The Feast of the Holy Trinity, 2021
Pastor Gregory L. Jackson
The melodies are linked in the hymn name.
The lyrics are linked in the hymn number.
The Confession of Sins
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16
Blessed be the Holy Trinity and the undivided Unity: let us give glory to Him because He hath shown His mercy to us.
Psalm. O Lord, our Lord: how excellent is Thy name in all the earth!
The Gloria Patri
The Kyrie p. 17
The Gloria in Excelsis
The Salutation and Collect p. 19
The Epistle and Gradual
The Kyrie p. 17
The Gloria in Excelsis
The Salutation and Collect p. 19
Almighty and everlasting God, who hast given unto us, Thy servants, grace, by the confession of a true faith, to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity and in the power of the Divine Majesty to worship the Unity, we beseech Thee that Thou wouldst lump us steadfast in this faith and evermore defend us from all adversities; who liveth, etc.
Blessed art Thou, O Lord, who beholdest the deep;
and who dwellest between the cherubim.
V. Blessed art Thou, O Lord, in the firmament of heaven:
and greatly to be praised forever. Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
V. Blessed art Thou, O Lord God of our fathers:
and greatly to be praised and glorified forever. Hallelujah!
The Gospel
Glory be to Thee, O Lord!
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Athanasian Creed p. 53
The Sermon Hymn #250 Holy God We Praise Thy Name
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Athanasian Creed p. 53
The Sermon Hymn #250 Holy God We Praise Thy Name
The Unity of the Trinity
The Lord's Prayer p. 27
The Words of Institution
The Agnus Dei p. 28
The Nunc Dimittis p. 29
The Benediction p. 31
The Hymn #660 I'm But a Stranger Here
The Words of Institution
The Agnus Dei p. 28
The Nunc Dimittis p. 29
The Benediction p. 31
The Hymn #660 I'm But a Stranger Here
Prayers and Announcements
- This weekend we honor and mourn the soldiers who gave their lives in the service of the United States of America.
- Prayers - Christina Jackson is on a lighter regimen; Pastor Jim Shrader and Chris Shrader have health challenges; Alec's brother is better.
- Next in video - saving previous videos and editing them for YouTube, etc.
- Ichabod the Glory Has Departed - 7,000 views in 24 hours. The normal amount is around 1,800.
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| By Norma A. Boeckler |
Luther’s Trinity Sermons Linked Here
Romans 11 33 ω βαθος - O the depth
- πλουτου 0f the riches
- και σοφιας and of the wisdom
- και γνωσεως θεου and of the knowledge of God.
ως ανεξερευνητα τα κριματα αυτου και ανεξιχνιαστοι αι οδοι αυτου.
34 τις γαρ εγνω νουν κυριου η τις συμβουλος αυτου εγενετο
35 η τις προεδωκεν αυτω και ανταποδοθησεται αυτω
36 οτι
- εξ αυτου και - from Him and
- δι αυτου και - through Him and
- εις αυτον τα παντα αυτω - in Him are all things.
η δοξα εις τους αιωνας αμην
KJV Romans 11:33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! 34 For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor? 35 Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? 36 For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.
KJV John 3:1 There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: 2 The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. 3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. 4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? 5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. 8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. 9 Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be? 10 Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things? 11 Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness. 12 If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things? 13 And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven. 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: 15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
The Unity of the Trinity
Background for the Gospel, John 3:1-15
The people who deny the Trinity - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - are like the person who said, "There is no shepherd's purse growing in our yard." Someone who knew herbs and wildflowers (my mother) said, "I will show you." She went to the spot and pulled some out for our family pet rabbits. "Are those shepherd's purse?" My eyes were opened.
Denying the Trinity in the Bible is a popular way for unbelievers, rationalists, cynics, and theology professors to make their claim that the Scriptures are only a book written by man. But we can start with Genesis 1, find the Holy Trinity, and throughout the Old Testament - the Father, the Promised Son - and the Son before His Incarnation - and the Holy Spirit at work in the prophets. In the New Testament, the Father Son and Holy Spirit are named within two verses all through those 27 books, and named in the familiar group of three many times, such as in the Great Commission at the end of Matthew. The denial of the Trinity in the Bible is proof that the Spirit is effective in hardening and blinding those who willfully reject the Scriptures. The more they know in academics, the less they know about the spiritual realm. John's Gospel is a great way to begin and to support our knowledge of God - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
KJV John 3:1 There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:
When we read the Gospel of John, we find that many details are provided that add a great deal to our knowledge of that history and also about the future. The passage points us to the connection between Old Testament Judaism and the conversion of Jews in the New Testament and beyond. My Old Testament students often express the fallacy that the Old Testament is all Law and is for the Jews, the New Testament is all Gospel and is for the Gentiles.
Note the three-fold connection revealed - Jesus was presented in the Temple for His circumcision. He stayed deliberately in Jerusalem to have a conference with the elders and scholars there. He converted Nicodemus, a leader of the Pharisees. Besides that, there are many descriptions of the Jewish opponents following Jesus to dispute anything He did or said. Opposition is a great way to spread the Word of God. In the process of arguing and studying their own writings, many became Christians.
Nicodemus was a leader of the Pharisees, so that meant he was the strictest observer of the Law. Like Paul, no one was more observant or more painstaking in pursuing the righteousness of the Law. And what happens in obsessive perfection is the lack of fulfillment through perfection. Jesus knew this and saw this in Nicodemus, so He completely got Nicodemus off balance, wondering, thinking.
2 The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.
One question is - why by night? Perhaps he studied by day and could not by night, so he came to Jesus very late. More likely, since evening light was never better than moonlight and often lacking that, Nicodemus came at night to avoid being seen by his fellow Jews and Pharisees. Nicodemus had the beginning of faith - "Who had heard our Report?" Isaiah 53 and later Romans 10. But he was also uncertain and fearful. His help with the body of Jesus proved that "perfect faith casts out fear" when he did the unthinkable in honoring someone condemned by the Roman Empire and his fellow Pharisees.
I have seen a lot of pastors scared just for questioning the edicts and actions of their Synod Popes.
So Nicodemus' address was tentative and seems to be polite and even flattering, but rather weak. A "teacher from God" is a good address but not different from the colleagues of Nicodemus.
3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again [from above], he cannot see the kingdom of God.
Often, when discussing the Christian Faith with a skeptic, it is better to let him beg for the answer. As I have said many times, when someone equivocates about Christianity, I tell him - "All world religions are alike."
The person responds with a smile. So I add one tidbit. "All are alike except for one thing." Silence. The person has to know. He says, "What is the exception."
I say, "All religions teach the Law, what man has to do to please God. Christianity teaches God's grace - what He has done for us through Christ."
Nicodemus also talked about the miracles of Jesus, which were part of His evangelism. The miracles proved that Jesus was teaching with the authority of God. All the religious leaders taught about God, but Jesus taught as God. Jesus said, If you do not believe My teaching, at least believe in the miracles. So Nicodemus' acknowledgement of the miracles was the start of faith, and that faith drew him to go to Jesus.
The phrase "born from above" has the secondary meaning of "born again." Nicodemus heard obstetrics when he should have been thinking about Jesus as the One from Above. In this discussion, Jesus showed His divine knowledge by keeping Nicodemus off-balance and therefore eager to learn more.
What is the "good and perfect gift from above" in James.
4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?
This is a lame, strange, and absurd response, so it has never been forgotten. Almost anyone with a little knowledge of the Gospel has heard this from Nicodemus. What the befuddlement promises is a flood of Old Testament Promises about the Messiah, where a host of phrases and images combine in the New Testament to show the fulfillment and the precision of those words.
This is doubly true because this passage peaks with John 3:16, founded upon the bizarre example of the bronze serpent lifted up to heal the wounds of the Israelites. That strange image is isolated, either trivial or strange or both, ignored, until they are the anchor for the Little Gospel - John 3:16. So God set up this miracle in the desert to foreshadow the crucifixion of His only-begotten Son - long before there was a Roman Empire or crucifixion.
The New Testament does not engage just some of these Promises but all of of them.
5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
Here we must honor Queen Grammar, who rules over Greek grammar. The Greek text literally means - Unless a man be water/Spirit born, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God. I won't get into the reasons, because you have not had enough coffee yet. But water and Spirit are together, not two separate actions. As many know from other passages, Spirit and Word together, never one without the other, so we can say - Unless a man be baptized with water using the Gospel Word, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God. This passage is all about the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Yes, there are exceptions with baptism, but baptism is given to us as a gift, a visible Word to help us when we are weak, and a powerful Sacrament to keep us with God and the Good Shepherd of our souls.
6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again [from above]. 8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
This is beautiful prose, poetic and yet simple in language. If we have a rebirth through the Spirit at work in the Word, we belong to God in the Spirit - guided by the Spirit - truth revealed by the Spirit.
In Greek and Hebrew, wind and Spirit are the same word. Pneumonia comes from the Greek word. No one has seen the wind, but many of us have been near tornadoes and their destructive power. With harmonics, wind can bring down a skyscraper or the George Washington Bridge. That is the power of the Word/Spirit.
9 Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be? 10 Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things? 11 Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak [solemnly teach] that we do know, and testify [witness, martyr] that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness. 12 If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things? 13 And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven,
Jesus is saying here (verse 11) that He is solemnly teaching Nicodemus earthly things and He is witnessing about Heaven because He has come down from above (another indication of the Incarnation and the Virgin Birth). Jesus is the connection between the mysteries of God's will and work, so He teaches nothing but the truth about these matters, earthly and heavenly.
14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: 15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Moses asked from God and God gave. Example - manna, bread from heaven. Jesus provided the bread for the multitude and taught them "I am the Bread of Life from Heaven." Moses asked, the Son of God provided.
