The Name of God on You

Big Idea: The one name of our Triune God is placed on you as you go. You are called, equipped, and sent out by God on a mission you were created to join in.

[16] 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.” (Matthew 28:16–20)


In Jesus’s baptism, we see the Father, Son, and Spirit’s inseparability in their mission to make all things new; in the Great Commission, we see the triune God’s call to join that mission: to make disciples of all nations and baptise them in his name. 

The doctrine of the Trinity is a call to worship, not a call to decoding mere theological facts. The name and mission of God transforms everything about us. The Father sent his Son into the world for our salvation. The Son secured our salvation and brought us into God’s family and mission. The Spirit is sent to live within us, empowering us to join this mission. We are not called to save anyone from their sins; this is the work of the triune God, the power of his name and not ours. And yet, as he has throughout all human history, God uses broken people in his mission to un-break all things and make the world whole again. By our triune God’s authority and equipping, we carry his name and mission to the ends of the earth.

Smith, Brandon D. The Biblical Trinity: Encountering the father, son, and holy spirit in scripture. Lexham Press, 2022.

https://www.amazon.com/Biblical-Trinity-Encountering-Father-Scripture-ebook/dp/B0C2JCMBK1/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=