“At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do. 22 “All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and no one knows who the Father is except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” Luke 10.21-22
When Jesus prays, He is “full of joy” and filled with the Holy Spirit. When Jesus prays, He addresses God as Father—not as “other,” “mother,” or Allah. God is Father, Abba, Dad. And when Jesus prays, He addresses the Father as “the Lord of heaven and earth.” The Son of God gives honor to His Heavenly Father. The name which is above all names—Jesus—gives tribute, glory, and praise to the One who is the Lord of heaven and earth, the only true God.
Just in this one verse, we see very clear signs of the Trinity—three Persons in one God. Jesus prays, He is filled with the Holy Spirit, and then He addresses God the Father. He further defines this relationship in verse 22, saying that “all things have been given to Him by My Father,” “no one knows who the Son is except the Father,” and “no one knows who the Father is except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him.”
It is in this knowing and revealing that the relationships within the Trinity are made known. It is Jesus who reveals the Father to people. The three—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—work together to reveal the things of God to humanity.
Jesus and God did not have to include us in their special relationship within the Godhead. They could have excluded humans altogether. But God made us, spoke to us through the Word, and filled us by the power of the Spirit, creating a way by which we can know Him personally—for salvation, grace, and peace.
Would you like to be included in this relationship?
Growing up in Wichita Falls, I was a good church kid, but I had not yet had my Wesleyan “heart-warming” experience. I even had a Baptist kid ask me if I was “saved,” and I had no idea what he was talking about. I answered something like, “I guess so. I’m a good kid, I love God, and I go to church.” But going to church did not make me a Christian any more than going to the Masters makes me Tiger Woods!
What I would realize later that summer at Frontier Ranch, a Young Life camp, is that I had to choose Jesus for myself. It was not enough to be carried into heaven on my parents’ or grandparents’ faith—it was my decision to make. And so, I went out to the side of a mountain in Colorado and prayed this prayer: “Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner. I trust You as my Lord and Savior. I believe You died for me upon the cross, and I give You my life.”
At that very moment, the Holy Spirit came upon me, within me, and around me, and I knew that I had been welcomed into the family of God.
Instantly, I knew my sins were forgiven, my name was written in the Lamb’s Book of Life (as mentioned in Revelation), and my body became a temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). I was saved, made new, and born again. And my life—forty years ago this coming summer—has never been the same.
It is not by working our way to heaven that we are saved, nor by “righteous living.” It is truly a simple prayer of receiving Christ and turning over the power and control of our lives to Him. We are saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9).
Have you made this decision? The Reverend John Wesley was already preaching but was ineffective until, on Aldersgate Street in London on May 24, 1738, his heart was “strangely warmed.” He said, “In the evening I went very unwillingly to a society in Aldersgate Street, where one was reading Luther’s preface to the Epistle to the Romans. About a quarter before nine, while he was describing the change which God works in the heart through faith in Christ, I felt my heart strangely warmed. I felt I did trust in Christ, Christ alone, for salvation; and an assurance was given me that He had taken away my sins, even mine, and saved me from the law of sin and death.”
After his “born again” experience, Wesley’s ministry took off.
Have you been born again? Have you trusted Christ? Would you pray the prayer I mentioned above? It is the most important decision you will ever make, and your life will never be the same again.
“O Lord God, we can go to church our entire lives, believe everything the Bible teaches, but never encounter You. I pray for those who are reading this right now that they might come to know You and the special relationship of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. O Lord, it is in the knowing that we are made known. Save us. Redeem us. Live in us, I pray. For You are good and Your love endures forever.” Amen.
*I have no idea who is reading this today or who needs salvation, but if this is you, consider giving your life to Christ. If there is anything I can do to help you in your next steps with God, feel free to reach out to [email protected]. ~ Rusty