Sermon Tone Analysis

*The Gospel of John XII: The Trinitarian Community** *

*John 5:16-47*

*/August 3, 2008/*

 

 

*Prep: *

·         Grudem: Trinity~/ Councils of Nicaea and Constantinople.

·         The Shack

·         Newbigin

·         Blogs

 

 

*Intro: *

 

*The Shack*: I stayed up late two nights to read and I really enjoyed it.

It wasn’t as controversial as I thought it would be.

·         My biggest contention with it is something that I initially agreed with, until I studied more about the Trinity this week.

It should *not* be read as a *theological* work, but as *images* that get us closer to the truth.

The *main* *point* is trusting God in the midst of *tragedy*, but the *biggest* *impact* it had on me was *blowing* *open* how I understand the *relationship* between the *Father*, *Son*, and *Holy* *Spirit*.

·         Ironically, this sermon is about the *Trinity*, the *relationship* between the Father and the Son, and why it *matters* for *us*.

*Prayer*: Picnic and Vicki Thompson

 

 

*Sabbath Showdown*

 

*Peter’s* *passage* set up for a *confrontation* between Jesus and the Pharisees (*Redaction* *Criticism*).

This, in turn, is a set up to Jesus *declaration* of his unique relationship with God.

Jesus seemed to like to *heal* on *Sabbath*, just to tick the Pharisees off (he was, and is, a holy mischief maker).

But usually, his *defense* is a *legal* *one*: Almost any law can be suspended to protect life or property.

·         Now Jesus defends his actions *differently*, *only* found here.

*John 5:16-18 *  16 So, because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jews persecuted him.

17 Jesus said to them, "My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working."

18 For this reason the Jews tried all the harder to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.

 

·         My *Father* *works* on *Sabbath*, and so do I – the rules don’t apply to me.

The Pharisees recognized *God* was *exempt* from the Sabbath Laws, and for *Jesus* to *claim* that same exemption was to make himself equal with God.

This Jesus’ *first* *clear* *declaration* of his divinity in John, and in the first half of this passage, Jesus explains his *unique* *relationship* with God.

 

·         It’s *ironic* that *liberal* scholars claim Jesus did not believe himself divine, but these *Pharisees* clearly *understood* it.

This claim would not have been a problem for the *pagans* (cf.

*Hercules*), but for the *Jews* who proclaimed that there was only one God, this was *unacceptable*.

This is why the *second* *half* of the passage (which we will not deal with) is Jesus call forth *witnesses* to defend this claim: 1) *John* (v.

33), 2) the *Scriptures* (v.

37), 3) *Moses* (v.

45), and 4) the Father, via *miracles* (v.

36).

·         *Without* this, they had *every* *reason* to reject Jesus, but with it, their unbelief was *inexcusable* (*blaspheme* of *Spirit*).

Ä  *Beyond* Jesus’ *divinity*, this passage bring up: How can Jesus be God, yet *other* than the *Father*, as this passage shows?

·         That’s asking “How does that *Trinity* thing *work*?”

*Don’t lose your mind or soul*

 

The Trinity is one of the *quintessential* doctrines of Christianity.

To my knowledge, *no* *other* *religion* has anything like it, yet it is shared by *all* *branches* of Christianity.

Countless *books*, *articles*, *teachings*, and *classes* have been dedicated to the subject, yet we are still *pretty* *fuzzy* on the details – and for good reason.

Q   How can there only be one God yet three?

·         “*Deny* the Trinity and you will *lose* your *soul*; try to *explain* it and you will *lose* your *mind*.”

The doctrine of the Trinity is *evidence* of the *supernatural* origins of Scripture.

It is simply *too* *foreign* to human thought to be *made* *up* by man.

·         We don’t believe in the Trinity because it’s *logical* or *self*-*evident*, but because God’s *revealed* it’s what he’s like.

Ä  Of course, *some* people challenge the doctrine as *unbiblical*.

*Is the trinity biblical?*

The term “Trinity” does *not* *occur* anywhere in the Bible.

Rather, as early Christians studied what the Bible said about Jesus and his relationship with the Father, “*Trinity*” *emerged*.

·         It is never *explicitly* stated, but *implicitly* runs throughout.

I don’t want to spend *too* *much* *time* defending the Trinity, as most of us already agree, but even if you do believe in the Trinity, it is a *good* *reminder*.

When it comes to defending the Trinity, the *biggest* *battle* lies at the *divinity* of *Jesus* – no one believes in the “*Binity*.”

·         In John: This passage, 1:1, and “I am.”

 

*Titus 2:13-14 * ... we wait for the blessed hope-- the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ,  14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.

·         In Peter:

 

 “Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened.”

But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord.

*/1 Peter 3:14-15 NIV/*

 

Peter is quoting from the OT:

 

...do not fear what they fear, and do not dread it.

13 The LORD Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy...Isaiah 8:12-13 NIV

 

Having demonstrated the divinity of Jesus, we also see the *unique* *role* of the *Spirit*.

He is not described as a *force*, but a *personality*, that can be grieved.

Finally, the *unity* of these three is seen by frequent *joint*-*references*, but the *clearest* is found in the Great Commission:

 

Matthew 28:19-20    19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.

*Creeds and councils *

 

So even though it was never explicitly stated, as soon as Christianity became *legal* and they stopped having to *operate* in *secret*, and were able to hold a *large* *forum*, the *first* *thing* they did was to *clarify* the doctrine of the *Trinity*.

·         The council of Nicaea in 325 AD clarified that Jesus was of the same substance as God and affirmed the Trinity.

Q   So what exactly is meant by the Trinity?

Definition: One God, eternally existing as three distinct persons who are each fully and equally God.

There have been and are many *false* *versions*:

 

·         Polytheism: Mormonism

·         Monarchialism (only the Father): Arianism and JW’s

·         Modalism: One person playing different roles (“Jesus Only”)

 

The best game plan is to *avoid* these *two* *errors*: *Tri*-*theism* and *denying* any person of the Trinity.

Ä  While Scripture isn’t *clear* how each person is *different*, we do see that they each *function* *differently*.

*Economy of the Trinity*

 

Each of them seem to have *specific* *roles*, so that even though they are equal and equally God, they each *function* *differently*:

 

*John 5:19-23 *  19 ¶ Jesus gave them this answer: "I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.

20 For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does.

Yes, to your amazement he will show him even greater things than these.

21 For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it.

22 Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son,  23 that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father.

He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him.

Here we see *Jesus* being *obedient* to the direction of the *Father* and *dependent* upon him, even though he is *equal* to him.

Later, *Jesus* *sends* to *Spirit* who *indwells*, *sanctifies*, and *empowers*.

·         This seems to be a *consistent* *pattern*: the Father *directs*, the Son *acts*, and the Spirit *completes*.

Ä  This *next* *part* is the stuff I am *excited* about because I have *heard* all this *other* stuff *before*, but not the next bit.

*Trinity = community*

 

On the *blog* I asked: *Why* is an *orthodox* view of the Trinity *important*?

How important is it to our *daily* *life*?

Where would you rate it on my newly created “*Applied* *Theology* *Scale*”:  

 

·         0 (Purely theoretical head knowledge) – 10 (Affects my everyday life)

 

Several good *comments*:

 

·         Suspicious of “*heresy* *hunters*” and arrogant orthodoxy.

·         *Foundational*: Everything that we are~/do~/believe should come from a knowledge of who God is.

Prior to doing this study, I would have given it a *7*, but only because I felt *guilty* for giving it *less*.

*Now* I see it as a *10*, *not* just because it is *foundation*, but because I believe it can and *does* *influence* our *everyday* *life*.