Series JESUS IN THE GOSPEL OF JOHN with Pastor Mark Finley |
Lesson 11.The Father, the Son, and the Spirit |
The Trinity: Unity in Love, Truth, and Redemption Plan |
Lesson 11 is dedicated to the relationship between the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, demonstrating how the divinity works together in the creation and redemption of humanity. This unity in love, truth, and purpose is vividly described in the Gospel of John. The Father is the source of life and love, the Son reveals the Father through His life and sacrifice, and the Holy Spirit acts as the mediator of divine truth and power. Together, they work to restore humanity into a close relationship with God. This lesson invites us to recognize the love and unity of the divinity and to reflect it in our lives.
Memory Text: John 14:26 – “‘The Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you’.”
Content:
11.1 The Heavenly Father
The Father: Origin of Love and Source of Redemption
The Gospel of John clearly highlights the central role of the Father in the redemption plan. The Father is at the center of creation and is actively involved in the redemption of humanity. John 3:16-17 reveals God’s immeasurable love by sending His Son to save the world. The Father works in close unity with Jesus, as emphasized in John 10:30: “I and the Father are one.” These verses show that the Father has assigned works to Jesus that reveal His divine nature and that He is the source of true teaching and guidance (John 14:10). God’s care and love are active and personal; He hears our prayers (John 16:23) and draws us to Himself through His grace (John 6:45). This truth testifies to the depth of the Father’s love for us and how intimately He is connected with humanity.
11.2 Jesus and the Father
Jesus: Revealer of the Father and Restorer of the Relationship with God
Sin has profoundly disrupted the personal relationship between humanity and divinity as planned by God, as clearly depicted in Genesis 3. However, instead of leaving humanity in separation, God actively sought them, demonstrating His immeasurable love and grace. Jesus, the Word, became flesh to reveal the Father’s glory and love (John 1:14–18). Through His life and sacrifice, He offered humanity the opportunity to restore the broken relationship. The verses from John show that Jesus and the Father work in perfect unity to grant redemption and eternal life. In Christ, we find not only hope but also the assurance that God actively approaches us in His love to save us.
11.3 Knowing the Son Is Knowing the Father
Jesus: The Way to the Father and Revealer of His Will
Jesus is the perfect revelation of the Father, as emphasized in John 1:18. Through His words and actions, He shows who the Father is and how closely He is connected with humanity. Jesus’ mission was to fulfill the Father’s will on earth, not His own (John 5:30), and in this submission, He reveals the unity between Himself and the Father. Jesus emphasizes that He was sent by the Father to redeem humanity and grant eternal life (John 6:40). His teachings and works are directly inspired by the Father, and He always acts in complete accordance with God’s will. This unity in love and action shows us that faith in Jesus is simultaneously faith in the Father—a central message of the Gospel.
11.4 The Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit: Renewer and Guide into All Truth
The Holy Spirit plays a central role in Jesus’ mission and in the conversion of believers. John 1:13 shows that the new birth—the becoming of children of God—does not happen through human effort but solely through the work of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the divine power that helps us overcome sin, recognize righteousness, and find true life in Christ (John 3:5–8; 16:8–11). Jesus promised the disciples that the Spirit would come as a helper and teacher to lead them into all truth (John 14:26). Without the Holy Spirit, Christ’s sacrifice would have been ineffective. His role is to renew, strengthen, and lead believers to the knowledge of God—a priceless blessing.
11.5 The Prayer of Jesus
Jesus’ Prayer: Unity in Love and Truth
The prayer in John 17 reveals Jesus’ deep desire for unity and love among Himself, the Father, the Holy Spirit, and His disciples. It shows that Jesus wanted to lead people not only to love but also to truth. “Sanctify them by the truth! Your word is truth” (John 17:17) emphasizes that a genuine relationship with God is based on the knowledge of truth. Jesus took His mission to reveal the Father very seriously to correct misunderstandings about God and to lead humanity back into fellowship with God. Despite rejection, betrayal, and suffering, Jesus remained faithful to His mission to make the Father’s love and truth visible. His prayer is a call for us to reflect this love and unity in our lives.
11.6 Summary
The Unity of the Divinity: Love, Truth, and Redemption
Lesson 11 illuminates the close relationship between the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, as well as their roles in creation, redemption, and guidance of humanity. The Father is the source of all love, the Son reveals God’s nature through His life and sacrifice, and the Holy Spirit acts as the renewer and guide into all truth. Jesus demonstrated that the unity of the divinity is based on love, truth, and a common goal: the restoration of humanity into fellowship with God. Jesus’ high priestly prayer (John 17) emphasizes this unity and the desire for believers to partake in it. The lesson calls us to reflect God’s love and truth in our lives and to cultivate a personal relationship with the divinity.
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