Sunday, May 31, 2026
Holy Trinity
Text: Matthew 28:16-20
Sermon Audio
As we gather… “I baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” These words have been spoken over countless people in countless languages throughout the centuries. It is through this formula that the Triune God puts His name on us. As we celebrate Holy Trinity Sunday, we rejoice that our God reveals Himself to us in the mystery that is one God in three persons. It is not given for us fully to understand the dynamics of this Holy Triune God. However, it is our job to confess this reality and believe it. We may not fully understand, but the Holy Spirit enlightens our hearts to trust and to use our frail human logic to grasp it the best we can. What a wonderful blessing that all three persons of the Godhead work to create us, save us, and make us holy!
Alleluia! Christ is risen! Grace, mercy, and peace from God our Father and our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
“Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted.”
But some doubted? How could that be? What did they doubt? It wasn’t like Doubting Thomas who missed a Sunday when Jesus appeared to the disciples and he wanted to see with his own eyes. Jesus was right there in front of their eyes. Perhaps they doubted that He was human—only appearing to be human. Perhaps they doubted he was God—just because you rise from the dead doesn’t make you God.
Perhaps they doubted themselves. Don’t you think there was a tiny bit of dread that when Jesus rose from the dead, they would be busier than they ever were in their entire lives spreading the news of Jesus’ resurrection? Maybe they doubted whether they were up for the task. 1. (oops!) The disciples worshiped Jesus, but some doubted.
Can you relate to these disciples? None of us have ever seen Jesus, not like the disciples have, at least. Maybe we doubt whether Jesus was truly human. Perhaps He only appeared to be human but was actually only God appearing to be human. Maybe we doubt whether Jesus was truly God. Sometimes these stories roll together like a ball of yarn, and before you know it, as the years go by, you get a tall tale that is more myth than reality. It is sometimes hard to believe the resurrection. We have no point of reference for something like someone coming back to life. Can we really believe it?
What about the Holy Trinity? On this Holy Trinity Sunday, we take time to discuss the reality of our God. One God in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. We don’t confess three Gods—Muslims and Jews accuse us of believing this—it is not as though the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are each off doing their own thing each wishing to be worshipped separately.
By the same token, we don’t worship One God in three forms. You might see me in a clerical shirt on a Sunday at church, a t-shirt and jeans on a Tuesday night, and still yet, if you walk around my neighborhood on a Wednesday morning, you might see me in athletic shorts running. You would recognize it’s still me, but in three different outfits. Some have falsely taught that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are essentially the same but in different outfits not co-existing simultaneously.
What’s more, we might have our own self-doubts with which we struggle. How can I be a real Christian if I keep on falling into that same sin? How can God really be real in a world of violence and destruction?
Between the teaching of Jesus, the teaching on the Holy Trinity, and our own problems in this world, 2. (ugh!) we worship Jesus, but sometimes doubt.
Yet God in His wisdom has anticipated these doubts and struggles both of the disciples and us. He gives us words of comfort. “And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” The Holy Trinity has given all authority to the Son, Jesus Christ. What a great comfort!
We may ponder the mysteries of God being man in the person of Jesus Christ. The mystery of one God in three persons may puzzle us. However, our God does not hide in the shadows in the realm of nonsense and trickery. Our God shows Himself in the person of Jesus Christ.
On this Holy Trinity Sunday, what doesn’t change is the centrality of the public and clear work of Jesus Christ. In public and in the sight of all He was born in a manger to take our place. In public and in the sight of all He lived and taught in the marketplaces and synagogues for crowds to follow and to see His good deeds. Before the whole world He was crucified, died, and buried. To over five hundred Christians He appeared as raised from the dead. He ascended to heaven. Jesus handles the doubts of those around Him by His presence before the world. 3. (aha!) The Holy Trinity has given all authority to the Son to dispel doubts.
All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Christ. So what? Jesus continues, “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, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”” THE HOLY TRINITY AUTHORIZES THE SON TO DISPELL DISCIPLES’ DOUBTS THROUGH BAPTISM AND TEACHING.
The Holy Trinity dispels doubts by making disciples. He makes disciples in two ways: by baptizing and teaching. This ministry continues from the time of the apostles until now as the apostles went out and made disciples of Christ wherever the Holy Spirit placed them.
We may not find the phrase, “Holy Trinity” in the Bible, but our Triune God is active throughout. This is most apparent in our reading from Matthew’s Gospel today as we see baptism in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. In baptism, God Himself places His name on us. In baptism, we become part of God’s family.
As we consider our own origins, all of us were born into a family. In many cases, our family shared a last name growing up. You obviously didn’t know your last name the day you were born, but you knew your mother and father. I wasn’t born with an innate ability to know what it means to be an Eichers; nonetheless, I grew into it by my experiences and the lessons I have learned from my family.
Baptized into God’s name most Holy, we may never fully understand the mystery of the Holy Trinity, but as we worship, the Lord is working to assuage our doubts. We recognize the voice of the Son, Jesus Christ, as we hear it in God’s Word. We recognize the work of the Holy Spirit in convicting us of sin and guiding us through God’s Word to lead holy lives. We see the Father’s hand in the ways in which we are fearfully and wonderfully made.
We worship the Holy Trinity, even if we face doubts. Baptism invites us head first to experience this mystery because it’s only in the experience of being in God’s family do we start to recognize the wonder of our God who is both one and three at the same time. 4. (whee!) The Holy Trinity places His name on us in baptism.
At the same time, we aren’t baptized into a silent church where the Lord expects us to learn things by intuition or instinct. We have a God who speaks. He speaks abundantly and amply through sixty-six books of the Bible. Through these words He worships with us even as we sometimes struggle with doubts.
In this Scripture Jesus teaches us everything that He has commanded us. We see that Jesus is no mere phantom who only appears to be human. He hungers. He thirsts. He feels pain. He grows from a child to a man. Even after the resurrection, he eats a piece of broiled fish and people touch His body demonstrating he is not simply a spirit.
At the same time, the wonders Jesus does transcend anything that a mere human could accomplish. The blind receive their sight, the dead are raised, and the deaf hear again. Jesus calms the waves, and He multiplies bread and fish. He shone like light on the Mount of Transfiguration. Jesus is more than a carpenter.
The Triune God reveals Himself in Scripture. We see the Trinity working together at creation. “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.” The Spirit of God hovered over the water. At Jesus’ baptism, we see the Son go down into the water. We see the Father call out this is my son, and the Holy Spirit hovers over the Son like a dove.
Even if we don’t completely understand the Trinity, we can trust our Lord who sent His Son Jesus to die for our sins, and sends His Holy Spirit to give us faith and to make us holy.
The Holy Trinity opens Scriptures to us to comfort us in our doubts. God has forgiven you in Christ Jesus. God loves you because of everything He has done for you. In a world of violence and pain, the Lord has a plan to make all things right by using His authority to make disciples baptizing and teaching. He is saving us one soul at a time. We need not fret. 5. (yeah!) The Holy Trinity opens Scriptures to us to give us confidence.
The peace of God which passes all understanding guard and keep you in the true faith unto life everlasting. Amen. Alleluia! Christ is risen!