THE HOLY TRINITY

(4 June 2023)

Genesis 1:1—2:4a

Acts 2:14a, 22–36

Matthew 28:16–20

The Holy Triune God Recreates Us in the Image and Likeness of Christ Jesus

The holy Triune God “created the heavens and the earth,” and “behold, it was very good” (Gen. 1:1, 31). However, after Adam and Eve fell into sin and plunged God’s good creation into decay and death, the Son of God would be “delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God” to be “crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men” (Acts 2:23). As Jesus “received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:33), He also raises up all the baptized and pours out the Spirit upon them through the preaching of His Gospel. He sends out His apostles to “make disciples of all nations” by “baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,” and “teaching them to observe all that [He has] commanded” (Matt. 28:19–20). Through such baptizing and teaching — Gospel and Sacraments — the holy Triune God recreates us in the image and likeness of His incarnate Son, Jesus, the Christ, and behold, it is “very good” (Gen. 1:31).

Old Testament:

Genesis 1:1-2:4a
    In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. [2] The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. 
    [3] And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. [4] And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. [5] God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day. 
    [6] And God said, "Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters." [7] And God made the expanse and separated the waters that were under the expanse from the waters that were above the expanse. And it was so. [8] And God called the expanse Heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, the second day. 
    [9] And God said, "Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear." And it was so. [10] God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good. 
    [11] And God said, "Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, on the earth." And it was so. [12] The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. [13] And there was evening and there was morning, the third day. 
    [14] And God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years, [15] and let them be lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth." And it was so. [16] And God made the two great lights—the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night—and the stars. [17] And God set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, [18] to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. [19] And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day. 
    [20] And God said, "Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the heavens." [21] So God created the great sea creatures and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarm, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. [22] And God blessed them, saying, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth." [23] And there was evening and there was morning, the fifth day. 
    [24] And God said, "Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds—livestock and creeping things and beasts of the earth according to their kinds." And it was so. [25] And God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds and the livestock according to their kinds, and everything that creeps on the ground according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 
    [26] Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth."
 
    [27] So God created man in his own image,
        in the image of God he created him;
        male and female he created them.
 
    [28] And God blessed them. And God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth." [29] And God said, "Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food. [30] And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food." And it was so. [31] And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day. 
    [2:1] Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. [2] And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. [3] So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.
 
    [4] These are the generations
        of the heavens and the earth when they were created,

Psalm 8:1-9 
    To the choirmaster: according to The Gittith. A Psalm of David.

    O Lord, our Lord,
        how majestic is your name in all the earth!
    You have set your glory above the heavens. 
        [2] Out of the mouth of babes and infants,
    you have established strength because of your foes,
        to still the enemy and the avenger. 
    [3] When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
        the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, 
    [4] what is man that you are mindful of him,
        and the son of man that you care for him? 
    [5] Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings
        and crowned him with glory and honor. 
    [6] You have given him dominion over the works of your hands;
        you have put all things under his feet, 
    [7] all sheep and oxen,
        and also the beasts of the field, 
    [8] the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea,
        whatever passes along the paths of the seas. 
    [9] O Lord, our Lord,
        how majestic is your name in all the earth!

Second Reading:

Psalm 8:1-9 
    To the choirmaster: according to The Gittith. A Psalm of David.

    O Lord, our Lord,
        how majestic is your name in all the earth!
    You have set your glory above the heavens. 
        [2] Out of the mouth of babes and infants,
    you have established strength because of your foes,
        to still the enemy and the avenger. 
    [3] When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
        the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, 
    [4] what is man that you are mindful of him,
        and the son of man that you care for him? 
    [5] Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings
        and crowned him with glory and honor. 
    [6] You have given him dominion over the works of your hands;
        you have put all things under his feet, 
    [7] all sheep and oxen,
        and also the beasts of the field, 
    [8] the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea,
        whatever passes along the paths of the seas. 
    [9] O Lord, our Lord,
        how majestic is your name in all the earth!

Second Reading:

Acts 2:14a,22-36 
    But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them, 

    "Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know— [23] this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. [24] God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it. [25] For David says concerning him,

    " 'I saw the Lord always before me,
        for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken; 
    [26] therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced;
        my flesh also will dwell in hope. 
    [27] For you will not abandon my soul to Hades,
        or let your Holy One see corruption. 
    [28] You have made known to me the paths of life;
        you will make me full of gladness with your presence.'
 
    [29] "Brothers, I may say to you with confidence about the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. [30] Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne, [31] he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. [32] This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. [33] Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing. [34] For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says,

    " 'The Lord said to my Lord,
    Sit at my right hand, 
        [35] until I make your enemies your footstool.'
 [36] Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified." 

GOSPEL:

Matthew 28:16-20 
    Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. [17] And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. [18] And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. [19] 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, [20] teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."