Te Deum – Part 4

Te Deum – Part 4.

“… Father, of majesty unbounded,

Your true and only Son, worthy of all worship, 

And the Holy Spirit, advocate and guide.”

The Ted Deum now brings us to what is in many respects the mystery of mysteries… The Trinity. The early church was unquestionably Trinitarian right from the start, and this prayer song would be remiss if it didn’t refer directly to this mystery of the Faith. Through the Trinity we discover that it is in God’s nature to be relational and personal. The Trinity itself is an eternal fellowship, an intimate communion of three Persons. Their intimacy is so close that somehow they are inside each other. (John 14:10, 17:21).  Before the divine invention of time, before the foundation of the world, the triune God existed in a profoundly intimate community. Because God is love, they created the world so they  could share that intimacy with the human race. They did not hoard their eternal love for each other, but instead they included humanity in their relationship. In creation, God shared His life with humanity, providing a truly life-giving relationship with Him. The Spirit of love binding the Father and the Son has proven to be the energy source of all the love in the world. The trinitarian relationship became the engine of the universe. Without the virtues within the life of the Trinity, there would be no virtues in the world, no truth, goodness or beauty. The passionate interaction within the Godhead is the spark of communion that ignites the presence of intimacy in the world. The original source of everything right in the world lies within the everlasting togetherness of the Trinity. “The great dance of life shared by the Father, Son and Holy Spirit is the womb of creation.” (Baxter Kruger, The Great Dance).

Father, of majesty unbounded. What is majesty? It is royal grandeur and sovereign authority. It is the dignity and beauty of greatness. It is the stately splendor of the King on His throne. It is the quality of character that inspires awe and reverence. Only God could be the Father-King, a supremely unique combination, a powerful Creator who rules the world in justice and mercy, and who is also the everlasting Father who cares intimately for all whom He has made. As the Israelites sang at the Red Sea, “Your right hand, O Lord, was majestic in power. In the greatness of your majesty, you throw down those who opposed you. Who among the gods is like you, O Lord? Who is like you – majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders?” (Ex. 15:6,7, 11). Or sing with the psalmist, “The Lord reigns, he is robed in majesty; the Lord is robed in majesty and is armed with strength.” (Ps. 93). Or stand in awe with Job, “Out of the north He comes in golden splendor; God comes in awesome majesty. The Almighty is beyond our reach and exalted in power.” (Job 37:22-23). Or sing with David, “Great is the Lord, and most worthy of praise; His greatness no one can fathom. They will speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty. They will tell of the glory of your kingdom and speak of your might, so that all men may know of your mighty acts and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.” (Ps. 145:3, 5, 11-12). That’s right, the eternal majesty of the Father knows no bounds.

Your true and only Son, worthy of all worship. “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the first born from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him…” (Colossians 1:15-19). “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.” (Hebrews 1:3). “From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” (John 1:16-17). “Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. In a loud voice they sang, ‘Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!” (Rev. 5:11-12). 

And the Holy Spirit, advocate and guide. In John 14, Jesus calls the Holy Spirit the “Paraclete,” and He paints a picture of the many roles of the Spirit in our lives. “I will pray to the Father, and He will give you another Helper (Paraclete), a Friend who will live with you forever… He dwells with you and will be in you.” (John 14:16-17). And in John 14:26, Jesus said that “the Helper (Paraclete), the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My Name, will teach you all things.” Jesus used sort of a nickname for the Spirit, the Paraclete… Paraclete is a Greek word that is one of those rich biblical terms that means many things and has many layers. The meaning of paraclete unfolds in many ways, often depending on the context. The word itself literally means “called to come alongside of.” So Jesus is saying that the Holy Spirit is called to come alongside each of us to fulfill many roles as our bosom buddy. The Spirit is called to dwell in us and alongside us to be the ultimate Helper and Friend. The Paraclete, the giver of life, is given to each of us to produce a fruitful life that is being renewed daily. The Paraclete Spirit, the intimate companion, who is called to come alongside us as He: Points us to Jesus and glorifies Him; Advises and counsels us; Reminds us of Jesus’ words and teachings; Advocates for us and defends us; Comforts us and brings us peace; Listens to Jesus and communicates with us; Exhorts us and convinces us of sin; Teaches us and guides us into truth; Encourages us and inspires us. The Holy Spirit is indeed our advocate and guide, and so much more.

One of the most stately and beautiful musical compositions of Te Deum is from the French composer Charpentier. He was very famous during the 17th century, and wrote many baroque classics. Enjoy.

Charpentier – Te Deum – HD – YouTube