A God bigger than Jesus?

[Elijah John]

Assuming there is a God, does the notion that "Jesus is God" take a bit of the mystery out of God?

Does believing that "Jesus is God" inspire awe and wonder? Or is that belief a limitation, confining God to a single human being in time and space?

Does a God (Jesus) that we can "wrap our heads around" cease to fit the definition of God?

Shouldn't God be bigger than Jesus?

[marco]

We should believe what he intends by what he tells us.

I am sure many a poor lecturer utters the same cry when his lectures are regurgitated in a variety of ways. If there were certainty about intention we could dismiss religious differences. Take, for example, the simple words groaned from the cross:
"I tell you, today you shall me with me in paradise." The comma didn't register and so some take the words as:
"I tell you today, you shall be with me in paradise."

We can ask a "scholar" what Christ intended but are we any wiser? The point is we DO NOT KNOW what was intended.

[1213]

Or maybe we shouldn't. He said, according to Luke, "But I tell you of a truth, there be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the kingdom of God."

Were I one of those standing there I would have understood that Christ would come again in a very short space of time, when the world would end.

Why would you understand that so, when Jesus doesn’t say “some of them will see him coming back soon�, nor “some of them will see worlds end soon�?

Jesus tells some of them will see him coming in his kingdom and that happens in Matt. 17:1-3.

[Overcomer]

1213 wrote:

Jesus says in the Bible that God is greater than him. Maybe we should believe what Jesus tells.

It's important to read these things in context. Jesus was speaking of his role on earth. As God the Son here on earth, he had a lesser role than God the Father. But he was not speaking of himself ontologically. In essence, they are identical and, therefore, equal.

If you look at other religions, they're all about people trying to appease some far-off god. But the one true God came to earth to be with us in the person of Jesus Christ. And Christ sent the Holy Spirit to be with us after he returned to God the Father.

That's what makes the Triune God of the Bible different from the false gods that other people pursue. He created humankind to be in a relationship with him. When that relationship was broken, Christ came to restore it.

And yes, that inspires awe and wonder in those who recognize all of that and accept the Lord's gift of salvation.

[Checkpoint]

[Replying to post 13 by Overcomer]

But the one true God came to earth to be with us in the person of Jesus Christ.

A popular view that Jesus Christ contradicts.

John 17:3

And this is eternal life, that they know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.

[Elijah John]

[Replying to post 1 by Elijah John]


"I have accepted YHVH as my Heavenly Father, LORD and Savior. "


yea but has He (God) accepted you as His child?

If Jesus taught us anything, he taught us to consider YHVH God "Our Father".. He made no condition that the Father-child relationship only applied to Trinitarians, Evangelicals, the "bloodwashed", or people who get their theology "correct".

[Elijah John]

[Replying to post 2 by DPMartin]

Indeed, a being of such scope and power, how do you know if you can even attract his attention.
It is less likely that an any waiving his antenna at you to give him some sugar syrup. No less, taking that ants soul and placing it into the ant farm in the sky for all eternity.

The flaw with this analogy is that we didn't create the ants. "A Being of such scope and power" is powerful enough to care about His creation, namely us. And He can certainly do this without becoming one of us.

The God who cares whether and when a sparrow drops, is, according to Jesus, all the more concerned about His people.

It may be comforting to the Trinitarian to believe that God loved us enough to become one of us, in effect a "little ant". But comforting does not make it true.

There is no evidence that God did this, and in fact plenty of evidence to the contrary.

[1213]

It's important to read these things in context. Jesus was speaking of his role on earth. As God the Son here on earth, he had a lesser role than God the Father. But he was not speaking of himself ontologically.

How do you get the idea that he was speaking about his role when Bible doesn’t speak about role?

In essence, they are identical and, therefore, equal.

Yeah, Bible tells Jesus is the image of God, so they can look identical.

in whom we have our redemption, the forgiveness of our sins; who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.
Colossians 1:14

But Bible seems to say they are not equal, because:

For, "He put all things in subjection under his feet." But when he says, "All things are put in subjection," it is evident that he is excepted who subjected all things to him. When all things have been subjected to him, then the Son will also himself be subjected to him who subjected all things to him, that God may be all in all.
1 Cor. 15:27-28

[Checkpoint]

We should believe what he intends by what he tells us.

I am sure many a poor lecturer utters the same cry when his lectures are regurgitated in a variety of ways. If there were certainty about intention we could dismiss religious differences. Take, for example, the simple words groaned from the cross:
"I tell you, today you shall me with me in paradise." The comma didn't register and so some take the words as:
"I tell you today, you shall be with me in paradise."

We can ask a "scholar" what Christ intended but are we any wiser? The point is we DO NOT KNOW what was intended.

As Paul pointed out, we know only in part, but then face to face, 1 Corinthians 13:12.

In the meantime, we can factor in the context as a guide to the most probable meaning.