The Father is “greater” in the very qualified sense that He is the Principium Deitatis, the Principal of the Deity, but is co-eternal and equal in dignity to the Son and the Holy Spirit. So, although the Persons of the Trinity are equal, the processions within the Trinity do have an order. Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.

The Son is of the Father alone, neither made nor created, but begotten.

The Father called the Son God. The Holy Ghost is God Eternal Thus, the first answer is clear: As God, Jesus is equal to the Father, but as Man, He is inferior to the Father. I encourage you to take these seven and build on them—and see how many more you can find in Scripture. What, then, did Jesus mean when He said, “the Father is greater than I”? I was talking to a Jehovah Witness the other day and I asked him, would God the Father ever call Jesus Christ God? He said no, but Hebrews 1 disagrees with him.

These two words were a clear paradigm shift from the understanding of God in the Old Testament (or covenant) and the New Testament. If you have ever struggled trying to find God’s will, this book will help you discover the different ways God leads you into his perfect will. Taking a single Bible verse in isolation, disregarding the rest of the Bible, is always a bad move leading to error.

Why Does Jesus Say That the Father Is Greater Than He If the Members of the Trinity Are Equal? “the Father and I are one”, “if you have seen Me, you have seen the Father”, “All authority in Heaven and on Earth have been given to Me” etc. A common question arising around the time of Trinity Sunday is rooted in this passage from John’s Gospel: If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I (Jn 14:28).

In John’s gospel in the first chapter listen to these words: Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. Theodoret of Cyr had Jesus speak, saying, (To the One Who Begets, and to the Begotten One, and to the One who proceeds from them both, be equal praise. These are just seven of the many wonderful characteristics of God the Father. You have received Christ and believed in his name and this has given you the position of being a child of God. – John 10:29, LovingSee what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! – James 1:17, Photo Credit: ©GettyImages Plus/bakhurmikele. However, I recognize that you may read this, yet over time these insights may fade away. To put it another way, why do we call God our Father?
He is born under the law (Gal. Many of the Church Fathers spoke in this way. When Jesus walked the earth he would call God ‘Father.’ This was a statement not only of relationship, but of intimacy.

As divine yet completely human, He fulfills the law, honoring the Father as God. The one true God exists as three distinct, but inseparable, co-equal, co-eternal persons. There is an intimacy in this union that only exists between two eternal, all-powerful, and all-knowing persons. Romans 15:6 – “so that you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ with one mind and one voice.”, 2 Corinthians 1:3 – “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort.”, Ephesians 1:3 – “Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavens in Christ.”, 1 Peter 1:3 – “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus  Christ. This is what makes Christianity so unique—because it’s not just about your attempts to get to God. Four examples of where the New World Translation gets it wrong, Major League’s umpire Marvin Hudson: ‘You never know who’s watching’, Baptist Home podcast series spotlights ‘Biblical Perspectives on Aging’, Hawley urges AG to protect religious liberty. You should use the word “Principle” rather than “Principal”. These two words signified the relational aspect that God would have with his people from this point forward. In the Great Commission, Jesus calls on the Apostles to "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" (Matthew 28:19). I do what I know accords with His will.”. Modeling a relationship. Jesus loves His Father; He’s crazy about Him.

– Psalm 103:13 (NLT), MercifulPraise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! 2 Corinthians 1:2-3Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. In his humanity, he demonstrated for us the perfect relationship that existed between him and God the Father.

This is somewhat puzzling because we are taught that each Divine Person of the Blessed Trinity fully possesses the nature of God and is equally to be adored and glorified. About Jesus, consider: First, like the Father, Jesus is eternal and uncreated (John 1:1).

To understand how Yahweh is both the God of Jesus and His Father, we need to keep in mind the triune nature of God.

Man and woman united in love become one – John 1:12-13.

I hope it’s becoming clearer why we call God our Father. Could we be eating, drinking aborted babies? 1 Corinthians 8:6yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live.

He has spent more than 30 years serving the body of Christ in various capacities and has just released his first book, The Pursuit of Purpose. Thus, the first answer is clear: As God, Jesus is equal to the Father, but as Man, He is inferior to the Father. Ephesians 4:4-6There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. There are two things to focus on to answer this question: Establishing his deity. However, Jesus is unique in that He alone among the persons of the Trinity added sinless humanity to His deity through the miracle of the virgin birth. All rights reserved. The names by which to honor Him are endless.

Let’s begin with the verses themselves, and then follow up with a few observations.

Isaiah 64:8Yet you, Lord, are our Father.

So Jesus has to obey the law, which He does, even though He is tempted in every way we are tempted (Heb. We explore this relationship in more detail in future columns.


How is it possible that you can lay hold of the claim to be a child of God? He must live a fully human life in order to be our substitute. He was our model and now we know what a relationship with the Father looks like because he patterned it for us. ), So, although the Persons of the Trinity are equal, the processions within the Trinity, Corpus Christi Procession in the Nation’s Capital – Our Privilege and our Purpose. 4:4), which means He is obligated to love God and honor Him (Deut. In Hebrews 1:8, the Father declares of Jesus, “But about the Son He says, ‘Your throne, O God, will last forever and ever, and righteousness will be the scepter of your kingdom.’” The Father refers to Jesus as God, indicating that Jesus is indeed God. In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead – 1 Peter 1:3, GoodEvery good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. There is an intimacy in this union that only exists between two eternal, all-powerful, and all-knowing persons.

God desires this same intimacy with you. That name is Father. A typical Jew in Jesus' time had only one name, sometimes followed by the phrase "son of [father's name]", or the individual's hometown. Sinner Please Don’t Let This Harvest Pass – A Homily for the 27th Sunday of the Year, Guardian Angels and Other Protectors, as Seen in a Commercial. By the way, according to the law, this came with severe consequences. We may call him The Lord Almighty or the Creator of the heavens and the earth. That’s why it was so difficult to be a widow or orphan in those days because you would have lost your protection and provision. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand. Yes, he is The Lord Almighty, El Shaddai, the all-powerful creator of the heavens, who speaks and things happen. Once you truly understand this, it will transform your understanding of who he is and your relationship with him. – Deuteronomy 7:9, CompassionateThe Lord is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him. While Jesus assures His followers that God is their Heavenly Father, He alone shares a unique relationship with the Father as the eternal Son of God.

It is quite natural that when Jesus walked the earth he would call God ‘Father.’ This was a statement of not only relationship, but also of intimacy. Yet there is another question on the table, why is Jesus called the Son of God? To summarize: Jesus is the eternal Son of God, who becomes the God-Man in the Incarnation. The Father is the Principium, the Son eternally proceeds from Him and is eternally begotten by Him (Jn 8:42); the Holy Spirit eternally proceeds from the Father and the Son as from one principal (Jn 15:26). In understanding God as Father, there is a sense of security, of establishing and defining a relationship, and knowing that everything we need will flow from his hand. If you have received Jesus Christ as your personal savior, then you can be confident today that you are a child of God. Some may ask: why do we call God Our Father and not our Mother?