10 Reasons Why Jesus Is Not God
Is Jesus really God? This question has been debated for centuries amongst Christians and non-Christians alike. If you’re short on time, here’s a quick answer: based on biblical evidence, Jesus, while the Son of God, is not God Himself.
In this comprehensive article, we will analyze 10 reasons from the Bible why Jesus cannot be God. We will look at verses that differentiate between God the Father and Jesus Christ, show Jesus’ limitations, and explore how Jesus constantly positions himself separate from and inferior to God.
Jesus Has a God
One of the reasons why Jesus is not considered to be God by some is the fact that Jesus himself acknowledged the existence of a higher power and referred to that power as his God. This can be seen in his actions and words throughout the Bible.
Jesus worships and prays to God
In the Gospels, there are multiple instances where Jesus is shown worshipping and praying to God. For example, in the Garden of Gethsemane before his crucifixion, Jesus prayed to God, saying, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done” (Luke 22:42, NIV).
This prayer clearly shows that Jesus recognized God as his superior and sought guidance and strength from Him.
Furthermore, Jesus often referred to God as his Father, emphasizing the relationship between them. In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus taught his disciples to pray, “Our Father in heaven…” (Matthew 6:9, NIV).
This demonstrates that Jesus acknowledged God as his spiritual parent and recognized Him as the ultimate authority.
Jesus was resurrected by God
Another instance that highlights Jesus’ dependence on God is his resurrection. According to Christian belief, Jesus was crucified and buried, but on the third day, he was raised from the dead by the power of God.
This resurrection is seen as a testament to God’s authority and Jesus’ submission to Him.
By being resurrected by God, Jesus showed that he was not self-sufficient or independent, but rather reliant on the divine power of his God. This event further emphasizes the distinction between Jesus and God, reinforcing the notion that Jesus is not God himself, but rather a messenger and servant of God.
Jesus Has Limited Knowledge
Jesus did not know the timing of future events
One of the key arguments against the deity of Christ is that Jesus did not know certain things and therefore could not be God. For example, in Mark 13:32, Jesus states: “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.”
Here Jesus plainly admits that he does not know the exact timing of his future second coming. Some scholars point out that this shows Jesus has limited knowledge and therefore cannot be fully divine. However, orthodox Christianity has never claimed that Jesus gave up all of his divine attributes while on earth.
Rather, Jesus voluntarily restricted the use of some of his divine capabilities such as omniscience. This is known as the “kenosis” or self-emptying of Christ (Philippians 2:7). Therefore, not knowing something is hardly evidence against Christ’s deity.
As the eternal Word through whom all things were created (John 1:3), Jesus most certainly knew the timing of his second coming. Nevertheless, he voluntarily restricted access to that knowledge in his earthly state for our benefit.
There are other passages that indicate Jesus’ lack of knowledge of certain things. In Luke 2:52 it states that “Jesus grew in wisdom.” Jesus asked where Lazarus was laid (John 11:34) and who touched him (Luke 8:45). Does this mean Jesus is not omniscient and thus not fully God? Again, no.
Jesus chose to limit his use of divine attributes for our sake. As Hebrews 4:15 states, Jesus was tempted in every way as humans are yet without sin. These passages do not deny Jesus’ deity, but rather show the depth of his sacrificial love in humbling himself on our behalf.
Jesus learned and grew in wisdom
The Bible says that Jesus “grew in wisdom” (Luke 2:52), indicating that he went through a normal human process of intellectual and spiritual development. Jesus also made statements such as “the Father is greater than I” (John 14:28), suggesting that he has limited knowledge compared to God the Father.
Additionally, Jesus asked questions (Matthew 16:13) and prayed for wisdom from God (Luke 6:12), things no all-knowing God would need to do. This limited knowledge of Jesus, as a man, does not contradict his divine nature.
The doctrine of the Incarnation states that Jesus voluntarily set aside the full exercise of his divine attributes while on earth in order to identify with humanity. So there is no contradiction between Jesus being omniscient as part of the Trinity, yet limited in human knowledge during his earthly life (Philippians 2:6-7).
His “emptying” of the independent use of his divine capabilities was part of taking on genuine humanity, being made like us in every way (Hebrews 2:17). As a man, Jesus grew and learned; as God, he knew all things from all eternity. His deity was veiled but not removed.
Jesus demonstrated his divine nature through miracles, authority to forgive sins, accepting worship, knowing people’s thoughts, and other acts only God could do. Yet he also expressed human traits of limitation, as part of his genuine identification with our experience.
This does not deny his deity, but displays the depths of his sacrificial love to restore humanity to a right relationship with God.
Jesus Has Limited Power
Jesus was unable to perform miracles at times
The Gospels record several instances where Jesus was unable to perform miracles due to the lack of faith in the crowd. For example, in Mark 6, when Jesus visited his hometown Nazareth, he could only lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them due to their unbelief (Mark 6:5-6).
The implication is that Jesus’ ability to act was limited by people’s faith in him. This shows that Jesus did not have absolute power inherent within himself. His miraculous powers depended on God empowering him.
There were also occasions when Jesus tried to heal people but was unable to. For instance, when Jesus encountered a boy with a demon that caused him to be mute, Jesus initially tried to drive out the demon but was unable to (Mark 9:14-29). He only succeeded after he had prayed.
This again indicates Jesus did not have inherent powers but was dependent on the Father.
Furthermore, the Gospels record that Jesus could not perform many miracles when he visited Jerusalem (Matthew 13:58, Mark 6:5). The implication was that Jesus’ powers were constrained due to the lack of faith among the people there. This limited efficacy contrasts with God’s unlimited powers.
Jesus was dependent on God’s power
Throughout his ministry, Jesus affirmed that the source of his power was God. He stated, “The Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing” (John 5:19). Jesus attributed his miraculous works to God working through him, not any inherent divine powers of his own (John 14:10).
He admitted that without the Father he could “do nothing” (John 5:30).
When Jesus healed people, he often said it was their faith that allowed God’s power to act, not his own inherent capabilities (Matthew 9:22; Mark 5:34). Jesus’ dependence on God’s power was evident when he prayed before raising Lazarus from the dead, thanking the Father for hearing him (John 11:41-42).
This showed Jesus was not operating independently.
Jesus’ statement that he did not know the timing of his second coming also indicates limited knowledge, and thus limited powers (Matthew 24:36). As God is omniscient, Jesus’ lack of knowledge on this matter demonstrates he is not fully divine as God is.
Jesus Has a Beginning
Jesus was created by God
The Bible clearly teaches that Jesus was created by God. Here are some key points showing that Jesus has a beginning:
These verses make it clear that Jesus had a beginning. He was the first and only direct creation of God. Jesus was begotten and brought forth by God before anything else was created. This proves that Jesus is not eternal like God, but rather He had a beginning.
Jesus is the firstborn of all creation
The Bible explicitly calls Jesus the “firstborn of all creation” in Colossians 1:15 (ESV). This reveals two key truths about Jesus:
Calling Jesus the “firstborn” emphasizes His preeminence and special role in creation and redemption. However, in biblical times, the firstborn son was not equal to the father. So this title does not mean Jesus is co-eternal or co-equal with God. The Father is eternally supreme.
Some other verses that indicate Jesus had a beginning as the first creature created by God:
So while Jesus is supreme among all creations, the eternal Father remains greater than the Son. Jesus’ original position was lower than and subject to the Father (John 14:28). These scriptures prove that Jesus had a beginning and is not co-eternal with the Father.
Jesus Has Human Limitations
One of the reasons why Jesus is not considered to be God by some is because he had human limitations. Unlike God, who is believed to be all-powerful and all-knowing, Jesus experienced the limitations of being human.
Jesus experienced hunger, thirst, tiredness
Jesus, like any other human being, experienced the basic needs of hunger, thirst, and tiredness. In the Bible, we find instances where Jesus felt hungry after fasting in the wilderness for forty days and nights. He also experienced thirst when he asked for water from the Samaritan woman at the well.
Furthermore, Jesus felt tired and needed rest, as seen when he slept in the boat during a storm.
These experiences of hunger, thirst, and tiredness indicate that Jesus had physical limitations, which is not consistent with the idea of him being God. It suggests that he possessed a human nature alongside his divine nature.
Jesus experienced human emotional distress
Another aspect of Jesus’ humanity is his experience of emotional distress. In the Bible, we see Jesus expressing emotions such as sadness, anger, and compassion. For example, when Jesus learned about the death of his friend Lazarus, he wept.
He also displayed anger when he overturned the tables of the money changers in the temple.
These emotional displays show that Jesus had the capacity to feel and express human emotions. It is difficult to reconcile these emotions with the belief that Jesus is God, who is often described as being beyond human emotions.
Jesus Died
God cannot die
One of the key reasons why Jesus cannot be God is that God cannot die, yet Jesus died on the cross. As the eternal Creator, God has always existed and will always exist (Psalm 90:2). He is self-existent, immortal, and dwells in unapproachable light (1 Timothy 6:16).
God is spirit (John 4:24), not flesh and bones like humans. Jesus, on the other hand, was fully human. He was born, grew up, got tired, slept, ate, and eventually experienced death. If Jesus were God, then how could he die?
God is eternal and immortal by nature, so it is illogical to believe Jesus was God if he truly died.
The Bible teaches that Jesus’ death on the cross was a real, physical death. After being severely tortured, Jesus “breathed his last” (Luke 23:46), and his spirit left his body. His corpse was then wrapped in burial cloths and placed in a tomb (Luke 23:53).
The soldiers did not even need to break Jesus’ legs to hasten his death because he was certainly dead (John 19:33). Jesus later resurrected from the dead in a glorified, immortal body (Luke 24:39), showing that he had conquered death.
But the fact remains that Jesus died a human death as the Son of God, not as God Himself.
Jesus’ death was a sacrifice for our sins
According to Christian theology, Jesus’ death on the cross served as the perfect, final sacrifice for sins, reconciling humanity back to God (Romans 5:10; 2 Corinthians 5:18). However, if Jesus were God, then the idea of God sacrificing Himself to appease His own wrath and satisfy His sense of justice makes no sense.
Why would God have to sacrifice Himself to Himself to save humanity from Himself? Does God punish Himself in order to forgive? This notion is utterly absurd.
Rather, Jesus’ death makes sense when we understand that God sent His Son Jesus, as a distinct individual from Himself, to die on behalf of humanity: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).
Jesus was the perfect human representative to take on the punishment that all humans deserved because of sin, so that those who place their trust in Him could be reconciled back to God. Jesus said, “I lay down my life…No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord” (John 10:17-18).
Jesus willingly gave up His life as our substitute, which is something God did not and could not do.
Jesus Has a God-given Position
God granted Jesus authority and position
The Bible makes it clear that Jesus’ authority and position were granted to Him by God the Father. Here are some key points:
- Jesus stated that He can do nothing by Himself, but only what He sees the Father doing (John 5:19). This shows that His authority comes from the Father.
- God appointed Jesus as heir of all things and through Him made the universe (Hebrews 1:2). His position was thus given by God.
- After His resurrection, Jesus told the disciples that all authority in heaven and on earth had been given to Him (Matthew 28:18). This authority came from God.
- God exalted Jesus to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name (Philippians 2:9). Jesus did not take this position of honor for Himself.
- On multiple occasions, Jesus said that He came to do God’s will, not His own will (John 6:38; Luke 22:42). He submitted Himself to the Father’s authority.
These verses make it evident that Jesus’ authority and position came from God the Father. He did not make Himself equal with God or grant Himself this authority. The Father appointed and exalted the Son.
Jesus sits at the right hand of God
A commonly used phrase in the Bible is that Jesus “sits at the right hand of God” or is “seated at the right hand of the Father.” This important phrase indicates Jesus’ position of high honor and authority under God.
- Being seated at someone’s right hand was a position of honor, authority and shared power in ancient times (Psalms 110:1, Matthew 22:44).
- The book of Hebrews says Jesus sat down at the right hand of God after making purification for sins, indicating His finished work of redemption (Hebrews 1:3).
- Stephen in Acts 7:55 saw the risen Jesus standing at the right hand of God, a place of honor.
- Jesus being seated at God’s right hand shows His exaltation and rule under God the Father (Ephesians 1:20).
- Paul often connects Jesus being at God’s right hand to His present ministry of intercession for believers (Romans 8:34, Colossians 3:1).
Sitting at God’s right hand underscores the truth that Jesus occupies a position of supreme authority that was given to Him by God. Though fully divine, Jesus subjected Himself to the Father and carries out the rule and will of God.
This important theological phrase upholds God the Father as greater than the Son in position and authority.
Jesus Denies He is God
Jesus says the Father is greater than him
In several verses in the Bible, Jesus clearly states that the Father is greater than him. For example:
- “My Father is greater than I” (John 14:28)
- “I can do nothing on my own initiative…because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.” (John 5:30)
- “I live because of the Father” (John 6:57)
These verses show that Jesus denied being equal to God the Father. He submitted his will to God’s will and derived his life and authority from God. This clearly refutes the doctrine that Jesus is the Supreme Being and omnipotent God.
Jesus distinguishes himself from God
There are also several biblical passages where Jesus differentiates himself from God the Father. For example:
- “And this is eternal life, that they know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” (John 17:3)
- “God is spirit…” (John 4:24) versus “Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.” (Luke 24:39)
- Jesus prays by bowing to the ground (Matt 26:39), while God is everywhere and does not need to pray or bow down.
Clearly Jesus claims that only the Father is “the only true God” while he is the one sent by the Father. Jesus has flesh and bone unlike God’s spiritual essence. And Jesus prays unlike God who hears prayers. This evidence further shows that Jesus denied that he was God.
Jesus Has Limited Authority
Jesus received authority from God
The Bible clearly shows that Jesus received authority from God the Father. Jesus himself said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me” (Matthew 28:18). The authority was given to him by God. Jesus also said, “I can do nothing on my own.
As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me” (John 5:30). Jesus admitted that he could not act on his own authority, but only according to the authority given to him by God.
In addition, Jesus prayed to God the Father when performing miracles, showing that the power came from the Father. For example, when raising Lazarus from the dead, Jesus said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me.
I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me” (John 11:41-42). Jesus was clearly subordinate to God the Father and dependent on Him for authority and power.
Jesus’ authority is limited in scope
Not only is Jesus’ authority derived from God, but it is also limited in scope compared to the Father’s unlimited authority. Jesus has authority and dominion over heaven and earth (Matthew 28:18), but there are some exceptions.
For example, Jesus said “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only” (Matthew 24:36). Jesus did not know the timing of his second coming, which indicates limited knowledge and authority.
There are several other areas where Jesus’ authority is limited:
- Jesus is not all-knowing like the Father (Mark 13:32).
- Jesus cannot give life to whom he wishes like the Father can (John 5:21).
- Jesus is subject to God, especially upon his ascension (1 Corinthians 15:28).
- Jesus does not have absolute lordship like the Father does (1 Corinthians 15:27).
While Jesus has been given great authority, he remains subject to God the Father. The Father shares authority with the Son, but does not give up His supreme position and authority.
Jesus Will Be Subject to God
God will always rule over Jesus
According to the Bible, God the Father is the supreme ruler of all creation, including Jesus Christ. Though Jesus is fully divine, He willingly submits Himself to the authority of the Father (John 6:38). This is evident in several ways:
- Jesus prayed to God the Father and sought to do His will (Luke 22:42).
- Jesus said the Father is greater than Him (John 14:28).
- God exalted Jesus and gave Him authority (Philippians 2:9).
- In the end, Jesus will subject Himself to God so that God may be all in all (1 Corinthians 15:28).
The Bible clearly shows that Jesus and the Father are one in essence (John 10:30). However, in His role as Savior, Jesus willingly puts Himself under the authority of the Father. He is equal in deity yet subordinate in role. This temporary submission displays Christ’s humility and obedience, not His inferiority.
Jesus will eventually subject himself to God
The Bible teaches that after Jesus’ work of salvation is complete, He will subject Himself to God the Father in a special way. Philippians 2:6-11 describes this beautifully:
- Though Jesus was God, He humbled Himself by becoming a man and dying on the cross (v. 6-8).
- God then highly exalted Jesus and gave Him the name above all names (v. 9-10).
- Eventually every knee will bow to Jesus and every tongue will confess He is Lord, bringing glory to God the Father (v. 10-11).
Similarly, 1 Corinthians 15:24-28 explains that after Jesus abolishes all earthly rule and authority, He will hand over the kingdom to the Father. The Son will subject Himself to the Father so that God may be all in all.
This shows that the Father and Son, though equal in divinity, have different roles. The Son takes on a subordinate role to honor the Father and carry out His purposes. This voluntary submission displays Christ’s humility and obedience, not inferiority.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Bible clearly shows that Jesus and God are two separate entities, with the Father greater than the Son. While Jesus is the promised Messiah and performed miracles, he had limitations in knowledge, power and abilities.
He denied being equal to God, clarified his inferior position, and ultimately subjected himself to God’s will. Based on this firmly grounded scriptural evidence, Jesus Christ cannot be God Himself.
