Reconcilation to God and others is a trinitarian effort.

In Jesus' baptism, we see that the good news is trinitarian.

Mark 1:9-11 ⁹ In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. ¹⁰ And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. ¹¹ And a voice came from heaven, "You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased."

This is one of those rare times in scripture, when we see the trinity together.  It is not an every day happening that the trinity breaks through into our world.  Mark emphasizes this by saying "the heavens were torn apart."  And then...

• The Father, speaks to affirm Jesus as his son. 
• The Holy Spirit descends on Jesus anointing him for God's work.  
• And then, of course, Jesus is being baptized.

Mark establishes right up front that the good news - the news that we can be reconciled to God and to each other - is a trinitarian effort.  Each person in the trinity plays a role with the common goal of reconciling us to God and to each other.  The good news cannot be separated into just the story of one of the persons of the trinity.  We can not be reconciled to God without the work of Jesus who in his death and resurrection cleanses us.  Nor can we be reconciled to God or each other without the work of the Holy Spirit who sets us apart and transforms us for holy use so that we can work together as the people of God.  The good news is only possible through a trinitarian effort.  But so much of our culture focuses on only part of the trinity and its work.

We focus on just knowing God - believing we can know him without the help of Jesus or the Holy Spirit.  Or we focus on just Jesus - attempting to follow him by our own efforts without the guidance and power of the Holy Spirit.  Or we focus on just the Spirit calling ourselves spiritual, but forgetting that the work of the Spirit is made possible only because of Jesus' work on the cross.

The good news is very trinitarian.  It matters that we are aware of this.  It changes how we live.

Do we ignore that the gospel - the good news that we can be reconciled to God and others - is trinitarian?  Each part of the trinity has a role to plan in reconciliation.  If we are to be effective in the ministry of reconciliation that God has now entrusted us with - we need to embrace and celebrate this trinitarian gospel!