Is the Son the Exact Same Person as the Father? #4

Jesus

#4 in a series

QUESTION: “Is Jesus the same as God? A friend at work claims that these are two different designations for the same person. What do you think?”

ANSWER: This is an important question. Many sincere people are confused about this matter. Let’s see what the Bible says:

Continued from last week:

Jesus answered, “If I honor Myself, My honor is nothing. It is My Father who honors Me, of whom you say that He is your God.” John 8:54
- Question: According to this passage, Who was giving honor/glory (KJV) and Who was receiving honor/glory?
- Yes or No: If the Son is the exact same person as the Father then Jesus was glorifying Himself.
- Question: Since Jesus explicitly said that He wasn’t glorifying Himself, Who was glorifying Him?
- Question: What does it say about Jesus’ integrity (i.e., sinlessness—Isa. 53:9; Mat. 27:24; 2 Cor. 5:21; Heb. 4:15; 1 Pet. 1:18-19; 2:22; 1 John 3:5) if He claimed that His Father honored Him, but actually He was only honoring Himself?

Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and toMy God and your God.’ John 20:17
- Question: Who would be ascending—the Son or the Father?
- Question: To Whom would Jesus be ascending?
- Yes or No: Does the language of this passage imply a distinction between God the Father and God the Son?
- Question: What are the implications about the Son of God if He told Mary that He was ascending to the Father, when He was actually only returning to Himself?

Jesus said to His disciples, “You have heard Me say to you, ‘I am going away and coming backto you.’ If you loved Me, you would rejoice because I said, ‘I am going to the Father,’ for My Father is greater than I.” John 14:28
- Question: If the Son of God is the exact same person as the Father God as Oneness Pentecostals claim, how could Jesus say, “My Father is greater than I?”
- Question: If the Father and Son are only one person and Jesus was just talking about Himself, how could He be greater than Himself?
- Question/Illustration: If I told you that my father, when he was a young man, was GREATER than I am now as a young man, would you think I was only talking about one person?

And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, “Father, ‘into Your hands I commit My spirit.’ ” Having said this, He breathed His last. Luke 23:46
- Question: To Whom was Jesus referring when He cried out, “FATHER, into YOUR hands…?” (emphasis mine—mb).
- Question: Was Jesus crying out to Himself?
- Question: To Whom was Jesus committing His spirit?
- Yes or No: If Jesus wasn’t crying out to anyone but Himself, didn’t He use deceptive language when He uttered these words?

No, God the Father and God the Son share the same essence, but they are not the same person. See “Is God One or Three?” and “Is the Godhead Equal?”