Why Jesus Said, “My Father and I Are The Same.”

“I and the Father are one.” (John 10:30 NIV)

This statement has triggered controversy for generations since many have not understood why Jesus said this or to whom. The simple explanation is this–God the Father and God the Son are one in purpose and intent. They do not vary nor are they ever in conflict with one another. God is Spirit, and loved us so much He decided that the only way to reconcile mankind back to Him, was to make the ultimate sacrifice, the blood sacrifice that many recognized as atonement for sin, so He came–wrapped in flesh and born of a woman–to experience life as we do–tempted to sin, but didn’t. Under the Law, a pure lamb was to offered and Jesus is the pure Lamb–sacrificed for the sins of man–for all who believe.

But let’s go back and see what led to this statement when the Jews questioned Jesus’ veracity.

John 10:24-29

v. 24 The Jews who were there gathered around him, saying, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.”

v.25 Jesus answered, “I did tell you, but you do not believe. The works I do in my Father’s name testify about me,

v.26 but you do not believe because you are not my sheep.

v.27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.

v. 28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand,

v. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.

What follows is the attempt by them to stone Jesus for blasphemy–accusing Him of claiming to be God when He was a mere man.

Some people–those who say they believe and those who don’t–still do not understand that Jesus and God are one. When we pray to the Father, in Jesus’ name, we are talking to both and Jesus said (in another verse of scripture), whatever we asked of the Father in His name, it would be given to us. When we attempt to separate God as one entity and Jesus as another, and Holy Spirit as another, we nullify the power of the three since they are One in purpose. I have never understood how people can say they believe in God and yet not believe God or in how they can establish, “Jesus Only,” doctrines.

Before Jesus came (God in the flesh), God spoke to the people through the prophets or whoever else He chose to use. While He was here on earth, He was limited by His fleshly body to a point, but He knew what people were thinking and He knew all the Father had spoken to those of old and this is why the Pharisees were amazed at the knowledge He had since He had not been taught by them. Jesus is The Word so He would certainly know The Word as God spoke it to those who were before Him. Now, since His ascension back to heaven, we have access to Him through Holy Spirit and when we are filled with His Spirit and allow His spirit to guide us in all things, we no longer have need for others to “tell us” what The Lord says about anything. But this is for those who Believe! God is yet speaking to us, directly–and those who know His Word, know His voice when we hear Him and He knows all who belong to Him, by our obedience to His Word. Glory Hallelujah!

When we belong to God, we listen and obey. If we do not belong to God, we will not hear and certainly will not obey. So, when people claim to believe in God yet encourage or promote others to live in opposition to His Word, they are really saying they believe in a force greater than them, but since they do not what God has said, they cannot believe God.

Jesus is the Great Shepherd, I am one of the sheep who belongs to Him and I know His voice because I know what the Father has said. It is my relationship with God through His Son, that I can stand firmly on The Word as my foundation for living and knowing how to live–unconditionally, but also knowing that loving comes with the responsibility of correction, and instruction. 

God the Father and God the Son, Jesus Christ are one and since I belong to them, my purpose is the same as theirs–to bring all into the knowledge of who He is, acceptance of the work on the cross for our sins, and encouraging obedience in all things so we can all hear, “Well done” and live with Him for all eternity.

More about what Jesus said and why, next time.

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To Know Him Is To Know Them!

“Then they asked him, “Where is your father?” “You do not know me or my Father,” Jesus replied. “If you knew me, you would know my Father also.” (John 8:19 NIV)

Knowing how to answer everyone who has a question about The Word with The Word is how we convince and what we say, will sometimes convict.

In this passage of Scripture, Jesus is teaching in the temple courts and He is being questioned by the Pharisees–those religious folks who claim to know God, but only so they can feel superior to others. When Jesus told them that He and His Father were witnesses of who He was, they challenged Him based on the Law–human standards which is all religious people have. The question–where is your father was about His human father (not understanding who He was) and when Jesus responded, the way He did, I can only imagine how their jaws may have dropped. They didn’t get it.

But then again, there are those in the 21st Century who still don’t get it. We cannot have a rational conversation–based upon spiritual truths–about Jesus or God, without referencing the other. They are One in purpose–without God–there is no Jesus and without Jesus–there is no access to God. Why people don’t understand this is because they fail to understand the first fourteen verses in the first chapter of John and the first chapter of Genesis. God is a spirit and He came down to earth in the likeness of man, wrapped in flesh, born of a woman, who named Him–Jesus–out of obedience.

If anyone knows what God said and meant–it would be Jesus--who did not come to change the course of mankind by changing the law (which man could not keep), but to make sure mankind would have access to all God has planned–the abundant life–a result of obedience to His Word and fulfilled by the work on The Cross.

No matter how hard we try, we cannot escape The Cross and what it means. Nothing we mere humans say can change what God intended and when we attempt to manipulate His Word and His Love, we deceive ourselves if we think for a moment that He is not aware of how we’ve been deceived. No cross, no salvation; no salvation no hope for eternal life, no Jesus, no peace.

When we understand the spiritual, the natural will fall into place and we will have peace in the land. It’s all about being in a right relationship with Them–and living according to Their purposes and not our own. Trying to understand God with our natural, limited minds only leads to confusion. We need to communicate with Him on a spiritual realm, so our natural mind can accept who He is and how He wants us to live.

As so many people have said, “going to church doesn’t make a person a Christian any more than standing in a garage makes them a car.” To be a Christian means to follow, represent and emulate Christ. When we emulate Christ, we acknowledge The Father and try to please Him. If we please one, we please both. To Know Him, is to know Them!

They Are One!

“If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin, but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father” (John 15:24 ESV).

When Jesus was talking to the disciples who were walking with Him while He was here on earth, He made several things abundantly clear to those who had established a relationship with Him–who He was, who we were, and who the Father is.

Most people know of this chapter of John as Jesus speaking to us about being fruitful and it is. However, Jesus also tells us (His living disciples) that we are friends and not servants, the world will hate us because they hate Him, and that the world (those who refuse to believe) “have seen and hated both me and my Father.” If people can remember parts of speech from their elementary English classes, they would realize that the conjunction used–and–is referencing Jesus and the Father–seen and hated.

Why would Jesus say that? Realistically, in spite of some may choose to believe–Jesus and God the Father are One and the same. God is Spirit (we cannot see Spirit)–who enveloped Himself in flesh and came to earth in the flesh as Jesus (who could be seen). We know this is true because of all the references Jesus gives throughout the Gospel of John. In fact, it is because of His relationship with John that we are given such personal details about the man–Jesus and God the Father. Jesus acknowledges that the two are One, but as a man, He has submitted to the commandments of the Father so we would know that living according to God’s Word is can be accomplished.  But then, notice how Jesus notes who He is by extension of God–“If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you” (John 15:7). What words? The words that the Father had already given to mankind and they refused to accept and live by; Jesus reiterated only what He had already taught as given to Moses.

In order to truly understand the relationship of God and Jesus, one must have a relationship with them. Discernment of a true nature does not come by merely reading a bible or praying or repeating what someone has said or written. Without a personal, intimate relationship with God, one will never understand why the Father and Jesus are One. But for those of us who have that relationship with Him, we can rest assured that the World will hate us and persecute us because they do not understand. We also know that we are over-comers, more than conquerors, victorious in all things that glorify the Father because of our relationship with the One who knows all and we know the end of the matter.

Lord Jesus, thank You for loving us enough to give us understanding of Your Word and in choosing us to do the work of He who sent You to us, cementing our relationship for all eternity.