Sermon for The Holy Trinity, May 31, 2026.
The Trinity is a mystery that confounds the mind. It’s humbling. When we consider how God is Trinity in Unity, not confusing the three persons nor dividing the one substance, we are reminded of what the Holy Spirit inspired St. Paul to write in our Romans text this morning. “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor.” (Rom. 11:33-34)
Humbling might be an understatement.
When we think about God, if we’re honest and therefore humbled before God, we can relate to Nicodemus because we’re left asking the same question: “How can these things be?” (John 3:9) Jesus’ reply drives home what God says in Isaiah 55:8-9, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares 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.”
Our Lord’s question to Nicodemus then is addressed to us, as well. John 3:12. “If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things?”
The Trinity is one of these heavenly things that we cannot explain. How can we? We struggle to believe the earthly things that Christ has revealed. This is one reason why the Athanasian Creed is so long. It takes a lot of ink to begin to confess what our feeble minds can grasp about the mystery of the Trinity.
With all of this in mind, I would like to take you to the parts of our readings that the Holy Spirit has given you the ability to know, namely, the glory of God as revealed in Scripture. In our Gospel text, God’s glory is discussed in terms of Christ’s humility. Jesus humbled Himself when He descended to earth in human flesh for the express purpose of being crucified in our place. The glory of God is mysteriously hidden in the humility of Jesus’ death whereby He made perfect atonement for your sins. And so we He speaks the words recorded in John 3:13-15. “No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.”
And so we confess that it is “necessary for everlasting salvation that one faithfully believe the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ.” In his incarnation, he suffered and died on the cross for all who believe in Him to be saved from sin, death, and the power of the devil.
This too humbles us. Diminished under the unsearchable complexity of the Trinity we are further lowered under the unfathomable grace and mercy the almighty God shows us, the depth of his love knows no end and so, the Christian contemplates Christ’s death on the cross and drops to his knees, Isaiah’s words on our lips, understanding that it’s not just our lips that are unholy, but our very hearts: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man [with an] unclean [heart], and I dwell in the midst of a people with unclean [hearts]; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts [hanging dead where I should be, punished for my transgressions]!” (Is. 6:5)
And just like Isaiah, our confession of sin is met with undeserved absolution. Where the seraphim touched his lips with the burning coal, the Holy Spirit touches your heart with the cleansing water of Holy Baptism, both purifying what is rightly confessed to be unholy. When you were baptized in the Triune name of God, it’s as if one of the seraphim said to you, “Behold this [sacred water teeming with God’s Word] has touched your [heart]; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.” (Is. 6:7)
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” (Is. 6:3) As St. Paul said, “For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.” (Rom. 11:36)
Dear saints, Jesus “say[s] to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” (John 3:5-6)
He’s talking about you. You have been born of the water and the Spirit in Holy Baptism. “Oh the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God!” (Rom. 11:33) It doesn’t require knowing the mind of the Lord to receive the gifts that come from the Lord. We don’t have to be able to diagram the Trinity or be able to explain the mechanics of the sacraments for them to be real and true and to receive the blessings that the Triune God gives to us through the means He established. It’s an exercise in futility to even try—and sinful futility at that.
What does the Lord say in Proverbs 3:1-8?
“My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments, for length of days and years of life and peace they will add to you. Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart. So you will find favor and good success in the sight of God and man. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones.”
We are the beneficiaries not of our own wisdom and understanding, but of God’s. Thanks be to Father and to His Son, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit whom they sent to us! Truly. Thanks be to the Trinity, for what did Jesus say in today’s Gospel text? “Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen…” (John 3:11)
We don’t have to know or see. We merely have to believe in Him who does know all things, and has seen all things, who has revealed what is necessary for our salvation. We need only be humbled by God and receive in that humility what He bears witness to. We need only receive the testimony of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, which you do when you believe that Jesus is your Lord and Savior, the Son of Man, who descended from heaven to be lifted up on the cross so that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.
All glory be to God, the Trinity in Unity and Unity in Trinity.
Amen!
Rev. Tyrel Bramwell 
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