TRINITY SUNDAY

Call to Worship

Let us praise God the Creator,
who is filled with glory and power—with holiness and splendour;

Let us worship God the Saviour,
who is filled with love and compassion—with justice and peace;

Let us experience God the Spirit,
who fills us with faith and joy—with love and eternal life.

— written by Moira Laidlaw, and posted on Liturgies Online. http://www.liturgiesonline.com.au/

Prayer of Confession*

Forgive us, Jesus Christ.

Guide and guard us, Holy Spirit,

and go on creating within us, Creator God.

If we are tempted to think that we know

all that there is to know, Holy Trinity,

closing ourselves off from ideas which others offer

and neglecting to search for even deeper truths:

Forgive us, Jesus Christ.

Guide and guard us, Holy Spirit,

and go on creating within us, Creator God.

This we pray in faith. Amen.

— from Words for Worship, posted on the http://pilgrimwr.unitingchurch.org.au/

website.

Bible Reading Matthew 28:16-20

"Trinity" by Luca Rossetti Da Orta (1708-1770)

¹⁶Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. ¹⁷When they saw him, they worshipped him; but some doubted. ¹⁸And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

REFLECTION

Today is Trinity Sunday, the day set aside for us to reflect on the wonder and glory and mystery of God, the God that we know from the scriptures as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. And while the concept of the Trinity is one of the most difficult concepts that we have, it is central to what we believe. We can spend the rest of our lives trying to understand the trinity but we will never succeed. After all, we are trying with our limited, finite minds to understand the unlimited, infinite God. We, with our shortcomings and sinfulness are attempting to grasp the One who is full of perfection and Holiness.

And while all the Persons of the Godhead are equal in glory, in majesty and power, the route or path to even beginning to accept the mystery that is God is to begin with Jesus. As John in the beginning of his gospel says: “No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father’s heart,^[f] who has made him known” (Jn 1:18).

Our passage from Matthew’s gospel this morning is used on Trinity Sunday because of the reference to the Trinity. Jesus says: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (v.19). But the focus is on Jesus. So this morning, rather than focussing on the Trinity as such, I want to reflect on the encounter between Jesus and the disciples.

1. An Obedience

There were changes to their circumstances. There were only eleven disciples now. The group of twelve that had been tightly knit for the last three years or so was now split up. The number 12 was significant. It represented the twelve tribes of Israel. Jesus’ new community of disciples with the new Israel. And yet things were different. Their familiar structure was changed. The group dynamic had been reconfigured with the death of Judas. And yet, they went to Galilee as “Jesus had directed them” (v.16). Despite the change in their circumstances they were obedient to Jesus’ command. But it wasn’t easy for them, adjusting to this ‘new normal’. We are told: “When they saw him, they worshipped him; but some doubted” (v.17). For some of them, their obedience was mingled with doubt. They had come to where Jesus had directed them, but they still doubted. We don’t know what exactly they doubted – perhaps they still struggled with the resurrection – despite all the proof they had, perhaps it was the appearances and disappearances of Jesus after his resurrection, that had become a new way of life for them. Perhaps they were struggling with how Judas had betrayed Jesus – and all of them. There could be so many reasons for their doubt, but that did not stop them coming to the place where Jesus had directed them to go. And more wonderfully, “And Jesus came and spoke [said] to them…” (v.18a).

And that’s the encouraging part of this story. Despite our questions, despite not understanding things, despite not knowing what the future is going to be like after this, we can still come to Jesus in obedience and trust, bringing with us our questions, our struggles and our doubts, knowing that the Risen Jesus comes to us and speaks to us. He accepts us as we are, with all our struggles. In him we find acceptance and we find love.

2. An Announcement

Readers today often interpret this passage as a directive to evangelize others. After all, there are three direct commands here: “...make disciples…baptize themand teach them…” (vs.18b-19). This verse has come to be called ‘the great commission’ and is at the heart of the church’s evangelistic and missional outreach. But if we only read this passage as a manifesto on evangelism, we are missing out. The passage is first of all a strong statement of the authority of the risen Jesus. The passage about making disciples, baptizing them and teaching them flows out of or follows on from what precedes it – his authority. Jesus’ instructions result from the authority he possesses. Jesus says: “all authority has been given to me” (v.18). This is a striking claim. “All authority,” after all, leaves out nothing. There is nothing, absolutely nothing that Jesus is not in control of. He is in complete charge.

Jesus’ authority has been apparent from the outset of the Gospel. His healing powers testify to his authority over demons, sickness and the powers of nature. Throughout the gospels, we see Jesus’ authority as a teacher. And now, the risen Christ is Lord over all. And nothing less than the resurrection was needed to back it up.

In the chaos and doubts and uncertainties that the disciples were experiencing when their lives were feeling out of control, Jesus comes and assures them that he is in complete control, for he has all authority. How does that knowledge help us in what we are experiencing? Look at the world around us. Spiralling out of control. For this first time this week, the coronavirus pandemic is not the first headlines that we heard in the news. The horrific situation in the United States appears to have edged the coronavirus out of the top spot in the news. Black Lives Matter. The need to challenge injustice, and those in authority who misuse their authority. And as helpless as the situation sometimes appears, we know that all authority is with the Risen Lord and he comes and stands in the midst of his people. He makes an announcement that should fill us with peace and hope.

3. A Command

After assuring of them of his authority, only then does he commission them. Not just are they to be disciples, they are to make disciples and baptize them in the powerful name of God and teach them the things of Christ. All those who have been baptized have had the powerful name of God invoked upon them. In his commission to the disciples and his command for them to baptize, they are given the great responsibility of making the Triune God known to all people: God the Father, the one who creates and brings to life, the one who provides and protects. God the Son, the one who Redeems us and brings us into the presence of the Father. God the Holy Spirit, the one who makes our salvation real to us, and who leads and guides us each moment in our discipleship.

And while the act of baptism is the role of the church, in a personal way the same command is ours too. We can invoke the name of the Triune God on ourselves and on our loved ones. The all-powerful God in whom we live and move and have our being. We can ‘make disciples’, we can teach and reveal to others the good news of Jesus. And in doing so, we fulfil this command in obedience to the Risen Jesus who has the authority to command us.

4. A Promise

After the command, Jesus continued with the promise. “I will be with you, always, until the very end” (v.20). Again, the context is so important. These words were spoken just before his departure into heaven. He was leaving them. It was a farewell speech. For the past forty days, they were confused by Jesus’ coming and going, with all the changes that had happened in their lives, nothing was the same again. Jesus was no longer with them in the way that he was before his crucifixion. Imagine the feelings of loneliness, of abandonment, of isolation they must have felt. They felt that they now had to face life with all its challenges on their own. Their sense of security with Jesus was no longer there. But in that context, Jesus said that he will be with them – always – until the end of the age. There is a strong sense of finality in what Jesus says to them. His presence is not going to be a temporary one. Rather, he promises them that he would be with them always, for all times.

What a wonderful promise – not just for them, but for us as well. Jesus is with us and so we are never alone. No matter what is happening in our lives, no matter how abandoned we may feel, the truth of the matter is that Jesus gave us this wonderful promise that he is with us at all times. And it is up to us to claim that promise.

Amen

Prayers

God in three persons, blessed Trinity, on this special day, we come before you to offer our praise and adoration. You are God, the creator, giving us richly all things to enjoy. You are Christ the Saviour of the world, made flesh to set us free. You are the Spirit of truth and love, willing to dwell in us. You are holy and blessed. One God, eternal Trinity, be near to us the people formed in your image, and close to the world, your love brings to life.

(Short Silence)