May the words of my mouth and the meditation of our hearts be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer. Amen.

Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. (Matthew 28:16-20)

In Christ's name and to his glory, dear friends: Today we hear Jesus, God's Son, speak to us saying, Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. This is a very familiar passage, and this Gospel (along with our other readings today) tells us much about our Triune God. I want us to look at this bit of God's Word looking for the answer to this question: WHY DOES THE TRIUNE GOD TELL US ABOUT HIMSELF? Today, as we let the Lord answer the question for us with his word I am going to speak in the first person, as if God himself were speaking. Please do not take this the wrong way. I mean no disrespect to our Savior God. I do want us to consider his words in Scripture as they truly are-his very words given to answer this important question. Why does the Triune God tell us about himself? This is why:

Why did I take the time to tell you about myself? This is why: I wanted to clarify for you who I really am. At one time everybody knew me (God). You heard me say: Let us make man, and we did. At that time all humans knew me. But since the fall into sin people have unintentionally and intentionally put me out of mind. Still they want me. They try to create me after their own ideas about me. They make something out of created matter that shows what they wish I were. But I'm not like anything you could dream up or make up or fashion with your hands. But who has known the mind of the Lord? I said through one of my Apostles. Or who has been his counselor? Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him? For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! (Romans 11:34-36)

My name, my revelation, the Bible I gave you-this is how I clarify for you who I am. This is I: I am the LORD, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God...there is none besides me. I am the LORD, and there is no other. (Isah 45:5,6) I stand alone. There is nobody, no thing, like me. All other gods are only in the imagination of sinful people's minds. Some may claim that I do not exist, but as unlikely as a house appears on a vacant lot without someone putting it there, so unlikely is it that this world appeared suddenly by accident. I told you that I created everything. You know I am because of what you see.

I am three persons in one God. That's why my Son tells you today to baptize in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Some say my claim that I am three in one is foolish. But just because you cannot understand me does not nullify me or make my claims about myself untrue. Some are so ashamed of my three-in-oneness that they don't want to mention my Son, Jesus Christ. They say, we want God but the name Jesus offends so let's just use the generic word "god" so no one is offended. But when you do that I am offended! My Son said: He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him. (John 5:23) And he's right. So avoid like the plague anyone who is ashamed to call Jesus Lord. And the Holy Spirit is grieved when you pay no attention to my word (Ephesians 4:30) because he is a living, spirit being, separate from me and my Son. If you want me you must accept us, for we--Father, Son and Holy Spirit--are one. Yet we are not three but one. Don't worry that you cannot understand this business of three persons in one God. Give me honor by admitting that I can be so far above the minds I created. Yet a little child can hold me in his heart, so I am not so complicated as to be inaccessible. It's only that many do not wish to know me.

And I truly am God and Lord. You live in my world and I am your God, not the other way around. My Son says, All authority in heaven and on earth is his, and he means it. What I command must be obeyed. And if you chose to fight against me I have a place for you, away from me. You will see then how foolish, painful and useless it is to fight against me. You best take my word for it now. Seek the Lord while he may be found. (Isaiah 55:6) I know sometimes you sitting here doubt, just like my first disciples did. But that's why I appeared and spoke to them-to drive away doubts. That's why I had the Apostles and Prophets write down these words about me-to drive away your doubts. I hope this clarifies who I am-One God in three persons. I want you to know this; that's why I tell you about myself.

Now, I don't want all this clarifying to scare you so that you run from me. Pay attention now. Why do I speak to you about my self? To clarify the issue, yes. But I also want to strengthen you and build your faith and trust in me.

I very much want to strengthen you in the holy faith that I have created in you. Most, in their foolishness of ignoring me and trying to make a god for themselves, think that I am selfish, petty, unloving. They have this crazy idea that I am jealous about my heaven and don't want them there. They think that they must spend their whole lives paying me off for their sins or they'll never get to heaven. Don't get me wrong. I am holy and just and will punish forever those stained with sin. I've never hidden that fact. But don't get the idea that I don't want you in my family enjoying heaven. You offend me with your sin, but I still love you.

I wanted people in heaven so I told my first disciples-Go, take my name to the nations. In other words, I wanted them to tell the world about how my Son died for sin, that the world is reconciled to me through Christ. I wanted people in my heaven so much that I endowed holy baptism and my teachings (and Holy Communion) with "disciple making ability." I told them go and make the nations into disciples, into believers. You do that by baptizing and teaching. I, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, will be in that Baptism, in that Word, in that bread and wine and I will be revealing to hearts my great love, mercy and grace. That grace will awaken and renew faith. So go. They went and now you are what you are-my believing children. It's not just hat you believe I exist. Even the Devil knows that I exist. To believe means that you know that I am your Savior God, that I have cleansed you of sin by the blood of my Son. It means that I have sent the Holy Spirit into your heart to make you trust me, hope in me, expect grace and mercy from me.

I know that sometimes you think I have forgotten about you. But every time you look in my Bible I will remind you that I have not and will never forget you. That's why my Son says, I am with you always, right up to the time we set to end this world and take you to heaven. And that's why I, the Triune God, tell you about himself? I want you to be strengthened your in holy faith.

Oh, one more thing. I very much want my clarifying who I am and strengthening you in holy faith to move you to action. Remembering who I am and what I have done for you...Go. I am sending you. Go tell your children, your friends, each other who I am.      Amen.