When Jesus walked the earth, He explained his dependence on the Father in John 5:19: “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself. He does only what he sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does.” Clearly Jesus is explaining that the Son and the Father are in perfect alignment. And while Jesus walked as a man, He was dependent on the Father.

Later, as Jesus was preparing to leave his earthly ministry, He explains in John 16: 13-15 the role of the Holy Spirit: “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. 14He will bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me. 15All that belongs to the Father is mine; this is why I said, ‘The Spirit will tell you whatever he receives from me.”

Jesus explains that the Holy Spirit  equally depends upon and is in alignment with Jesus who is in alignment with Father. Jesus says the Spirit will tell you whatever he receives from me and all that belong to the Father is mine.

The Trinity is part of the beautiful mystery that is God and I believe is not intended to be perfectly comprehended. However, I fear that we sometimes treat each personhood of the Trinity as if they are lesser versions of the true God. As if each person is a third of the wholeness of who God truly is. Because the Holy Spirit is the person of God that we interact with in a more regular (in which I use “regular” to indicate numbers of encounters) way that He is somehow holds  less power, authority, and prominence as Creator and Sustainer of the universe than the Son or Father. But that’s not how Jesus explained it. Three persons in perfect alignment and perfect dependence. There is no lesser God.