Title: Holy Trinity Sunday: Hes Got it All

Text: Matthew 28:16-20

Pastor Chad Bresson
Introduction I have a friend in Arizona who is a mind reader. He calls himself a mentallusionist. Hes
a popular speaker on cruises and corporate parties, performing feats that just dont
seem possible. Hes the kind of a guy who can tell you what number youre thinking
about. A bit of Sherlock Holmes does magic. He recently wrote a book that pulls back
the curtain a bit on his craft. The world famous escape artist Houdini got his start the
same way, attempting to put fortune tellers out of business by exposing their tricks.
Today we have books and documentaries that have revealed all sorts of tricks behind
the trade, but even when we are told how David Copperfield can make a jet disappear,
we still have trouble really understanding the smoke and the mirrors behind it. Ive seen
and read some of the explanations for these things and I still dont think I get some of it,
and it makes me wonder if Im still missing something else.
This is Holy Trinity Sunday. It is the Sunday in our year in which we contemplate one of
the deepest mysteries of our faith. This is not magic. Its real. God in three persons, yet
one. That's hard to wrap our heads around. We create all sorts of ways to explain it
Ive seen it explained as water and its three properties, the sun and its three
characteristics, the three leaf clover. But all of these things, as creative as they are just
fall way short of accurately explaining the mystery of the Trinity.
It's not just us. Martin Luther said this about it:
This must be accepted by faith. No matter how clever, acute, and keen reason
may be, it will never grasp and comprehend it. If (the reality of the Trinity) were
susceptible to our wisdom, then God would not need to reveal it from heaven or
proclaim it through Holy Scripture. So be governed by this fact and say: I believe
and confess that there is one eternal God and, at the same time, three distinct
Persons, even though I cannot fathom and comprehend this. For Holy Scripture,
which is Gods Word, says so; and I abide by what it states.
Thats Martin Luther saying he doesnt understand it all. If a great theologian like Luther
cant completely fathom or comprehend the Trinity, I dont stand a chance. We take
what the Bible says in faith. God is one yet three. Cant explain it, but Christ through His
scriptures has revealed this to us for us to believe.
It is what we confess in our baptism, being baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and
Holy Spirit, or even being baptized into the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as
some translations interpret it.
And for those who choose to remember their baptism in a visible way, we confess the
trinity in our sign of the crossin the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It is a
reminder that Christ has redeemed us and given us a new identity, in being brought into
relationship with a Trinity we dont fully comprehend.
We confess the Trinity because it is what God says about himself in His Word. And yet
we cannot begin to comprehend the mystery. This One God, Three Persons is what
separates Christianity from the other popular religions of this world. It is a stumbling
block to the other large monotheistic faiths, Judaism and Islam, which don't believe it.
And most of the great controversies of church history involved some aspect of the
Trinity, including the big break between East and West. In fact, it was a stumbling block
in Christ's day. It's kind of a running theme in the ministry of Christ. The claim of the
religious leaders was that Christ can't be the son of God because we all know that our
God is one God. This is the grand declaration of the Jewish Tradition from the book of
Deuteronomy. Our God is one God. He doesn't have a Son.
Oh, but he does! He has a Son who lives and speaks on behalf of the Godhead. At one
point in Christ's ministry, one of his disciples Philip said.. Show us the Father. And an
almost incredulous Jesus replies, if you've seen me, you've seen the Father. If you want
to experience the Trinity, then embrace Jesus.. The one who was declared at birth to
be, God With Us.

Context - Doubt
So here we are, Holy Trinity Sunday pondering a text to which the idea of Trinity is
central. Our text in Matthew is at the end of Matthews book. Its at the end of Christ's
ministry. The story of Jesus is closing. By the hands of wicked men, the roving Jewish
rabbi who proclaimed freedom, healing, and hope had been crucified. While his
enemies rejoiced, his followers were devastated. How could this happen? This is not
what we expected. We were expecting glory, not a cross.
As they mourn, the beginning of the third day brings even more confusion. Women bring
burial spices to Christ's tomb, only to be told "He's not here, he's risen." Christ appears
to some of his disciples. Those who put Christ to death immediately begin to spin a tale
of thievery and deception using an alternate version of reality. Hes not here, but he
has not risen. Of course he's not risen. It never happened. The disciples came and stole
the body. This is their fake news.
Fear. Confusion. Fake news. Doubt. All of this drama is colored by human emotion.
These are natural feelings that arise when we cannot explain the unexplainable. These
are the feelings that paralyze us, especially when those feelings are being fanned by
those who would do us harm. Ever had that feeling of helplessness when untruths are
being spread? There's nothing you can do about it. Everybody's believing it to the point
where you begin to doubt the truth yourself.
But, then theres grace. In our passage this morning Jesus is going to answer the
confusion. Hes going to respond to the doubt. He gives grace to those whose world is
being shaken. Listen again to what happens on center stage (we read this earlier).
Matthew 28:16:
Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had
directed them. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. And
Jesus came and said to them, All authority in heaven and on earth has been
given to me. 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, and teaching them to
obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you
always, to the end of the age.
Theres confusion, theres fear, theres instability, theres fake news. And there stands
Jesus on a mountain with the ones he loves. The mountain throughout Scripture is a
place where God comes to talk to his people; its a place where God communes with
those he loves. In the book of Matthew, the mountain is a place where the New Moses,
Jesus, gathers those he loves to give them words of life and hope. Now he's on a
mountain again, calling his friends to his sanctuary, just as he had done at the
beginning of his ministry where he delivered a sermon for the ages. The mountain is
where he gives purpose and mission as he begins to make all things new in a new
creation.
The four alls: All Authority
Christ has brought them to this mountain because he has some final words for them
before he ascends to his father. What takes place here is among the last moments of
Christs earthly presence with those who are his loved ones. And youll see in our
passage this morning that this final address is highlighted by four alls. Did you hear
them when we read it earlier? If you remember nothing else this morning, remember the
four alls: All Authority. All Nations. All Teachings. Always.
The alls here are like the glue that hold this passage together. Matthew wants us to see
something. He is completing his grand story of Jesus, and throughout this gospel that
he has written for the early church, Matthew has been emphasizing the fact that this
Jesus is the one about whom the entire Old Testament speaks. From the very opening
words, Matthew places Jesus as the culmination of all of the drama of the Old
Testament he is the Son of Abraham, the Son of David come to claim his kingdom
and his throne. And throughout this book, Matthew is always stopping the action to
make a point that Jesus is fulfilling the promises made in the Old Testament. And here
in this last picture, we have the high point of the fulfillment on the mountain with his
friends.
He notes Christs use of the word all to complete the picture. All has a sense of
fulfillment and completion. The Old Testament was about some kingdom. It was
mainly about the kingdom of Israel, a tiny slice of a land on the east banks of the
Mediterranean Sea. It was about some nation who had been given some commands,
exclusive for the most part from anyone else participating in their exclusive covenant.
Even Gods presence lacked a certain completion. God had chosen to dwell with that
exclusive people group in his prescribed temple in Jerusalem. And the entire Trinity, in
the Old Testament, seems to be coming and going, sometimes present, sometimes
inexplicably absent. And Gods continued dwelling with his people in the temple was
totally dependent on Israels obedience. And that obedience, for the most part was
sorely lacking.
So the Old Testament is incomplete. It is just some. It is just a little. It is not all. But
Matthew shows the early church that what was promised has been fulfilled in Jesus.
The second person of the godhead descends from heaven to save his people from their
sins. In Matthew four he begins to travel the land, proclaiming the kingdom near,
bringing hope and healing to those who believe.
And here in our passage this morning, thats done. All of Christs work is done. Its
complete. It is finished. What was incomplete was now complete. It is ALL done.
The first ALL is all authority. Having died for His people, God in the prophetic words
of Daniel has given Christ ALL authority. All authority in heaven and on earth has
been given to me. In his death and resurrection ALL of the world is Jesuss. In heaven
and on earth is comprehensive.. everything ever created belongs to Jesus. He owns it
all. He has claimed it all. There are echoes here of the prayer we pray every Sunday:
Our Father who art in heaven. Hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come, thy will be
done on earth as it is in heaven. Thy kingdom come. Here, on a mountain, the kingdom
comes. Gods will is being expressed on earth as it is in heaven in the Person and work
and words of Jesus.
Hows that for addressing doubt? While the world seems unstable, there stands Jesus
the immediate answer to the Lords Prayer, declaring he has all authority over
everything. Not just some authority over a little land. But all authority over the entire
expanse of heaven and earth. Anywhere where the good news is proclaimed, there is
Christ extending his authority.

The four alls: All Nations

But theres no kingdom if there is no realm. And Christs realm is all nations, the second
all here. 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. How does the authority of Jesus
expand from Jerusalem outward? By making disciples. What was once relegated to just
Israel, to some people is now for all nations. The good news isnt just for some, its not
for an exclusive few, but its for all. Twice, earlier in this chapter, Christ says go tell my
disciples. Here, its go tell the whole world I have risen from the dead. All nations are
to hear the good news of Jesus.
And they are pulled into Christs story and the drama of redemption through two things:
the first is mentioned here: baptism. Through the waters of baptism disciples are made,
a baptism in which all of the members of the Trinity participate. We baptize in the name
of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. That preposition, as you know, can also be rendered
into, as into the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
This mission, then, isnt simply Christs mission. It is a mission of all three persons of the
one godhead. The good news of what God has accomplished in Christ is to expand
over the entire earth to anyone and everyone, making disciples of those who believe.
This is the trinity expanding its communion and fellowship to include those for whom
Christ has died. Making disciples is a trinitarian activity, so that when we bring Jesus to
people through the good news and they respond in faith, we do so in the name of the
Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

The four alls: All Teachings

That brings us to the third all. The Risen One who is building his kingdom through all
of the people groups all over the world is doing so through all of his teachings. In the
Old Testament we have the story of a people who were specially chosen by God and a
blaze of fire and smoke on a mountain were given a special set of tablets made just for
them, the ten commandments and the Mosaic Covenant. If you wanted to know what
God expected from his creatures, you could only find it in Israel. But no more.
The fullest and highest revelation of God has been given flesh and blood. Everything we
need to know about God is found in the person of Jesus. And now we have all of his
teachings, all of his expectations, all of what He has accomplished for us. We have no
need of tablets. We have Jesus and His entire Word. We have the visible Word,
baptism and the Table, proclaiming to us whose we are through what Christ has done.
We do not lack for knowledge. Its all here. We have everything we need in the Bible.
And it is part of the good news that is carried to all nations, extending the all authority
of Jesus, as disciples are made through faith in Christ.

The four alls: Always

And that points us to the last all. What is it that people who are living in fear and doubt
need to hear? When the world is shaking. When there are threats. When fake news
seems to drown out the gospel. At the very beginning of the book of Matthew, in another
story full of angst and confusion and fear, the angel tells Joseph that the child Mary
carries will be called Emmanuel, God with Us. And here, at the very end of Matthews
script that promise that God is now present among His people has come to fruition. The
one who was born of a virgin has suffered and died and risen so that he might redeem
 for himself a people. He has done it. He has been given all authority. That authority
extends to all the nations through the gospel. And now he says I am with you always.
Always Emmanuel! Always and forever Emmanuel! There is no time ever where Christ
is not present with his people. What was incomplete is now complete in Jesus. What
was temporary and transitional is now permanent. What was for some is now for all.
What was in one spot for one time is now for anywhere and all of the time.
All authority. All nations. All teachings. Always Emmanuel.
Conclusion The story is told of a Bible professor in Scotland who spent years training young men for
pulpit ministry. The weekly chapel services at the seminary were led by the various
faculty at the school, the professors taking turns in the pulpit, so that throughout the
school year, the students heard from every professor several times. One particular
professor had a habit of preaching the same sermon every time he preached. Over the
course of a seminarian's studies, he or she would hear the same message at least a
dozen times. His passage was ours this morning. Matthew 28:16-20. One student
remarked that at first it just seemed like he only knew how to preach one passage. It's
all he knows, we thought. Until it dawned on me, and dawned on all of us, that this
professor knew what we didn't: This passage contains the meaning of all of history. It is
an explanation for anything and everything that has ever happened.
Christ stands on the mountain and in his final farewell, his final address, says
"everything's OK. It's all right. All authority has been given to me. Go multiply
yourselves. As numerous as the sands of the sea, all over the globe among all people
groups.. Talk about me. Teach and baptize in the name of all of us, the Father, the Son,
and the Holy Spirit.
This is all the disciples ever wanted. It may not be what they expected, but they have
been given so much more. In this mountain scene they are given a purpose, a mission.
All of lifes meaning is found in this passage, in this scene, on a mountain at the end of
Christs earthly journey. And as the disciples multiply in making more disciples, the
unfathomable and all-glorious Trinity, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit come to
live and dwell among all nations through the Person and work of Jesus. What was once
far off has been brought near. The incomplete is complete. The some is now all.
And they came off that mountain and turned the world upside down. Baptizing in the
name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, they made disciples all over the world through
all of Christs teachings in all of His Word. We, here in Lyford this AM, are the recipients
of their mission. They really did take the good news to the ends of the earth. We are
beneficiaries from that meeting on the mountain.
In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit isnt simply a tag on the end of
our baptismal formula. This is a tip-off that all of the things that have been happening to
create doubt and confusion involved not just the Son, but the Father and Spirit as well.
Christ meets with his friends in that sanctuary on the mountain and he does so on
behalf of the entire godhead, a God who has brought about salvation for His people.
The Trinity in Christ is telling the disciples on that mountain, All the things that have
happened recently? That's our work. We were all involved, the Father, the Son, the Holy
Spirit. We did this. We did this for you. All these things that bring you fear, doubt,
confusion? We've got this. I've got you. I am with you. I am the Emmanuel, come to
save his people from their sins. I will be with you wherever you are.. Forever. I will be
your God. And you will be my people. Forever.
Isn't that what we want when things don't go our way. Just somebody to be with us?
Isn't that what we want when it doesn't seem like we're multiplying all that fast or much?
Isn't that what we want to hear when the world is against us? We must take our place
with the fearful and confused and doubting disciples on that mountain. We need to hear
Jesus tell us, hey, I'm Emmanuel.. God with us. I've come to save you from your sins.
You have been baptized. You are forgiven. You are God's child. I will be with you
wherever you are. I will be your God. And you will be my people.
Right here in Lyford. The whole world can be against us. The whole world can be falling
apart. And yet here stands Jesus, compassionate wonderful Jesus, saying.. I've got this.
I've got you.
This passage is also a reminder that this good news of what Jesus has accomplished
for us isnt just for us. Its for all nations. Its for Lyford. Lyford needs us. Lyford needs
hope. The RGV needs Jesus. Not just among us, but in our communities there is fear,
there is confusion, there is doubt. There is an alternative narrative tempting them and
us. One of power and status and comfort and safety and things anything that would
move our hearts away from Jesus. Fake news that appeals to our pleasure points. We
have the good news.
Embrace Jesus. The good news is that we have been forgiven. And forgiveness is
offered to the nations to all who believe. Jesus is here for them. He is here for us. He is
saying "everything's OK. It's all right. All authority has been given to me. Remember
your baptism. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are three in One. They are God 4 you. In
his death and resurrection, Christ brings the Trinity close to us, right here in Lyford. The
Trinity is present with us even this morning, and we know that because the community
that the Godhead created in Christ is all of us right here, right now. And Christ is saying
to us, I am the promised messiah, come to save his people from their sins. I will be with
you wherever you are.. all of the time. I will be your God. And you will be my people. I
am always Emmanuel. Forever. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.