John 14:19-23

In the gospel of John, Jesus says: "Anyone who loves me will keep my word, and the Father will love them, and we shall come to them and make our home in them."

In this part of the gospel of John we find Jesus preparing his disciples for his arrest and death. He tells them, "I will not leave you desolate; I will come to you." (v. 18) And he assures them, "In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you." (v. 20) This passage is read as evidence of the unity of Jesus with God, but we see that there is also a unity with the disciples, who keep his word. Jesus says that the Father will love these faithful disciples and that "we" will "make our home in them. Presumably, "we" refers to Jesus and the Father, but immediately after these verses Jesus says "the Counselor, the Holy Spirit" will come to them. So, we might say that the "we" refers to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

The word "Trinity" does not appear in the New Testament, but passages like this are read as evidence of the concept of the Trinity in scripture. The church developed the doctrine of the Trinity to express the meaning of this and other passages in the New Testament that emphasize the unity of God, Jesus and the Spirit of God, or Holy Spirit. But some Christians have also seen that this passage from the gospel of John unites the disciples with God and Jesus. The idea that God and Jesus will make their "home" in those who are faithful is a powerful image of the presence of God, not only in the church but also in the heart or soul of each person of faith.

Grace and peace...Bob