Yet He cried out and prayed to another aspect of His being? The Father. And promised His disciples the Holy Spirit after He left this earth? I’m not a theologian and don’t truly understand how all this works but I do believe that the God-head is composed of three parts of the same nature. Here’s my attempt at trying to decode this wonderful mystery. The Father exerts the role of AUTHORITY, the Son, the ADVOCATE, and the Spirit, the ADVISOR. These roles carry out three functions originating from the God-head, the Trinity; One in the same.
The Father, representing Authority, is the Alpha and Omega. He is Infinite and knows and created absolutely everything. God the Father is far beyond the Library of Congress, the CIA, or any other human institution of authority and information. The data He knows far, far exceeds the vast world wide web. He is the great I AM.
The Son, our Advocate, both divine and human, is our perfect attorney. He talks with the Father. He pleads our cases from the context of living on earth for 33 years. When we need a defense in front of a Perfect God- a Judge Who is so Holy that He cannot look upon any evil- Jesus, our Advocate, stands in the heavenly courtroom. Jesus did not have to take the rigorous LSAT for Harvard Law School, one of the most prestigious in the world. He didn’t clerk for a Supreme Court Judge. Since He is divine and human, He partakes of the vastness of the Father, the SUPREME SUPREME. The truth is that when the Supreme Judge looks upon Jesus, He doesn’t see austere black robes. He sees Jesus clothed in the blood red robes of sacrifice which cover our sins when we profess His sacrifice and Kingship.
The Holy Spirit- sent as an Advisor after Jesus’ ascension to Heaven- provides comfort and constant companionship for us; an Advisor Who serves as a Vessel, a conduit, from our Authority and Advocate. I liken our Advisor to a beautifully formed piece of pottery Who draws water from the fresh fountains of our Authority and Advocate, then pours sparkling droplets into our minds, hearts, and souls.
Growing up in a big Baptist church, we didn’t hear much about the Holy Spirit. The name of Jesus was mentioned countless times in many ways. God the Father came in second. This isn’t a criticism, since I grew up in the 1940s, 50s, and 60’s during a time when the Holy Spirit wasn’t spotlighted in all denominations. Finally, in the early 1970’s the “renewal” movement swept through the church and introduced millions of Christians to the third part of what we call the Trinity, the Holy Spirit.
The word “trinity” isn’t mentioned in the Bible but various verses refer to the Trinity which is the Godhead, ONE God in three different forms. Matthew 28:19 quotes Jesus saying, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit . . .” Christianity IS a monotheistic faith. The prayer, "Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one!” found in Deuteronomy 6:5, makes that clear. In Judaism, it’s called the Shema and is recited twice daily as a cornerstone of prayer among observant Jews.
Authority. Advocate. Advisor. I thank you, Lord, for expressing Yourself in these three ways…extravagant modes of communication to provide everything possible to help us experience Your lavish love and redemption. The splendid bow on this unfathomable gift is Your provision of scriptures. When the Lord graciously answered my prayer to come and live in my life, He breathed vitality into the pages of the Bible.
Jesus cooking supper on the shores of the Galilee |
Note: The
photo of Jesus cooking for His disciples on the shore of the Sea of Galilee appears in my family Bible published in 1944. My grandmother gave it to my
mother. It’s called The Inspirational Bible ©1944 published by John A. Dickson
Publishing Company