Mini-book review: The Trinity
The Doctrine of the Trinity is often set aside by Christians as too obscure or too mysterious to understand, but The Trinity by Donald Fairbairn provides simple and accessible instruction on this most vital of teachings. The Trinity is not just an esoteric doctrine on the nature of God, but it goes to the very heart of the gospel:
The Trinity helps us to understand the self-sacrifice of God on the cross. Because Christ and God are one, the cross is not “divine child abuse,” as some critics argue. Therefore, in Christ, God was offering himself. But also, since Christ and God are distinct persons, we can understand how Jesus can cry out on the cross, “my God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” This explains why Jesus is not praying to himself when he says, “Abba Father.”
The Trinity helps us understand that servanthood and submission goes to the heart of who God is. God is not just Lord and King, but in the Son, submits himself to the Father and goes to the cross as a humble servant. This helps us understand puzzling statements by Jesus like, “I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me.” (John 6:38) If Christ was exalted through servanthood and submission, then greatness comes, not through self-assertion and self-ambition, but humility and lowliness.
The Trinity shows us that the meaning of life is love. Since God is Triune (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), God is an eternal community of persons loving and delighting in each other. Therefore, the meaning of the universe is love and friendship, since love and friendship are at the heart of who God is.