I was speaking with a man whose comment crystallized for me what a lot of people wonder. We were talking about Christianity when he suddenly blurted out, “I don’t see what the big deal about Jesus is!”
As a nearly lifelong follower of Christ and a pastor, his statement shocked me a little.
How can we answer if someone asks: “What is the big deal about Jesus? Is he some form of deity? And what is this thing called the Trinity?”
Here is what the big deal is in a sentence: The Bible tells us that Jesus was God in a human body.
Scripture calls Jesus “the Word” or the human expression of God. It says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (John 1:1)
This statement begs the question: “If Jesus was God, then who was He praying to in Heaven?”
Jesus gave the answer: “‘I and the Father are one.’ Again the Jews picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus said to them, ‘I have shown you many great miracles from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?’ ‘We are not stoning you for any of these.’ Replied the Jews, ‘but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.’” (John 10:30-33)
Jesus was separate and yet “one” with God. He claimed to be one with God, and the Bible repeatedly backs up His claim. Scripture says Jesus has the character and does the works of Almighty God. He is:
The Creator of all things (Colossians 1:16)
The first and the last (Revelation 22:13)
The Lord of Lords (Revelation 19:16)
Unchanging and eternal (Hebrews 13:8)
The Judge of all people (2 Corinthians 5:10)
He who hears and answers prayers (John 14:13-14)
The one worshipped by angels (Hebrews 1:6)
The Savior of the world (1 John 2:2)
The Bible says similar things about the Holy Spirit. Therefore, we understand that there is a Trinity: one God in three persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
To understand the Trinity we have to acknowledge the divinity of Jesus Christ—which is the hardest truth about Jesus to accept for many people like my friend. Jesus’ divinity unlocks the mystery of the Trinity, which is foundational to the Christian faith.
Here are 5 keys that help unlock the mystery the Trinity:
1. Trinity Mathematics
Jesus, the Holy Spirit and the Father together make up the ‘the Trinity” or the tri-unity.
God the FatherGod the SonGod the Holy Spirit
A definition of the Trinity: There is one God and this one God is in three persons.
The concept is not three Gods, but three persons in one God.
God is not 1 + 1 + 1 = 3God is 1 x 1 x 1 = 1
The Trinity is NOT:
God the Father as one person, with Jesus as a creation and the Holy Spirit as the force. (The Jehovah’s Witness belief)
An office held by three separate Gods. (The Mormon belief)God’s divine nature in the Son, so Jesus had a human nature perceived as the Son and a divine nature perceived as the father. (The Oneness Theology belief)
God taking three forms, i.e. the Father, became the Son who later became the Holy Spirit. Instead, God is forever in three persons.
2. The Example of H2O
H2O is water which can be:
Liquid
Ice
Steam
If H2O can be all three and still be one in essence, why can’t God exist as Father, Son and Holy Spirit?
3. The Example of Time
In time we have:
The Past
The Present
The Future
If I asked you “What is time?” and you answered, “It is the past.” I could rightly say, “No, it is the present.” And you could “correct” me and say, “No, it is the future.” But actually all three statements would be correct.
All three are distinctly different but each one is “time” in itself.
4. The Example of Space
With space we have:
Height
Width
Depth
Each is distinct, yet we are not describing three different spaces, but one space.
5. The Example of Matter
All matter (Like H2O) consists of:
Solid
Liquid
Gas
With the 3 examples of time, space and matter we have a trinity of trinities—a striking illustration of the essence of God in the essence of His creation.
No illustration is perfect—God is beyond our human comprehension. Hopefully these five keys help you to at least better understand the Trinity.