Lesson 3 - Who is God? The Trinity!

(Lesson 3)

Who is God? The Trinity!

God said to Moses, "I am who I am…” Exodus 3:14

Discussion Guide:

In the fullness of time, God revealed himself to mankind as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Most Christians believe in this revelation and refer to it as “The Trinity”. Keep in mind that not every faith that claims to be Christian believes in the Trinity. (Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Mormons) There is often confusion about the divinity of Jesus Christ. Have no doubt that he is God! Some religions teach that there are many Gods. These are normally referred to as Pagan religions. New Age beliefs that are prevalent in today’s society have led many people to believe that they are free to invent their own God. A common catch phrase for this irreligious tendency is “I’m spiritual, not religious”. This usually means that they are making up there own set of beliefs apart from any external revelation. Even though we all experience God differently as individuals, God is who he IS; he is NOT who we make him up to be.

Also, to speak more plainly, God is love. We must never lose focus of that fact. He is a loving Father who cares about each one of us as individuals. He knows what we need before we ask. He is a generous Father who pours out his grace, his mercy, and his eternal love. He reaches down from his throne in heaven and touches our hearts. He loves us so much that he gave us his only begotten Son for the forgiveness of our sins.

We should not get bogged down in too much theological talk and analysis. I have heard it said by a very wise man that anyone who tries to describe the Trinity for more than twenty minutes would unintentionally fall into at least two heresies! It’s a mystery of the faith! God said it and we should believe it.

Discussion Points:

· God is the Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit)

· God is also One

· This is a mystery that was revealed by God and is beyond human understanding

· Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man

· Jesus is eternally begotten of the Father; not created by the Father

· The Holy Spirit is also fully God

· Monotheism is belief in only one God

· There are no other gods besides the one true God

· The Trinity has existed for all eternity. There was never a time when Jesus was not in existence

· Among all His other attributes, we must remember that God is love

Psalm 23

A Psalm of David

The LORD is my shepherd,

I shall not want;

He makes me lie down in green pastures.

He leads me beside still waters;

He restores my soul.

He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I fear no evil;

for thou art with me;

thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.

Thou preparest a table before me

in the presence of my enemies;

thou anointest my head with oil, my cup overflows.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life;

and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.


Who is God? The Trinity!

God said to Moses, "I am who I am…” Exodus 3:14

Opening Prayer:

God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit: We ask You to open our minds and hearts to the mystery of the most Holy Trinity. Help us to understand Your greatness, Your mercy, and Your love. Amen

Theme:

God is the Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). God is also One. This is a mystery that was revealed by the Holy Spirit and is beyond our human understanding. Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man. The Holy Spirit is also fully God. There are no other Gods but the Trinity. God is Love.

Bible Readings:

Exodus 3:2-5 And the angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush; and he looked, and lo, the bush was burning; yet it was not consumed. And Moses said, "I will turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt." When the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, "Moses, Moses!" And he said, "Here am I." Then he said, "Do not come near; put off your shoes from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground." And he said, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.

Exodus 3:13-17 Then Moses said to God, "If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they ask me, 'What is his name?' what shall I say to them?" God said to Moses, "I AM WHO AM." And he said, "Say this to the people of Israel, 'I AM has sent me to you.' "God also said to Moses, "Say this to the people of Israel, 'The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you: this is my name for ever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations. Go and gather the elders of Israel together, and say to them, 'The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, has appeared to me, saying, "I have observed you and what has been done to you in Egypt; and I promise that I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt,

John 14:5-11 Thomas said to him, "Lord, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?" Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also; henceforth you know him and have seen him." Philip said to him, "Lord, show us the Father, and we shall be satisfied." Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you so long, and yet you do not know me, Philip? He who has seen me has seen the Father; how can you say, 'Show us the Father? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority; but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father in me; or else believe me for the sake of the works themselves.

Matt 28:18-20 And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 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 lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age."

Explanation of the Bible readings: The first reading is a great illustration of the majesty of God and the awe that Moses felt in his presence. God often uses fire as a manifestation of his presence. (Holy Spirit at Pentecost, Pillar of Fire at the Red Sea) The passage reveals a personal God who knows us each by name, and calls each of us by name. It tells us that Moses hid his face from God. Explain that in the time of the New Covenant, God revealed himself in the divine person of Jesus Christ and came to us face to face. We no longer need to hide our face from him like Moses did. Jesus wants us to seek him out and encounter him face to face. “ I Am Who Am” is the source for the personal name of the God of Israel, Yahweh.

The Gospel readings emphasize that Jesus is the second person of the Holy Trinity. He has perfectly revealed God to mankind. We know Jesus from the New Testament and the teaching of the Catholic Church. There is no other Jesus than the one found in the Gospels. The Church steadfastly affirms the historicity of the Gospels. The Gospels tell us what Jesus really said and did for the sake of our salvation. (CCC 126) He has all authority in Heaven and on Earth.

Exodus 3:2-17 God will deliver his people from bondage
John 14:5-11 Jesus has the authority of God
Matt 28:18-20 God is the Trinity
John 8:58 Jesus said he is God

Catechism of the Catholic Church:

266 "Now this is the Catholic faith: We worship one God in the Trinity and the Trinity in unity, without either confusing the persons or dividing the substance; for the person of the Father is one, the Son's is another, the Holy Spirit's another; but the Godhead of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit is one, their glory equal, their majesty co-eternal" (Athanasian Creed: DS 75; ND 16).

268 Of all the divine attributes, only God's omnipotence is named in the Creed: to confess this power has great bearing on our lives. We believe that his might is universal, for God who created everything also rules everything and can do everything. God's power is loving, for he is our Father, and mysterious, for only faith can discern it when it "is made perfect in weakness".

480 Jesus Christ is true God and true man, in the unity of his divine person; for this reason he is the one and only mediator between God and men.

481 Jesus Christ possesses two natures, one divine and the other human, not confused, but united in the one person of God's Son.


Faith words:

Divine: Pertaining to God. Any one of the three members of the Blessed Trinity

Monotheism: Belief system that acknowledges the existence of only one God

Trinity: The Trinity is the term employed to signify the central doctrine of the Christian religion -- in the unity of the one God there are Three Persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. These Three Persons are truly distinct one from another


Reflection Questions:


In what way have you experienced God in your life?








What is your image of God and religion in general?








In what places or situations do you feel God’s presence?