Jesus and the Father - Discovery Website

Jesus and the Father

One of the most remarkable things about the way the Bible presents Jesus is that, though clearly a human being occupying a central place in history, he seems to possess all the attributes of God himself. Like Yahweh, the God of Israel, in the Old Testament, he is presented as King, Saviour, Judge, Bridegroom, Creator, Shepherd, Lawgiver. He is portrayed walking on mountain-tops, riding on clouds, treading the waves of the sea, appearing in majesty, existing from eternity, enthroned in splendour. Title after title given to Jesus broadcasts his absolute sovereignty: he is Alpha and Omega, King of Kings, Lord of Lords, the Name above every Name.

What is more, so many of Jesus' sayings closely imitate those of Yahweh in the Old Testament, to the degree that shows a conscious or subconscious identification with the Father at the deepest level. He made such extraordinary statements as these:

‘Even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father.’             (John 10:38)

‘Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me?’ (John 14:10)

‘And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began . . . All I have is yours, and all you have is mine  (John 17:5, 10).

And yet there seems to be a paradox: his life displays an extraordinary measure of humility, selflessness and patience. he heals the sick, cleanses lepers, comforts the broken-hearted and welcomes the rejected. It is therefore highly significant that, very soon after another such act of selfless service, washing the feet of his disciples, he declares that 'Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father' (John 14.9). He is not just presenting the ultimate example of humility, but showing us what the Father himself is like.

The large number of verses which demonstrate this remarkable kinship and unity between Jesus and the Father reveal to us, therefore, not just how much like God Jesus is, but how much more of God's character we can see through focusing on the life, works and teaching of Jesus. Follow the links below.

See the verses side by side:

|Supreme over All|Insurpassible|His name is exalted|He is with us|

|His first coming|His second coming|His invitation and promise|