Study notes for Trinity Sunday

Trinity Sunday

THE FEAST OF THE HOLY TRINITY

(27 May 2018)

Series B

Isaiah 6:1–8

Acts 2:14a, 22–36

John 3:1–17

The Glory of the Lord of Hosts Shines in Mercy, Forgiveness and Salvation

When Isaiah “saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up,” he cried out and confessed that he was “a man of unclean lips.” If even the holy angels cover their faces in the presence of “the King, the Lord of hosts,” how can sinful humans stand before Him (Is. 6:1–5)? 

Yet, the glory of the Lord is saving grace, and with “a burning coal” from the altar the angel touched Isaiah’s lips, removing his guilt (Is. 6:6–7).

Likewise, from the altar of Christ’s cross, by the ministry of the Gospel, “the whole earth is full of his glory” (Is. 6:3). For He was crucified, died and was buried, “according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God,” and God “raised him up, losing the pangs of death” (Acts 2:23–24). He “received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:33), and He rises up the fallen world by pouring out His life-giving Spirit upon sinners through His earthly Means of Grace. To give this saving gift, God sent His Son into the world, “that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16–17).

Trinity - John 3:1-17

Almighty and everlasting God, You have given us grace to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity by the confession of a true faith and to worship the Unity in the power of the Divine Majesty. Keep us steadfast in this faith and defend us from all adversities; for You, O Father, Son and Holy Spirit, live and reign, One God, now and forever.

V: 1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.

Ἦν δὲ ἄνθρωπος ἐκ τῶν Φαρισαίων, Νικόδημος ὄνομα αὐτῷ, ἄρχων τῶν Ἰουδαίων

V:2 This man came to Jesus[a] by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.”

οὗτος ἦλθεν πρὸς αὐτὸν νυκτὸς καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ Ῥαββεί, οἴδαμεν ὅτι ἀπὸ Θεοῦ ἐλήλυθας διδάσκαλος· οὐδεὶς γὰρ δύναται ταῦτα τὰ σημεῖα ποιεῖν ἃ σὺ ποιεῖς, ἐὰν μὴ ᾖ ὁ Θεὸς μετ’ αὐτοῦ.

-          Greek him.

       The terms "night" and "darkness" in John's gospel are key words for doubt, unbelief, questioning, struggle. . 

V: 3 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again[b] he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

ἀπεκρίθη Ἰησοῦς καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ Ἀμὴν ἀμὴν λέγω σοι, ἐὰν μή τις γεννηθῇ ἄνωθεν, οὐ δύναται ἰδεῖν τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ

-

-          "Reason and free will are also to live an outwardly decent life to as certain extend. But only the Holy Spirit causes a person to be born anew and to have inwardly another heart, kind and natural desire." [FC SD II 26]

-      Or "from above"; the Greek is purposely ambiguous and can mean both again and from above; see also verse 7

V: 4 Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?”

λέγει πρὸς αὐτὸν ὁ Νικόδημος Πῶς δύναται ἄνθρωπος γεννηθῆναι γέρων ὤν; μὴ δύναται εἰς τὴν κοιλίαν τῆς μητρὸς αὐτοῦ δεύτερον εἰσελθεῖν καὶ γεννηθῆναι;

V: 5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.

ἀπεκρίθη Ἰησοῦς Ἀμὴν ἀμὴν λέγω σοι, ἐὰν μή τις γεννηθῇ ἐξ ὕδατος καὶ Πνεύματος, οὐ δύναται εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ.

 The preposition "of" Gk. "ek" governs both nouns. "Water" and "Spirit" belong together and point to Christian baptism.

The Kingdom of God is best expressed at the cross. See St. Paul, "But we preach Christ crucified..."

V: 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.[c]

τὸ γεγεννημένον ἐκ τῆς σαρκὸς σάρξ ἐστιν, καὶ τὸ γεγεννημένον ἐκ τοῦ Πνεύματος πνεῦμά ἐστιν.

-          The same Greek word means both wind and spirit

V: 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You[d] must be born again.’

μὴ θαυμάσῃς ὅτι εἶπόν σοι Δεῖ ὑμᾶς γεννηθῆναι ἄνωθεν.

-          The Greek for you is plural here

V: 8 The wind[e] blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound/voice, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

τὸ πνεῦμα ὅπου θέλει πνεῖ, καὶ τὴν φωνὴν αὐτοῦ ἀκούεις, ἀλλ’ οὐκ οἶδας πόθεν ἔρχεται καὶ ποῦ ὑπάγει· οὕτως ἐστὶν πᾶς ὁ γεγεννημένος ἐκ τοῦ Πνεύματος

-          The same Greek word means both wind and spirit

V: 9 Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?”

ἀπεκρίθη Νικόδημος καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ Πῶς δύναται ταῦτα γενέσθαι;

V: 10 Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things?

ἀπεκρίθη Ἰησοῦς καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ Σὺ εἶ ὁ διδάσκαλος τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ καὶ ταῦτα οὐ γινώσκεις;

V: 11 Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you[f] do not receive our testimony.

ἀμὴν ἀμὴν λέγω σοι ὅτι ὃ οἴδαμεν λαλοῦμεν καὶ ὃ ἑωράκαμεν μαρτυροῦμεν, καὶ τὴν μαρτυρίαν ἡμῶν οὐ λαμβάνετε.

-          The Greek for you is plural here; also four times in verse 12

V: 12 If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things?

εἰ τὰ ἐπίγεια εἶπον ὑμῖν καὶ οὐ πιστεύετε, πῶς ἐὰν εἴπω ὑμῖν τὰ ἐπουράνια πιστεύσετε;

V: 13 No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man.[g]

καὶ οὐδεὶς ἀναβέβηκεν εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν εἰ μὴ ὁ ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καταβάς, ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου.

-          Some manuscripts add who is in heaven

V: 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up,

καὶ καθὼς Μωϋσῆς ὕψωσεν τὸν ὄφιν ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ, οὕτως ὑψωθῆναι δεῖ τὸν Υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου,

V: 15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.[h]

ἵνα πᾶς ὁ πιστεύων ἐν αὐτῷ ἔχῃ ζωὴν αἰώνιον.

-          Some interpreters hold that the quotation ends at verse 15

-          "Worthiness does not depend on the greatness of smallness the weakness or strength of faith. Instead, it depends on Christ's merit." [FC SD VII 70-71] 

-     "Out of His immense goodness and mercy, God provides for the public preaching of His divine eternal Law and His wonderful plan for our redemption, that of the holy, only saving Gospel of His eternal Son, our only Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ." [FC SD II 50]

V: 16 “For God so loved the world,[i] that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

 Οὕτως γὰρ ἠγάπησεν ὁ Θεὸς τὸν κόσμον, ὥστε τὸν Υἱὸν τὸν μονογενῆ ἔδωκεν, ἵνα πᾶς ὁ πιστεύων εἰς αὐτὸν μὴ ἀπόληται ἀλλ’ ἔχῃ ζωὴν αἰώνιον.

-          Or For this is how God loved the world

-          Gk. agapao, used repeatedly in John. God's sacrificial and faithful love for the entire world alienated from God. God not only sent his Son but also offered Him to the world. He became our atoning sacrifice.

V: 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

οὐ γὰρ ἀπέστειλεν ὁ Θεὸς τὸν Υἱὸν εἰς τὸν κόσμον ἵνα κρίνῃ τὸν κόσμον, ἀλλ’ ἵνα σωθῇ ὁ κόσμος δι’ αὐτοῦ.

1. Vv. 11-14 Who Jesus is

2. Vv. 15-17 What Jesus did

  

I.                    We are born once – born human.

A.      Nicodemus: he was a flesh-born man who could hardly believe it.

B.      Humanity’s shared birth in the flesh – yours and mine

C.      Christ shared this humanity by His incarnation

II.                  We are born twice – born spiritually – born again by Water and the Spirit

A.      The miracle of the Spirit’s work in you: is your Baptism and all that it offers becomes the reality of this second birth

B.      The ground of the Spirit’s work:  is the lifting up of the eternal Son on the cross for our salvation and life.

C.      The author of the Spirit’s work: is God the Father, who sent His Son for your salvation and life.

English Standard Version (ESV)

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

Η ΚΑΙΝΗ ΔΙΑΘΗΚΗ Text, by Eberhard Nestle, courtesy of sites.google.com/site/nestle1904/