The Word and The World

And in Jesus Christ

“And in Jesus Christ, his only Son our Lord…”

There is such power in our words when we truly comprehend their meaning. This short phrase professes our faith in the second person of the Trinity and it says a great deal about Jesus.

To begin with we call Jesus “Christ.” Contrary to popular belief, “Christ” is not Jesus’ last name. Instead it is a Greek word meaning “Messiah” or “God’s anointed one.” So then by professing faith in Jesus Christ, we acknowledge that he is more than the child of Mary and Joseph the carpenter. He is in fact our Savior and Redeemer.

This is powerful stuff. In some times and places, this proclamation was tantamount to a death sentence because it meant we found our only hope for salvation in someone other than the king.

But we proclaim more than our loyalty to Jesus. We acknowledge his choice by God and his relationship to God as the second person of the Trinity, God the Son. Only Christianity proclaims and accepts the Trinity. Most other faiths view the Trinitarian doctrine as a source of ridicule and polytheism (worship of many gods). But that is not what we proclaim.

When we say that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, we proclaim that God is one being, who chose to make a self-revelation in three distinct persons; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We proclaim, to use the term from the Nicene Creed that the persons of the Trinity are of ‘one substance.’ This means they are the same person in essence but we experience God in three different ways.

At this point, I must admit that trying to adequately explain the doctrine of the Trinity is impossible. Theologians have tried to do so for centuries and every explanation falls short. But this too says something about God. God is more than we can comprehend and therefore some of our understanding remains a mystery of faith, something we accept and believe, but can not adequately prove or explain.

I have found several illustrations that seem to help in discussing the Trinity. First; the Trinity describes God’s relationship within the godhead to God’s self. It helps if we consider how we are viewed as individuals in our familial relationships. For example: I am my parent’s son, my children’s father, and my siblings’ brother. Three persons found in one individual. There are more relationships that describe me than this, but you should get the idea.

A second example is the egg. An egg can be described as having three distinct parts: the shell, the yolk, and the white. Each part is visibly different, yet each is also egg. The three persons of the Trinity are similar, each is different, yet always God.

Another example that comes to mind involves the substance we know as water (H₂O). It exists in three distinct states as solid (ice), liquid (water), and gas (steam). Yet it always remains H₂O. God exists as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; three persons but always God.

So then, when we say: “(I believe) in Jesus Christ, his only Son our Lord…” we profess a belief in Jesus as God’s anointed, the second person of the Trinity, equal and co-eternal with God. We acknowledge Jesus as being God just as God the Father and God the Holy Spirit are God. Further, we pledge allegiance to Jesus as our Lord, Savior, and Redeemer. And we proclaim Jesus as God’s self-revelation to us.

The Rule of Faith, the Apostle’s Creed says this and so much more. I give thanks for the words of those who wrote it down for us and our understanding of it today.

Gracious Lord, we give thanks for the gift of your Son, Jesus Christ. Help us as we continue to study this document to come to appreciate all the truths we express each time it is recited. This we ask in the name of Christ. Amen.

Podcast coming soon!!!