the Holy Scriptures; including the doctrine of the Trinity, which we celebrate today.
So, we are warned in the Athanasian Creed; “whoever desires to be saved must think thus about the Trinity (verse 26) whoever does not believe it faithfully and firmly cannot be saved”. (verse 40) “The Father is God, the Son is God, the Holy Spirit is God, and yet there are not three Gods, but One God”. (verses 15-16) One God, in three persons; the Holy Trinity, is always working for us and for our salvation; particularly in the means of grace, where He has promised to be.
For some of you, this teaching might seem too difficult and to others it may seem redundant or simplistic. Either way, believe it or not, getting back to the basics on this and other doctrines is often a good thing. So today, we allow God Himself, in His Word and in the liturgy, to remind us of who He is and what He is all about. We need these constant reminders because we are a forgetful people. We need these regular reminders because we are repeatedly tempted by our own sinful flesh, the moral and spiritual insanity of our world, and the devil’s half truths and lies; to doubt the Word and work of our triune God in the world and in our lives.
This is why we are constantly pointing you back to Christ and to His perfect, inerrant Word of truth. How else can we know if something is from God if we do not know His Word? How will we be able to stand up against the lies of the devil and this world, if we do not love the truth. These truths from God’s Word are offensive and foolish to those who do not believe in Christ, (those like the Pharisees in our text today) but this does not mean we are to ignore or downplay them, so that we do not give offense. Rather, let us acknowledge and gladly receive the gifts of the triune God, in this place, in the Word and Sacraments. “Blessed is the one who is not offended by Me”. (Matthew 11:6) Amen.
The peace of God …