John 14:28 Did Jesus think of himself as less than God?

Question

Jesus said in John 14:28, "Father is greater than I." The Jehovah's Wtnesses say this verse proves that Jesus is a lesser god than the Father. Because Jehovah is "greater" than Jesus, Jesus cannot be God Almighty. ( Let God Be True, 1946,110 )

And according to another cult group " Christian Science ", this verse proves that Jesus is not God, but an imparttion of Him," just as "one ray of light is light, and it is one with light, but not the full-orbetsun" ( Eddy, 1901, 8 )

Conundrum: God did exactly what He said He was going to do. He conquered the death. God did not die, Jesus in human form died. God does not die. He put His God powers aside, He can do it, He is God. He proved us that He is ruler over the death and we should not be shaken.

Line Dancer: If you cannot dance on the line, do not dance. You are constantly bad mouthing other participants.And you also talk bad about the people behind their backs.

I am after the truth, and you just need to understand that I am not brainwashed by any organization.

Answer 1

Jesus has two natures. Jesus was not denying that He was God. He was merely acknowledging the fact that He was also a man. Jesus is both God and man. As a man, he was in a lesser position than the Father. He had added to Himself human nature (Col. 2:9). He became a man to die for people.
A comparison can be found in the marriage relationship. Biblically, a husband is greater in position and authority than his wife. But, he is no different in nature and he is not better than she. They share the same nature, being human, and they work together by love.
So, Jesus was not denying that He was God. He was simply acknowledging that He was also a man and as a man, he was subject to the laws of God so that He might redeem those who were under the law; namely, sinners (Gal. 4:4-5).

Answer 2

For the purposes of God bringing salvation to all humanity, God the Son had to become a man, Jesus, to procure it. This means that in His economic role (not in His essence), His Father had to be greater than Him, while on earth, necessarily. The Christ had to set aside much of His powers [however, they would always be at His disposal even as a man if need be, by just asking His Father for them (i.e., calming of the wind and the waves on the Sea of Galilee, Matthew 8:23-27; Mark 4:35-41; Luke 8:22-25). He did this in agreement with His Father from the beginning of time, to accomplish this magnificent task that only God, each personage in their individual economic role, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, could accomplish. Then, after all this is accomplished He returns to His place of glory and power. Philippians 2:6-11 makes this crystal clear. This is my take on why He was not only less than his Father, as John 14:28 says, but least of all for all humanity as well! He was the least and greatly humbled, and later became greatest, and greatly exalted. He, being God, set His powers aside and emptied Himself out, by also becoming a man, and a lowly servant of and for all, to the point of dying humbly and unjustifiably a murderer's death, so that salvation for the world could be accomplished. After all His work on earth was completed, His Father gave Him rightfully back all His power and authority over everyone and everything, whom and which should and will worship Him.

Again, this is another example of the Rusellites lifting a word or a phrase right out of its context, and interpret it to mean in a rigid, wooden manner, the same thing as everywhere else it is found in the Bible. No, on the contrary, the context itself clarifies what is the meaning of the phrase "greater than". He becoming a man on earth as well as being God from all eternity, would of course say it this way, as being Jesus, the Christ, Who still was not glorified by His death, resurrection and ascension.

Answer 3

In John 14:28 Did Jesus think of himself as less than God? The answer is obviously YES.

Father>Jesus
Obviously not = from the statement itself.

There is an evidence from the scripture that Jesus think of himself as lesser than God.

(Philippians 2:5-7) 5 Keep this mental attitude in YOU that was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, although he was existing in God’s form, gave no consideration to a seizure, namely, that he should be equal to God. 7 No, but he emptied himself and took a slave’s form and came to be in the likeness of men.

Hope it clarify your question.

Answer 4

It is clearly seen by your choice of Best Answers that you are not after the truth; so my answer is for those who really want to know the truth.

Jesus not only said that his Father was greater than he was, but he also said that his Father knew things that he didn't know. At Matt. 24:36, he said: "Concerning that day and hour nobody knows, neither the angels of the heavens nor the Son, but only the Father."

Jesus also mentioned at John 8:28 that he had to be taught what to say. He said: "“When once you have lifted up the Son of man, then you will know that I am [he], and that I do nothing of my own initiative; but just as the Father taught me I speak these things."

If Jesus were on the same level as his Father, WHY didn't he tell people to worship the Father ALONE in spirit and truth. (John 4:23, 24)

If Jesus felt he were on the same level as his Father, WHY would he say at Matt. 7:21 that salvation depended on doing the will of the Father ONLY?

If Jesus felt he was equal to his Father, WHY would he call his Father the only true God at John 17:3? "Only" means "to the exclusion of others." So by calling his Father the only true God, Jesus was excluding himself from being the true God.

What about Edge's remark that the resurrected Jesus was equal to his Father? NOWHERE! To the contrary, he was still inferior to his Father. 1 Cor. 11:3: "The head of the Christ is God."

Can anyone with common sense feel that Jesus and his Father were on the same level since Jesus said his Father was greater than he was AND that his Father alone knew things that he had no knowledge of AND that he had to be taught what to say? Of course not!

Unsilenced Lamb shows her ignorance for words, while being blinded by false doctrine. She says that "greater" does NOT mean "better." That is just plain wrong! According to the American Heritage Dictionary, "greater" means: "better," as in "excellence or higher in quality." Jehovah is greater in eternity, power, position, and wisdom."

If Jesus were God in heaven and then lay aside his divinity to become a man, how could he STILL be 100% God?

Answer 5

You Christians loose a lot of time to prove to 7 million people something that you can even explain clearly, that is why I know the concept that Jesus is Jehovah is false Jesus is the firstson of Jehovah that is true but in the mena time 7 millions people are preaching God´s kingdom around the world.

if Jesus is equal to God why when we keep reading the bible we see the same subordination in heaven if they are equal such subordination shouldn´t exist, there are near 200 verse of the bible in the NT that prove that.

Answer 6

I have to agree with the person that said we shouldn't be concerning ourselves with this, God told us what we are to do, We shouldn't be involving ourselves with questions, does it matter, Jesus came in the flesh to save us from our sins, and we should do as the Lord instructs us, I am not going to question it or try to figure it out, I'm sure everyone has a different interpertation, I'm going to stick to scripture,and do the best I can to follow The Lords will for me, all I know is God loved us so much, that He sent Jesus in the flesh, and we owe God that much love back.

Answer 7

I don't see why you are concerned about this; all that matters is that Jesus Christ is the only way to be saved. Jesus said "I am the way, the truth, and the life, no one comes to the Father, but by Me." Jesus paid for the sins of the world on the cross.
John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only Son, that whosoever believes in Him, shall not perish but have eternal life."

Answer 8

John 14:28, 31; and Matthew 26:39, 42 demonstrate Jesus' submission to the Father as well as their Oneness in the Godhead. Yes, they are both God. But some things Jesus had apparently chosen to "give up the rights" to be privy to during His earthly ministry (see Philippians 2:5-11). Jesus, now exalted in Heaven, surely knows all, including the timing of His Second Coming.

Answer 9

While on Earth Jesus had laid aside much of His power and His glory and honor. As a man on Earth God was greater than Him. Once He picked back up His mantle as God, He and the Father are equal.

Answer 10

"I go unto my Father, for my Father is greater than I." says Christ Jesus.
Correct. Jesus is saying his Father is "greater" than him. The reason is there is only ONE Almighty God. Let's go back from the beginning.

Genesis 1:26 And God said, "Let US make man in OUR image, after OUR likeness, and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
(Note: God is saying us and our. That should be He's talking to Jesus.)
Genesis 1:27 So God created man in HIS own image, in the image of GOD created HE him, male and female created HE them.
(Note: God is taking ALL credit of creating man and creating man in HIS OWN image.)
From the beginning God is showing He is the One and Only God Almighty Çreator of the Universe and all living things. Jesus was in the beginning with his Father helping Him from the start because he is the only Begotten Son of the God Almighty that was with Him in the beginning.)