Jesus has the rank of God along with the Father and the Holy Spirit.
I wonder, are you confident to explain the Doctrine of the Holy Trinity? Believe me many have tried, but perhaps
not many have tried this approach which came to me as I prepared a series of talks I delivered on my Military Ski Retreat in Romania back in March.
Jesus was not a soldier, but if he had been and had been issued with an ID card, what rank do you think it would show? The answer is “God.”
The Doctrine of the Trinity affirms that we worship One God who is three Persons, equal in essence, but distinct
in personality, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
“We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
of one Being with the Father…”
(Nicene Creed)
The Creeds and formularies of our faith declare that Jesus is of One nature with the
Father and the Holy Spirit and so has the same rank as both of them, but rank was of little interest to him.
We read St Paul writing in Philippians 2:5-6:
“Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage.”
Jesus had the highest rank possible, but very seldom used it.
When at last his disciples realised what rank he had,
“Jesus strictly warned them not to tell this to anyone.” (Luke 9:2)
There were occasions that he acknowledged his rank quietly to certain people like the woman from Samaria in John 4: 25-26.
“The woman said, ‘I know that Messiah’ (called Christ) ‘is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.’ Then Jesus declared, ‘I, the one speaking to you – I am he.’” But, there were times when Jesus did show his ID
card and when he did, he did it in style.
One of my favourite passages in the bible is found in John 8:48-58.
““Very truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!” At this, they picked up stones to stone him.”
What has that to do with rank? The answer is to be found in Exodus 3:13-14 when Moses asked the LORD for his ID Card:
“Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?” God said to Moses, “I am who I am.This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I am has sent me to you.’”
I AM is the ultimate rank and the rank which Jesus held, the rank of God, but most of the time Jesus did not use his rank. Instead he refers to
himself by the rather obscure title “The Son of Man”.
Jesus used “Son of Man” as a way of not showing his rank, but showing his authority.
For example “the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” Mark 2:10. “The Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.” Mark 2:28.
The title Son of Man appears in the Old Testament in many places especially in the Book of Ezekiel where the title “son of man” is used over 90 times. “Son of man” is
employed as a synonym to mean “human.” In the Book of Daniel, however, the term has greater significance. One passage speaks of a vision seen by the prophet of a heavenly “human” visitor coming on the clouds of heaven.
“‘In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and
sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshipped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.” Daniel 7:13
At his trial recorded in Mark 14:61-63, Jesus makes reference to this before the High Priest and once again he shows his ID card:
“Again the high priest asked him, ‘Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?’
‘I am,’ said Jesus. ‘And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.’
Although Jesus did not use his rank much, he did and said things that only someone with the rank of God had the authority to do and say and was criticised for it.
“‘Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?’” His critics asked in Luke 5: 21
In the opinion of his enemies he made the most outrageous claims.
“No one has seen the Father except the one who is from God; only he has seen the Father.” John 6:46
“My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.’” John 10:29-30.
So we get that the Father and Jesus hold the rank of God, but what about the Holy Spirit?
Our creeds and Christian formularies affirm:
“We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who with the Father and the Son is worshipped and glorified.”
It is clear from the beginning of Holy Scripture that the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God (Gen 1:2)
who is also the Lord and giver of Life (Gen 2:7) “Then the Lord God formed a man from
the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life.”
Speaking to Moses, the LORD says of Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, “I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills.” (Ex 31:2)
Somehow the Spirit is the Spirit of God, but also distinct from Him. This is even more apparent in the New Testament when Jesus
identifies the Spirit by title as the “Comforter” and “Advocate”: John 14:26, “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.”
As the time came for Him to return, Jesus spoke of this other Person sent by the Father (John 14:26) and yet also breathed by Jesus upon the disciples after his resurrection (John 20:22) thus affirming the credal
statement, “who proceeds from the Father and the Son.”
The Holy Spirit is distinct from the Father and Jesus, but is intimately connected with both. Furthermore it is that same Spirit which connects us with one another as believers.
The closing benediction of St Paul’s Second letter affirms this with the words” the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” The Holy Spirit provides fellowship within the Trinity, fellowship
between us and the Trinity as well as engendering fellowship within the Church.
So there you have it. Yet another way of explaining the inexplicable yet glorious Holy Trinity. It works for me and I hope that it has worked for you.
Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Three divine Persons in community all holding the same rank. Distinct and yet One God.
This approach to understanding the Doctrine of the Holy Trinity is by no means perfect, but then if God was easy to explain then He would not be the Omniscient, Omnipotent and Ever Present God we believe Him to be.
Amen.