The Theophany of the Sacred Trinity

The Theophany of the Sacred Trinity.

Theophany: From the Greek words “Theo” (God) and “phaino” (to appear). So a theophany is when God makes a temporary appearance on earth for reasons of His own. A theophany is God’s temporary visible manifestation to remind us of His permanent presence in the world.  A theophany is when God stoops to us in gracious self-revelation in a form that we can experience through our senses. Theophanies, though, are preliminary, because they anticipate the ultimate theophany in the incarnation of the Son of God, Jesus Christ. Theophanies in the Hebrew Bible were God’s temporary appearances, but in Jesus we see the fulfillment of theophany, a permanent appearance of God on earth.

God’s Drama. So it’s inevitable that an appearance of God, a theophany, would be accompanied by various natural phenomenon. When God makes an appearance, He seems to enjoy announcing it dramatically with natural effects that capture our attention. God loves variety, so a theophany involved everything from a whirlwind and hurricane to a soft whisper; from heavenly trumpet sounds to earthquakes; from lightning and gale-force winds to thunder and voices; from fire and smoke to blinding lights and a burning bush. One particular time, a theophany of the Holy Spirit included many things all at once… a violent rushing wind, tongues of fire on people’s heads, and foreign languages.

Theophanies can take place in any number of settings as well… At a Trash Heap: a whirlwind appearing before a suffering man (Job 38:1, 40:6); On a Mountain: Dense cloud; thunder; lightning; consuming fire; smoke; violent earthquake; increasingly louder trumpet blast (Exodus 19:9, 16-19; 20:18-19; 24:15-18); In a Tent: thick cloud; heavy presence (Exodus 40:34); On a Journey in the Wilderness: thick cloud by day, fire by night (Ex. 40:34-38); In a Cave: violent wind; earthquake; fire; gentle whisper (1 Kings 19:11-13); In a Temple: thick cloud; heavy presence (2 Chronicles 5:13-14); In the Heavenly Throne Room: Isaiah’s calling (Isaiah 6); At a Babylonian River: Ezekiel watching the appearance of a violent storm, a cloud filled with flashing fire, and glowing metal in the midst of the fire (Ezekiel 1:1-5); In a Divine Courtroom with the Ancient of Days (Daniel 7:9-10); At the River Jordan: Father, Son and Holy Spirit all together (Mark 1:9-11; also refer to Matthew 3:13-17, Luke 3:21-22, John 1:29-34); During Prayer on a Mountain: dense cloud; body of light; clothing transfigured; voice of the Father; presence of two dead prophets. (Luke 9:28-36); On the Cross: Temple veil torn in two; earthquake, rocks split; tombs open, dead are raised; darkness at noon; salvation of thief. (Matthew 27:45, 50-53); In an Upper Room: tongues of fire; strong wind; foreign languages; filled with Holy Spirit. (Acts 2:1-4); Under Persecution: Stephen saw skies open, heaven, Jesus and the Father. (Acts 7:54-56); On the Road: lightning; flashing lights; voice from heaven; blindness. (Acts 9:3-7); On an Island Penal Colony: St. John interacts with the glorified Jesus (Revelation 1).

Sometimes the supernatural power of God’s presence makes the natural world burst at the seams. There are times God’s’ theophanies on earth simply overpower nature. Isaiah asks for God’s presence and what it would take for Him to make an appearance in Isaiah 64:1: “Tear the heavens apart and come down!” David puts it much the same way in Psalm 144:5: “Bend your sky, O Lord, and come down.” Maybe shades of the Baptism of Jesus?

“One day Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee, and John baptized him in the Jordan River. As Jesus came up out of the water, he saw the heavens splitting apart and the Holy Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice from heaven said, “You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy!” (Mark 1:9-11; also refer to Matthew 3:13-17; Luke 3:21-22; and John 1:29-34).

The Holy Spirit descended from the Father in heaven to rest and remain on His Son for His coming ministry. All the qualities that the dove has represented down through biblical history are reminders of the Person and work of God’s Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God in the form of a dove sums up all the symbols of the dove in Scripture. The Spirit was seen to descend from heaven through an opening ripped apart in the sky. The Greek word used for torn apart is “schizo,” which is not at all a gentle little opening made in the sky. That word suggests a dramatic ripping apart of cloth, a violent tearing apart of the fabric of the sky. In Luke’s account, the dove flew to Jesus in a physical form, while in the other gospel accounts the Spirit descended “like a dove.” So whether or not the dove literally came in bodily form to light on the Lord is beside the point. The dove participated in the spiritual anointing by Father God for His Son’s mission as Messiah, the “Anointed One.” Just as the Spirit hovered over the waters like a bird at the first creation, the Spirit once again hovered over the waters of Jesus’ baptism, this time for the new creation as brought about by the life and ministry of Jesus. And what other creature on earth could be more appropriate in this setting, what creature could be more suited for carrying a message of love from the Father to the Son all the way from heaven than a well-trained carrier pigeon, a homing dove?

The big question is why? Why would Jesus the sinless One submit to a baptism which is intended for the repentance of sins?

1. To receive the Father’s blessing to begin His ministry. In His words of affirmation, God gave the heavenly seal of approval to inaugurate Jesus’ mission as Messiah. God’s words were, “You are my dearly beloved Son, and you bring me great joy! With you I am well pleased!” These words are a combination of Psalm 2:7, which is messianic, and Isaiah 42:1, which coronates the role of Suffering Servant, and Genesis 22:2, which brings to mind Isaac and the sacrifice and the fact that God is saying that He is the Father who has a Son who will truly die. God’s affirmation to Jesus confirms that the Messiah King would travel the road of the Suffering Servant.
2. To confess the sins of His people, in the tradition of Nehemiah (1:6), Ezra (9:10), Daniel (9:4-6), and others in biblical history who bore the burdens of the sins of the people. In submitting to baptism, Jesus shouldered the responsibility of Israel’s sinfulness, and acknowledged that Israel needs to be purified and forgiven. Jesus’ baptism was an act of repentance, but for His people, not for Him.
3. To identify with all of humanity and their fallen nature. Jesus is giving a nod to His human identity, wanting to be in solidarity with all people. All people need to be purified, He is a fellow human being, therefore He will identify Himself with humanity out of love and humility.
4. To show an example to believers, to be a pioneer in the baptismal way of turning to God. Jesus did nothing that requires repentance, but He wanted to show the way for those followers who are penitent.
5. To show support for John the Baptist, the “greatest prophet,” in his calling of preparing the way for the Lord. Jesus wanted to show the people that John was following a divinely inspired calling, and so He submitted to John’s baptism to affirm John’s prophetic work, and to confirm that John is preparing the way for Jesus the Messiah.
6. To declare publicly that He was beginning His mission to the world. Jesus is announcing that He will now begin to bring His message of salvation to His people and to the world. It’s interesting that, “In His first public declaration of His ministry, instead of going to Jerusalem and identifying with the established religious leaders, Jesus went to a river and identified with those who are repenting of sin.” (NLT notes).
7. To become ordained in His role as Messianic Savior. Jesus was thirty years old at the time of His baptism, which was when rabbis were dedicated to teach and priests were ordained and declared fit to serve in the Temple. Some scholars believe that His baptism was the established time to receive a formal dedication to serve Yahweh, that John dedicated the temple of Jesus’ body, much like Solomon once dedicated the Temple.
8. To symbolize death and resurrection. When Jesus was immersed in baptism, He was symbolically buried in death. And when He rose out of the water, He gave us a picture of how He would minister in the way of new life in the power of the Holy Spirit. In His baptism, Jesus foreshadowed His own death and Resurrection, and He revealed the meaning behind the future sacrament of Christian baptism.
9. To be recognized as the divine Messiah. In a moment of inspiration at the baptismal site, John the Baptist called Jesus “the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29). John is referencing the Passover lamb (Exodus 12:3) that was slain to save the enslaved people of Israel from certain death. The Baptist is saying that Jesus is the Passover Lamb that is to be sacrificed to save the people from certain spiritual death. One Bible translator suggests that John’s baptizing of Jesus publicly washed the sacrificial Lamb and fulfilled the requirements of the Law, confirming to Israel that the Lamb was spotless and without blemish. At the baptism, John confirmed that the untainted Lamb was now ready to be sacrificed for the life of the people. (Dr. Brian Simmons, Passion Translation notes).
10. To become the Big Fish. Because of Moses’ prophecy in Deuteronomy 18about a messianic figure called the Teacher, the Jewish people during Jesus’ time were expecting a new Moses to guide and save them, like the old Moses did. They believed that the second Moses would duplicate the teachings and miracles of the first Moses, and would be a mediator between God and the people. Moses was an Egyptian name which meant “taken out of the water,” and when pronounced sounded like swish-swish. So Moses was called the big fish in many rabbinic circles. Jesus in many ways did have many parallels with Moses during His ministry, with some scholar saying there were at least 50 different similarities between Jesus and Moses. Because of the prophecy in Deuteronomy, many rabbinic authorities explored the idea of the Messiah being another Big Fish. And sure enough, here is Jesus, being taken out of the water and revealing to all that He indeed was the Big Fish so often discussed in Judaism.

The Trinity. This is the first time in the Gospels that the Holy Trinity is simultaneously present at a recorded event. There is no greater mystery in the Christian Faith than the Trinity, the Three-in-One, the One-in-Three. Every attempt at illustrating the Trinity in nature comes up short, and every time human logic and reason is used to understand the Trinity, it is not up to the task. Some Scriptures that refer to the Trinity are:

Matthew 28:19: “Go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.”

John 15:26: “But I will send you the Paraclete – the Spirit of truth. He will come to you from the Father and will testify all about me.” 

1 Corinthians 12:4-6: “There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all. There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord. God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us. 

2 Corinthians 13:14: “May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” 

Ephesians 2:18: “Now all of us can come to the Father through the same Holy Spirit because of what Christ has done for us.” 

1 Thessalonians 1:2-5: “We always thank God for all of you and pray for you constantly. As we pray to our God and Father about you, we think of your faithful work, your loving deeds, and the enduring hope you have because of our Lord Jesus Christ. We know, dear brothers and sisters, that God loves you and has chosen you to be his own people. For when we brought you the Good News, it was not only with words but also with power, for the Holy Spirit gave you full assurance that what we said was true.” 

1 Peter 1:2: “God the Father knew you and chose you long ago, and his Spirit has made you holy. As a result, you have obeyed him and have been cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ.” 

St. Paul’s Trinitarian Blessing

“May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ,

The love of God,

And the fellowship of the Holy Spirit

Be with all of you. Amen.” (2 Corinthians 13:14).

One inescapable truth from this Blessing is that it can be sung in three-part harmony:  The Person of Jesus Christ the Anointed One is the world’s source of grace, and the Person of God the Father is the world’s source of love, and the Person of the Holy Spirit is the world’s source of fellowship.

The Grace of Jesus Christ: The Greek word here for “grace’ is the tremendously rich word of “charis,” which is pronounced either “care-iss.” This important biblical word was adopted from Greek mythology, and it means: undeserved favor; the gift of good will; unmerited kindness; the unexpected spiritual blessing that brings delight and pleasure; a free gift of acceptance with no strings attached. This is the dictionary version, the basic concept. This biblical grace is an absolute truth, and so grace exists whether or not we choose to accept it. But it is an abstract truth unless we make it a living truth in our Christian walk. Grace is intended to be a personal experience that is lived into and fleshed out. Grace is the exhale after the inhale of Jesus into one’s life. Grace cannot be a product of will power, because one has to tap into the source of grace in order to demonstrate it to others. The life and death and resurrection of Christ was an act of pure grace, a voluntary act of profound favor towards us, as if we actually deserved it. Jesus pioneered the way of grace for us by touching the untouchable, accepting the unacceptable, providing spiritual blessings for those who were spiritually empty. Through His gracious sacrifice, Jesus declared us righteous, despite the evidence to the contrary. The Cross extended mercy to all of us, who didn’t even come close to deserving fairness or the benefit of the doubt. The death of Christ weighted the scales in our favor, even though we have been weighed and found wanting. The Cross was an act of pure grace, the ultimate in offering undeserved favor on mankind. Every person on earth has already been offered this grace and have only to accept it as true to make it the first part of God’s rescue operation. If we hoard this grace and don’t find an outlet for it, we become a Dead Sea Christian. If we allow grace to overflow our hearts and is offered to others, then we would be a Jordan River Christian providing fresh water to all we meet. Jesus Messiah is the only possible source of grace in this world, and His intention is that we participate in His grace and flood the earth with a clear picture of what the grace of Christ looks like… Loving the unlovable.

The Love of God.  The particular kind of love Paul points us to in this Trinitarian Blessing is agape love. It is the same love that the Father and the Son share. It is the highest form of love, and can only come from the heart of God Himself. Agape love is the supreme of all the loves, and desires the highest good of someone else. Agape is “the highest level of love known to humanity” (C. S. Lewis), and thus can only come from above with God as its source. Agape love is the ultimate expression of God’s nature, the essence of His character (see Exodus 34). Agape love is not Eros, which is romantic love. It is not Phileo, which is brotherly love. It is not Storge, which is family love. God is truly the source of all these other loves, but it is only agape love that is poured into our hearts from the Holy Spirit, to those who believe in Christ. The most virtuous person on the planet cannot manufacture agape love as if it’s merely a highly esteemed trait. We don’t have it in us. We aren’t born with the ability to show agape love. It is impossible for us to demonstrate agape love on our own, because it can only derive from God, and not from human nature. Agape love is the supreme Fruit of the Spirit, and can only be produced in us through the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. “For we know how dearly God loves us, because He has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with love; God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit whom He has given us; We can now experience the endless love of God cascading into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who lives in us!” (Romans 5:5). This divine love being poured into our hearts is meant to be demonstrated to others through sacrificial acts of kindness and compassion. This love, this affectionate regard of others, is deliberate and intentional. Agape love spills over from our hearts only after being poured into our hearts. Through the Holy Spirit, agape love can realistically become second nature to us and in us, by displacing the old loves in a Christian’s life, the love of money and things, of pleasure and self, of power, ego and attention. In some beautifully mysterious way, the loyal, unconditional love in us from above is somehow completed when Christians love others. Agape love is the means by which God’s love may reach the world. Agape love is an eternal virtue, and will still be in operation after faith and hope are rendered unnecessary in heaven (1 Cor. 13:8). Agape love is the divine Fruit offered to us to personally enjoy, and to spread God’s affectionate acceptance to others. Love poured into us, love splashed out to others. “So now I am giving you a new commandment: Agape-Love each other. Just as I have agape-loved you, you should agape-love each other.” (John 13:34-35).

The Fellowship of the Holy Spirit. The Trinitarian Blessing that closes Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians contains an interesting observation concerning the Holy Spirit. The Greek term “Hagiou” is used for Holy, and it means sacred, different from the world, as well as unique in likeness to the Lord God. The Greek word for Spirit is “Pneumatos,” and can mean wind, breath or spirit, and is always capitalized when referring to the third Person of the Trinity.  After praying for them to be blessed in the grace of Jesus Christ and the love of God, Paul completes the blessing by praying that they would experience the “koinonia” of the Holy Spirit. Koinonia is another rich Greek biblical term, meaning communion, participation in, companionship, intimate partnership with, deep fellowship with. We are not only joined into the community of the Trinity through the Spirit, but we are plugged into a profound fellowship with other believers as well. There would be no intimate friendship with other believers were it not for the source of all communion, the interwoven unity of the triune God. We are one with other believers only because of our oneness with the Trinity. Believers are welcomed into the relationship of the Trinity, and through that spiritual source of oneness we have the possibility of intimate fellowship with fellow believers. The Holy Spirit dwells within us, along with the Father and the Son, and thus we are able to live inside the Trinity while the Trinity lives within us and we live within the community of believers. The Holy Spirit, our true Companion, our intimate Friend “who sticks closer than a brother” (Proverbs 18:24).