Dear Disciples of Christ,
Can three things exist together at the same time and place as one thing? In nature, under very specific conditions liquid water, frozen water, and vaporized water can all exist at the same time and place. It’s one thing – water, yet in three phases together – liquid, ice, and steam. The “Triple Point of Water” exists when water is exactly 32.018 degrees Fahrenheit at 611.657 Pascals (a unit of pressure). Check it out at this link.
The Triple of Water – or any other substance – is similar to, but not exactly like, one of God’s mysteries. Based on God’s word, we believe there is one God and we should have no other gods (Deuteronomy 6:4, Exodus 20:3). However, from God’s word, we also believe in three persons of God – the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19). We call this the Trinity, a word that combines “tri” – meaning “three” – and “unity” – meaning “one.”
The Trinity, the three persons of God, show up at the same time and place as the one, true God throughout scripture. There’s Jesus’ baptism – the Son is standing in water as the Father praises Him while the Holy Spirit descends upon Him (Matthew 3:16-17). But even before time began, the Trinity existed. Genesis 1 tells us the Spirit hovered over the face of the waters as the Father spoke all things into existence. You might ask, “I see the Spirit. I see the Father. But where’s the Son?” John tells us, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God … And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:1,14) All things, seen and unseen, were created by the Word, the Son of God, who became flesh, living among us. The Trinity – three persons of God, yet also one God. It’s a mystery we believe in faith, but we see and know it to be true through God’s word.
In Christ’s Love,
Pastor Jim