Luke 1:35
The angel Gabriel announced to the virgin Mary that she would give birth to Israel’s long-anticipated Messiah, but did you know all three persons of the Trinity—God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—are present in Luke 1:35?
And the angel answered and said to her, The Holy Spirit [God the Holy Spirit] will come upon you, and the power of the Highest [God the Father] will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. (Luke 1:35)
Who is this baby? Who is Jesus Christ? There’s only one right answer. Sadly, there are many wrong answers.
- Eastern religions say Jesus is an enlightened guru.
- Jehovah’s Witnesses believe He was at one time Michael the archangel.
- Mormons say Jesus was created by God the Father and Mary in Heaven, the “elder brother” of all men.
- In Islam, He’s a prophet, a messenger of Allah.
- Some view Jesus as only a great moral teacher, rejecting His claim to be God. That’s a grave error.
Noted historian H.G. Wells put Jesus at the top of his “Ten Greatest Men in History” list. Jesus belongs on no one’s Top Ten list. He is unique, the One and Only God the Son.
Jesus is God in the Old Testament
In Daniel 3:25, He walks within the fiery furnace.
Psalm 2:6-7 refers to Him as God’s Son.
Isaiah 9:6 foretells a child who will be called “the Mighty God.”
Proverbs 30:4 asks, “What is His Son’s name, if you know?”
I know. His name is Jesus. He existed before creation, the Eternal, Self-Existent Jehovah, Second Person of the Trinity.
Jesus is God in the New Testament
God revealed His name to Moses: “I AM that I AM” (translated “Yaweh,” the self-existent God) (Exodus 3:14).
Jesus says the same thing in John chapter 8 to the Pharisees: “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM” (John 8:58)
That’s why they picked up stones to kill Him. Before His incarnation as Jesus of Nazareth, the Second Person of the Trinity already existed.
Even His birthplace was prophesied centuries earlier (See Micah 5:2.). Bethlehem’s child is not just the “sweet little Jesus” people think of at Christmastime.
- Higher than the angels, He is God the Son (See Hebrews 1:5.).
- The Bible says God is the only one to be worshipped. Yet Jesus is to be worshipped (See Hebrews 1:6.).
- God the Father says Jesus is also God (See Hebrews 1:8.).
We must understand that God is one in essence but also three distinct Persons.
The Sublime Mystery of the Trinity
Can you understand a God who never had a beginning and is everywhere at the same time? Do you understand infinity? Eternity? No. But understanding it doesn’t matter.
For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8-9).
You’ll never know about God’s Triune personhood by human logic. Divine revelation, what God says in Scripture, is the only way.
A wise man once said, “Try to explain the Trinity, you’ll lose your mind; deny it, you may lose your soul.” We believe it because the Bible teaches it.
Einstein said that before he died, he wanted to understand electricity. He never did. Vance Havner said, “I don’t understand it either, but I’m not going to sit in the dark until I do.”
The Sacred History of the Trinity
The Trinity is:
Present in creation:
Genesis 1:1, John 1:1-3, Job 26:13.
God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, one God revealing Himself in creation.
Present in giving us the Bible:
Second Timothy 3:16, Second Peter 1:21, First Peter 1:10-11.
The Trinity gave us the Scripture.
Present in the Great Commission:
“… baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit…” (Matthew 28:19).
The Saving Ministry of the Trinity
All three Persons are involved.
- Selected by God the Father (Ephesians 1:3-6).
- Saved by the Son (Ephesians 1:6-7).
- Sealed by the Spirit (Ephesians 1:13-14).
Who is this baby? The Son of God is God the Son, the incarnation of God, manifest in human form.
We aren’t worthy of such love, but He died for us. If by faith you trust Him as Lord and Savior, I promise you on the authority of the Word of God, He will forgive every sin and cleanse you. The Holy Spirit will seal you to the day of redemption.
Jesus loves you and wants to save you. With His own blood, Jesus, the Son of God, who is God the Son, purchased your salvation.
This is the “why” of Christmas. He came to save us. We have redemption through Him. It is the sheer gift of God’s grace.
