The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in Matthew 4:1,
"Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil."
Here we see the Son of God being led by the Spirit of God. I note in the previous verse, 3:17 (remember, Matthew didn't write his gospels in chapters - those were inserted into our Bibles just a few centuries ago) we see God the Father speaking, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased."
Within these two verses Matthew referenced all three members of the Trinity. One God represented in three persons. Not one person wearing different hats at different times, and not all the other oddball ideas so many people have had over the years. It is astonishing to me that there have been groups of people who have rejected the notion of the Trinity, in that they cannot wrap their minds around one God in three persons. I can't blame them much, as I can't wrap my mind around it either.
However, the Scriptures are clear. God presents himself, reveals himself, in Scripture as one God in three persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Possibly my most favorite passage that features the reality of the Trinity is found in Jesus own prayer to the Father. He speaks of a divine love and a divine intimacy that exists among the members of the Trinity, and asks the Father that we, as believers, might share in this wondrous divine love they share in among themselves.
Read the astonishing things Jesus asked for us as he appealed to the Father on our behalf, that we might share in the intimacy that exists within the Trinity:
"My [Jesus'] prayer is not for them [the disciples with him at the time] alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message [this is us!], that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them." John 17:20-26.
This prayer of Jesus is just breath-taking! How astonishing the Son of God asks the Father that you and I might share in the unique love and intimacy that is shared among the members of the Trinity!
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
"Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil."
Here we see the Son of God being led by the Spirit of God. I note in the previous verse, 3:17 (remember, Matthew didn't write his gospels in chapters - those were inserted into our Bibles just a few centuries ago) we see God the Father speaking, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased."
Within these two verses Matthew referenced all three members of the Trinity. One God represented in three persons. Not one person wearing different hats at different times, and not all the other oddball ideas so many people have had over the years. It is astonishing to me that there have been groups of people who have rejected the notion of the Trinity, in that they cannot wrap their minds around one God in three persons. I can't blame them much, as I can't wrap my mind around it either.
However, the Scriptures are clear. God presents himself, reveals himself, in Scripture as one God in three persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Possibly my most favorite passage that features the reality of the Trinity is found in Jesus own prayer to the Father. He speaks of a divine love and a divine intimacy that exists among the members of the Trinity, and asks the Father that we, as believers, might share in this wondrous divine love they share in among themselves.
Read the astonishing things Jesus asked for us as he appealed to the Father on our behalf, that we might share in the intimacy that exists within the Trinity:
"My [Jesus'] prayer is not for them [the disciples with him at the time] alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message [this is us!], that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them." John 17:20-26.
This prayer of Jesus is just breath-taking! How astonishing the Son of God asks the Father that you and I might share in the unique love and intimacy that is shared among the members of the Trinity!
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
No comments:
Post a Comment