The Thursday within the Octave of the Feast of the Holy Trinity
Posted on June 4, 2026 by under
Scripture: St. John 15:18-26 (NKJV)
15:18 “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20 Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. 21 But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me. 22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 He who hates Me hates My Father also. 24 If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would have no sin; but now they have seen and also hated both Me and My Father. 25 But this happened that the word might be fulfilled which is written in their law, ‘They hated Me without a cause.’
26 “But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me.”
Devotion
The Divine Trinity is one by unity of substance. But the Persons are three, as distinguished by name and by work. In this passage our Lord Jesus Christ identifies Himself (the Son) as the one “sent” from the Father. Then, He identifies the Spirit as He who “proceeds” from Father and Son. The Father’s work is to send the Son; the Son’s work is to become flesh and die for our sins; the Spirit’s work is to testify of the Son. This is not speculation; it is how Scripture speaks. We know from Scripture that there is one God (Deut. 6:4). But Scripture also reveals three distinct Persons, who are all called “God” and who have distinct roles regarding our salvation. As we say in the Athanasian Creed: “So there is one Father, not three Fathers; one Son, not three Sons; one Holy Ghost, not three Holy Ghosts.”
The Triune God has revealed Himself to us in this way for the sake of our salvation. For the Son did not come into the world for His own glory, but out of perfect obedience to the Father. The Father sent Him out of love for us. The Spirit testifies of the Son so that we, sinners, may know it and believe in Him.
Collect: Almighty and Everlasting God, Who hast given unto us, Thy servants, grace, by the confession of a true faith, to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity, and in the power of the Divine Majesty to worship the Unity: We beseech Thee, that Thou wouldst keep us steadfast in this faith, and evermore defend us from all adversities; Who livest and reignest, One God, world without end. Amen.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
