Jesus is not the Father but He is God
Not long ago, as I was studying about Jesus, I came across two verses in the Gospel of John that helped me understand that in addition to being our Savior, Jesus is every thing that God is. Those two verses are John 3:35 and John 5:18. I will share more about this a little later in this article.
The Trinity
A piece of Biblical doctrine that is very hard for our human brain to wrap around is the Holy Trinity. We are taught that The Holy Trinity is the Godhead that includes three separate but equal parts and persons of God known as the Father, the Son (Jesus) and the Holy Spirit. Yet they all have separate functions.
I found this defintion to be helpful:
Trinity:
A word not found in Scripture, but used to express the doctrine of the unity of God as subsisting in three distinct Persons. This word is derived from the Gr. trias, first used by Theophilus (A.D. 168-183), or from the Lat. trinitas, first used by Tertullian (A.D. 220), to express this doctrine. The propositions involved in the doctrine are these: 1. That God is one, and that there is but one God (Deuteronomy 6:4; 1Kings 8:60; Isaiah 44:6; Mark 12:29,32; John 10:30). 2. That the Father is a distinct divine Person (hypostasis, subsistentia, persona, suppositum intellectuale), distinct from the Son and the Holy Spirit. 3. That Jesus Christ was truly God, and yet was a Person distinct from the Father and the Holy Spirit. 4. That the Holy Spirit is also a distinct divine Person. [1]
So then we are taught that:
- The Father IS NOT the Holy Spirit, and
- The Holy Spirit IS NOT the Father
- The Son IS NOT the Father, and
- The Father IS NOT the Son
- The Holy Spirit IS NOT the Son, and
- The Son IS NOT the Holy Spirit
Even so, the Bible teaches us that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit ARE ALL GOD (1 John 5:7-8; John 14:15-24).
Jesus’ Claims
Throughout the New Testament we see how Jesus compares Himself to the Father and even claims equality with God (John 5:18; 10:30). In fact, this is the very reason why the Jews sought to kill Him. Just a few other areas of Scripture we see that confirm the Deity of Jesus are:
- Jesus claims to be the unique revealer of God (John 1:14, 18; 14:8-11)
- Jesus claims to be the exclusive way to God (John 14:6; Acts 4:12)
- Jesus claims to be intimate with the Father (John 5:17, 23; John 8:12, 24, 26, 28, 31, 46, 58; John 14:10-11)
- Jesus affirms that we are to pray to Him and through Him (John 14:12-14)
- Jesus claims to deserve equal faith with God (Luke 23:43; Hebrews 11:16)
- Jesus reveals that He is the One who provides peace (John 14:26-31; Romans 5:1)
- Jesus demonstrates His divinity by calling for our love and obedience (Matthew 10:37; John 14:15-24; Acts 5:4; Ephesians 3:17-21)
A closer look at two verses – the Gospel of John
All four Gospels, Mathhew, Mark, Luke and John share historical events about what happened on earth during the time of Jesus’ ministry. The Gospel of John is unlike the other three in that it is a little more personal and shares Jesus for His divinity, power and redemptive work. So, if you really want to get to know Jesus, you should read the Gospel of John. As I read through that Gospel looking for Jesus and His Divinity, I saw that sometimes the verse says it all. Such as:
John 3:35. “The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand.”
John 5:18. “Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.”
In these two short verses we see such great Biblical evidence that Jesus is God. He is “all things” and He is “equal to God”. This means that Jesus shares all honors (glory) due to God. Jesus shares the attributes of God. Jesus shares the names of God. Jesus shares the deeds that God does. And Jesus shares the seat of God’s throne.
Final Thoughts
For more Bible verses on this topic check out the article: Bible verses that say Jesus is God. I could go on and on but instead I thought I would allow you to dig a little bit too. Take a few moments to review the action items below and send me your answers in the comments. May God bless you as you look into Jesus and get to know Him more.
Thing to think on and do
- Read the Gospel of John and take notes as you read whenever you come to something that talks about Jssus.
- Find 3 verses in the Gospel of John chapters 1, 2 or 3 that specifically talk about a name of God that Jesus shares. Share your references in the comments below.
- Find 3 verses in the Gospel of John chapters 6 or 7 that specifically talk about Jesus sharing the seat of God. Share your references in the comments below.
[1] Trinity. 2025. “Trinity – Easton’s Bible Dictionary.” Blue Letter Bible. 2025. https://www.blueletterbible.org/search/Dictionary/viewTopic.cfm?topic=ET0003723.
Pamela Rose Williams, Founder of Christianity Every Day, is a wife, mother, and grandmother. She and her husband, Dr. Michael L. Williams have served in Christian ministry since 2001. She has Master of Ministry in Biblical Counseling and Bachelor’s in Christian Education degrees. Most of her time is spent as a professional editor and writer, working with many Christian authors and artists. She also uses her extensive experience in information technology providing Christ-centered teaching tools and resources for people all over the world. To learn more about Pamela visit her About page.
