Experiencing the Trinity

When I was a college student at the University of Maryland, there was a student club on campus.

! This particular student club did improv comedy.

Once a year, usually in the month of May, they would do a 24-hour performance of improv comedy in the center of campus.

You would be walking back from class in the middle of the day, or you would be coming back late at night from a friend's dorm,

and you would see students in the center of campus doing an improv comedy show, whether their audience was 100 people or zero people.

Improv comedy is, of course, improvisational. It's all made up on the spot.

Often performers take ideas or words from the audience, and they turn it into a scene.

And to do this, you have to not only be funny, but you have to be pretty smart and quick on your feet.

And so it was pretty incredible that this group of students would do this for 24 hours straight.

And if you know anything, if you've heard anything about how people learn to do improv comedy,

you know that one of the core principles is yes and.

Yes and.

It's this dynamic where performers are to build upon each other's performances.

So one person walks out on the stage and starts doing something.

Maybe they're reading a book or driving a car.

And the second person's job is to walk out onto the stage and say yes and.

To accept what the person is doing and to accept it and turn it into something that's creative and funny.

As we've already said, today in the church calendar is Trinity Sunday.

And if I could summarize what Trinity Sunday is all about, it's yes and.

Yes and.

God is one.

Yes and.

And he is also three.

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

God is three.

Yes and.

He is also one.

And so that's what we're going to look at this morning.

We're going to, from our gospel passage, from John chapter 16, we're going to look at the Trinity.

John 16 · chapter mention

We're going to look at understanding the Trinity and experiencing the Trinity.

Understanding the Trinity and experiencing the Trinity.

So first of all, understanding the Trinity.

Even though the word Trinity is never used in Scripture, this is nonetheless how God has revealed himself in Scripture.

As Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Now it took the church several generations to describe exactly how this is the case, especially in terms of the identity of the Son, who is both human and divine.

How is that possible?

Well, that took several centuries for the church to unpack.

But after reflecting on Scripture for centuries through councils like Nicaea and Chalcedon and Constantinople, the church landed on this yes and way of describing God.

That God is a tri-unity of one essence, one nature, one substance, three persons.

So the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are not three separate gods.

They're not three equal parts of God where each person of the Trinity is .33333 God.

I debated on how many threes to use because you can keep going.

Nor are they three modes of being where sometimes God acts like a father, sometimes God acts like the Son, or sometimes God acts like the Spirit.

That's a heresy called modalism.

Or my personal favorite heresy, Sibelianism.

Sibelianism is taught by a man named Sibelius, who lived in the third century.

And my favorite heresy is what he taught, which is that in the Old Testament, God acted like the Father.

In the New Testament, God acted like the Son.

And in the church age, our present age, God acts like the Spirit.

Now, we give Sibelius lots of points for creativity.

But we give him zero points for orthodoxy.

Listen to how the 39 Articles of Religion, this is our Anglican confessional statement,

reflects on the orthodox and apostolic definition of the early church councils.

The 39 Articles put it like this.

There is but one living and true God, everlasting, without body, parts, or passions, of infinite power, wisdom, and goodness,

the maker and preserver of all things, both visible and invisible.

There's the oneness.

And now here's the yes and.

And in the unity of this Godhead, there are three persons of one substance, power, and eternity.

That's the threeness.

The Westminster Confession of Faith, the document similar to the 39 Articles, puts it like this.

The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are same in substance, equal in power and glory.

Same in substance, equal in power and glory.

One God, one nature, one essence, three persons.

And you might say, well, Jeff, that's a nice theology lesson,

but what actual difference does that make in my life?

In his book, How to Know a Person, New York Times author David Brooks talks about his personal story,

and he talks about how he grew up in a family, in an educational culture that was very heady,

that was very intellectual, very cerebral, perhaps overly so.

He talks about how he attended undergrad at the University of Chicago as a young man.

And he talks about the University of Chicago as that it's the kind of place where students wear T-shirts that say,

sure, it works in practice, but does it work in theory?

And I think oftentimes when people hear pastors like me talk about God being a Trinity,

sometimes that's the vibe.

It's this kind of like overly theoretical thing that's distanced from my real life.

What difference does it make?

But talking about the Trinity is not an overly theoretical exercise.

It's intensely practical.

Because the yes and of the Trinity is all about love.

It's all about love.

Some religions, like Islam, teach that God is unitarian, one nature, one person.

But if that's true, if God is one person, we have to ask, before the creation of the world, who was God loving?

For there to be love, there has to be a plurality of personhood.

There is the lover and there is the beloved.

And for a Unitarian God to love, he must create another person in order to love.

And so for a Unitarian God, power, not love, is what is most central to his being.

But if God is a Trinity, then love is essential to who he is from all of eternity.

God does not create in order to love.

God creates because he is love.

He creates as an overflow of the love that is central to his being.

The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit exist in a mutually indwelling, mutually glorifying, eternal dance of divine love.

From all of eternity, the Father has loved and glorified the Son.

And the Son has loved and glorified the Father.

And they love and glorify one another through the Spirit.

The whole purpose of creation, the whole purpose of redemption, the whole purpose of existence is to bring you and I to catch us up into this eternal dance of love.

That we might experience the mutually indwelling, the mutually glorifying love of the Trinity.

This is the reason for all that exists.

This is the reason why you and I exist.

And all of this is important to understand what is going on in our gospel passage in John chapter 16 and what's going on in John chapters 13 through 17 more broadly.

John 16 · chapter mention John 13 · chapter mention

Where our understanding of the Trinity intersects with our experience of the Trinity.

And that's what we're going to look at secondly.

Our experience of the Trinity.

Experiencing the Trinity.

If you read the Gospel of John, you'll notice that John chapters 13 through 17 are kind of a cohesive unit.

John 13 · chapter mention

They're known as the upper room discourse.

They're actually all one scene.

They're not individual discourses.

They're all one scene on the night before Jesus is arrested and betrayed.

Where he gathers with his disciples in the upper room to eat the Passover meal.

And he gathers to eat with them one last time.

To fellowship with them.

And to teach them.

And these five chapters are amazing.

You could spend a lifetime studying these five chapters.

They're incredibly rich.

And a lot of it is this deep theological teaching from Jesus to his disciples on the nature and work of the Trinity.

And across chapters 13 through 17, Jesus teaches us a lot about the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

But here in our Gospel passage, in the first half of John chapter 16, he zooms in.

John 16 · chapter mention

He zooms in on the work of the Holy Spirit.

In this scene, Jesus is telling his disciples that he is soon going to leave them.

After his death and resurrection, he's going to return back to the Father in his ascension.

And in verses 5 through 6, he acknowledges that his disciples are grieved about this.

They don't want him to leave.

And this is understandable, right?

I mean, they've been with him the past several years.

They've grown close to him.

Of course, they wouldn't want him to leave.

But in verse 7, Jesus says something incredibly surprising.

If you look in your bulletin or in your copy of God's Word, notice what Jesus says in verse 7.

He says,

It is to your advantage.

It's to your advantage that I go away.

For if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you.

But if I go, I will send him to you.

And you can imagine kind of the disciples' surprise as they hear this.

I mean, you can imagine them saying,

What do you mean?

What do you mean it's to our advantage that you go away?

Wouldn't it be so much better if you stuck around?

I mean, we could just keep this party going.

We could keep doing all the amazing stuff that we've seen you do the past few years.

You could do your thing.

You could teach people, heal people, raise the dead, change lives.

And we'll keep hanging out with you and drawing the crowds.

You know?

Take this show on tour throughout the Roman Empire.

What do you mean it's better?

What do you mean it's better that you leave?

Jesus says, No, it's for your benefit that I go and ascend to the Father so I can send the Holy Spirit.

There is something about the work of the Holy Spirit.

That it is better for the Holy Spirit to be in us than physically beside us.

There is something about the work of the Holy Spirit.

It's better for the Holy Spirit to be in us than physically beside us.

But how could that be?

I mean, if I think about my own life, I could think about a hundred situations where it would be so helpful.

It would be so helpful to have Jesus physically right beside me.

I mean, some of you can probably think about situations or circumstances in your own life.

Where it would be so helpful to have Jesus right there with you.

Perhaps in dealing with sickness or pain.

Perhaps dealing with frustrations at work.

Perhaps even applying for a job.

Perhaps walking through grief or loss.

I mean, isn't this Martha and Mary's question to Jesus when their brother Lazarus dies?

Lord, if you had been here.

Right?

Lord, if you had been here.

So then why is the Holy Spirit in us better than Jesus beside us?

Well, there's a lot that we could say about that.

The Bible has a lot to say about the person and work of the Holy Spirit.

There are lots of different ways that we could answer that question.

But what does Jesus specifically focus on in the rest of our passage?

What does he specifically say in verses 8 through 15?

In verses 8 through 15, Jesus says,

It's to our advantage that he returns to the Father and sends the Spirit.

Because of the Spirit work of illumination.

Illumination.

Illumination is this theological word that means that the Holy Spirit does two things.

The Holy Spirit shows us our need for Jesus.

And it shows us all that we have in Jesus.

Shows us all that we need.

Shows us that we need Jesus.

And shows us all that we have in Jesus.

And this is what we see as we read the rest of the passages.

Verses 8 through 15.

Verse 8.

And when he, that is the Holy Spirit,

When he comes,

He will convict the world

Concerning sin

And righteousness

And judgment.

The Holy Spirit has to do this because on our own,

We can't know that we are sinners who need a Savior.

Despite our intellect and our reason,

Our fallen nature can't quite comprehend this reality.

We need the Holy Spirit

To enlighten and to illumine our hearts to this reality.

To convict us of our sin

And to show us our need for righteousness.

To show us our need for a Savior.

But the Holy Spirit not only shows us

Our need for Jesus.

The Holy Spirit also shows us

All that we have in Jesus.

He shows us all that we have in Jesus.

This is what

Jesus teaches in verse 14.

He, the Holy Spirit,

Will glorify me.

That's Jesus.

He will glorify me

For he will take what is mine

And declare it to you.

He will take what is mine

And declare it to you.

What is the job of the Holy Spirit?

The job of the Holy Spirit

Is to glorify Jesus

By taking what belongs to him

And sharing it with us.

And sharing it with us.

And as the Holy Spirit

Shows us the glory of Jesus

And shares with us

All that belongs to Jesus,

We also see the glory of the Father.

That's what comes next in verse 15.

Verse 15 says

All that the Father has is mine

And therefore I said

That he will take what is mine

And declare it to you.

The illuminating work of the Holy Spirit

Catches us up into the life of the Trinity.

This is the way the Apostle Paul

The Apostle Paul says it like this

In 2 Corinthians 4 verse 6

2 Corinthians 4:6

For God who said

Let light shine out of darkness

That's a reference to creation

In Genesis 1

For God who said

Let light shine out of darkness

Made his light shine in our hearts

To give us

And the Spirit is like this giant spotlight

This giant spotlight

That shines on Jesus

To help us to see him

In all of his beauty

And all of his glory.

Not just so that we understand

Not just so that we have right thinking

But so that we love him

And worship him

And adore him

And obey him.

And so that we experience

His love for us.

That's what Paul says

In Romans 5.

Romans 5 verse 5

Romans 5:5

Says this

That God's love

God's love

Has been poured out

Into our hearts

Through what?

Through who?

Through the Holy Spirit.

God pours out his love

Into our hearts

Through the Holy Spirit.

Theologians across church history

Have reflected

On the illuminating work

Of the Holy Spirit

As having both light

And heat.

Light and heat.

Through the light of the Holy Spirit

We see who Jesus is.

All that he has accomplished for us.

And through the heat

Through the heat of the Holy Spirit

We feel and experience

The love of Christ for us.

So listen to Jonathan Edwards

Say it like this.

I've edited this quote

To make it a bit clearer.

Listen to Jonathan Edwards

Say it like this.

As flowers on a pleasant spring day

As flowers on a pleasant spring day

Open up to the sun

To be filled with its warmth and light

And to flourish in beauty

And fragrance by its rays.

So every Christian

Is a flower in the garden of God.

Opening up our hearts

To be filled with God's love

Through the Spirit.

It's a beautiful image.

Listen to how Charles Spurgeon

Charles Spurgeon says it like this.

It is ever the Holy Spirit's work.

I love this.

It is ever the Holy Spirit's work

To turn our eyes away from self

And toward Jesus.

We shall never find happiness

By looking at our own prayers

Our own doings

Our own feelings.

It is what Jesus is.

Not what we are.

That brings rest to our souls.

It is what Jesus is.

Not what we are.

That brings rest to our souls.

Okay, can we just hang out there for a second?

Because I think that we live

In a culture

That places a huge emphasis

On self-improvement

And self-optimization.

If you're not happy with who you are

Or where you're at in life

Then you need to work on

Optimizing your life

And you can find

All sorts of books

And podcasts

And YouTube videos

And social media posts

About how to optimize your diet

How to optimize your

Your workout routines

Your schedule

Your fashion

How you clean your house

How you organize your closet

How to swing a golf club

That last one was purely theoretical

Just

One

No, that last one was me

Now

The self-optimization

Now all of this is bad

Some of it can be helpful

But how often

Do we look to self-optimization

And self-improvement

As the thing

That is going to bring rest to our souls?

I think whether we say it out loud or not

I think that

This often looks like statements

That begin with

If I could just

If I could just

Get this one thing in my life

Figured out or organized

If I could just

Lose this much weight

If I could just

Figure out the

Perfect schedule for all my kids

If I could just

Wake up

Do a cold plunge

Brew the perfect coffee

Do the right exercise routine

Write out my goals for the day

All before 6am

If I could just do that

Then my life would be

Better

Then I would finally be at rest

Or as Christians

We over-spiritualize

Self-optimization

If I could just

Get my spiritual disciplines in order

Or if I could just

Pray enough

Or just kind of

Find the right devotional practice

But how many of us

Have

Tried to optimize

These parts of our lives

Maybe we've tried and failed

Or maybe we've even succeeded

But how many of us

Have done this

And realized

That

That's not it

That's not it

That it doesn't

Actually bring

The deep rest

To our souls

That we long for

May I suggest

To you

From John chapter 16

John 16 · chapter mention

That this is because

Transformation

Transformation

Doesn't happen

Through self-optimization

Transformation

Doesn't happen

By shining the spotlight

More on ourselves

Transformation

Happens

By shining the spotlight

More on the beauty

And the glory

Of Jesus

It is what

Jesus is

Not what we are

That brings rest

To our soul

What our hearts

Most need

Is not

To optimize

Or improve ourselves

But to behold

The beauty

And the glory

Of God

In the face

Of Jesus Christ

And I think

That's what

John

Jesus in John chapter 16

John 16 · chapter mention

Is saying

That this is

What the Holy Spirit

Does

That he takes

What belongs

To Jesus

And he shows it

To us

And he shares it

With us

And this is why

The Trinity

Is so amazing

This is why

The Trinity

Is so incredible

This is why

The Holy Spirit

In us

Is even better

Than Jesus

Beside us

It is because

Jesus ascends

Because Jesus ascends

And goes back

To the glory

Of the Father

It is because

He does that

That he can share

All that belongs

To him

With us

All the benefits

Of his saving work

All that he has

In the Father

He shares that

With us

By pouring

Out his Spirit

On us

And I think

That this is

Ultimately

Why

Improv comedy

Ultimately

Points us to God

Because the Trinity

Is the ultimate

Yes

And

Performance

The eternal

Life and love

Of God

Overflows into

Our lives

By catching us

Up into this

Dance

Of Father

Son

And Holy Spirit

Who mutually

Indwell

And mutually

Glorify one another

In an eternal

Dance

Of love

And the difference

That this makes

In our lives

Is that we are

Fundamentally

Not

Self

Optimizers

We are not

Fundamentally

Self

Improvers

But we are

Glory

Gazers

We are

Glory

Gazers

What is it

What is it

About the beauty

And the glory

Of Jesus

That your heart

Needs to gaze

At this morning

What aspect

Of his

Nature

What aspect

Of his

Character

What aspect

Of his

Finished work

Does your heart

Need to gaze

At and to

Behold

This morning

Through the

Illuminating

Work of the

Holy Spirit

Perhaps

Perhaps

It's his

Love

For you

As your

Bridegroom

Perhaps

It's his

Forgiveness

And mercy

For you

As your

Savior

Perhaps

It's his

Justice

And authority

As your

King

Perhaps

It's his

Tenderness

For you

As your

Shepherd

It is

Who

Jesus

Is

Not

What

We

Are

That

Brings

Rest

To

Our

Souls

Let me

Close

With the

Words

From this

Wonderful

Hymn

Turn

Your

Eyes

Upon

Jesus

Look

Full

In his

Wonderful

Face

And the

Things

Of the

Earth

Will

Grow

Strangely

Dim

In the

Light

Of his

Glory

And grace

Pray with

Me

Father

Son

And Holy

Spirits

We

Worship

You

And adore

You

Thank you

That you

Have

Invited

Us

Into

Your

Mutually

Indwelling

Mutually

Glorifying

Dance

Of

Love

Thank you

That because

Of Jesus

You send

Your spirit

To illuminate

Our hearts

And to

Illuminate

Jesus

Your glory

Help us

To gaze

Upon you

And behold

You

And be

Transformed

To be

More like

You

And we

Pray all

This in the

Name of the

Father and the

Son and the

Holy Spirit

Amen

Yes