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John 14,1

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1 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in GOD; believe also in me!"

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Although this verse is often cited as evidence of the deity of Jesus, in reality it expresses the exact opposite. The unbiased reader will recognize that Jesus clearly differentiates himself from GOD. The ancient Greek word pisteuō, which is usually translated as believe, means to trust. Before Jesus made this statement, he indicated to the disciples that he would soon be leaving. In this context, he reminds his disciples of the need to continue to trust both GOD and His Messiah in light of the events to come. The disciples were initially confused by the betrayal, arrest and crucifixion of their Lord and Master, whom they had accompanied continuously for three years. At first they fled the garden, then they scattered, but regrouped and hid behind locked doors. Jesus knew that the disciples' faith was still weak at that time and that they still lacked insight into much of what he was teaching them. With his words, Jesus tried to prepare his disciples for what was about to happen and at the same time encourage them not to lose faith. The ongoing distinction between GOD and Jesus in the New Testament is also unmistakable in this verse. Similar wording can also be found in 2nd Chronicles 20,20. Another possible translation is:

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1 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in GOD; and also trust in me!"​

 

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John 14,6-10

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6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” 8 Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.” 9 Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work."

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In several places in the New Testament we read that no one has ever seen GOD. In many languages, seeing is a common expression for knowing. In the Hebrew language, one of the definitions of seeing (Hebrew: châzâh) is: see in order to learn/know. In Greek, too, the word see (Old Greek: eidō) can mean both to see with the eyes and to see / perceive / know with the mind. In English you can say “I see what you mean” to express your understanding of a statement. Seeing or recognizing GOD means understanding His will and acting accordingly (1st John 2,5). It was Jesus who revealed the truth about GOD in its fullness (John 1,18), thereby making Him truly known to people for the first time in history; namely as a heavenly father who loves us humans. This allows us to be much closer to GOD today than people were during the time of the old covenant. That is why Jesus said that no one but Him has seen or known the Father (John 6,46). People already knew about GOD in the Old Testament. However, their knowledge of GOD was limited. The Mosaic Law was but a shadow. In the person of Jesus, however, GOD's perfect will becomes visible. No one knew the Father as well as Jesus.

In Exodus 33,18-20, Moses asks to see GOD's face. The context shows that the face of GOD is His glory. Since Moses was not sinless, he could not see GOD's face like Jesus did. Because GOD is absolutely holy. Therefore, a direct encounter could be fatal for sinful people. Therefore, when GOD reveals Himself to a person in physical form, then by no means in all His fullness. Only on the new earth will we be able to be closer to GOD like never before. Because Jesus was the only person who was sinless and had a pure heart, he could say that he saw GOD. The fact that the Father was in Jesus does not make Jesus GOD. Likewise, a Christian does not become GOD because Jesus lives in him (2nd Corinthians 13,5 / Galatians 2,20). It's about Jesus' personality being reflected in us. A analogous translation is:

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6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to GOD except through me. 7 When you see what I do, you will understand what GOD wants you to do. And now you know and have understood GOD's will." 8 Philip said, "Lord, help us to understand GOD, and we will be satisfied." 9 Jesus said to him, "Even though I have been with you for so long, do you not know me, Philip? Anyone who imitates me has understood GOD's will. How can you say, 'Help us to understand GOD'?' 10 Don't you think that GOD and I have the same mind? The words I am telling you are not my own. GOD, who is with me, is acting through me."

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John 14,23

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23  Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them."

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Whoever seeks GOD and strives diligently to obey His commandments will enter into an intimate relationship with GOD in that GOD, the Father and Jesus find a home with them; as if they lived together in the same house and lived a life together. The expression make our home with them (Old Greek: monē poieō) does not mean that the Father and Jesus literally dwell in a person, but figuratively through the Holy Spirit. Just as the Father lived and worked in Jesus through His Spirit, so Jesus and the Father dwell and work in believers. It's about connection and identity.

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John 16,28

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28 "I came from the Father and entered the world; now I am leaving the world and going to the Father.”

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Jesus Christ is the only begotten Son of the Father (John 1,18). He was conceived by GOD in Mary's womb instead of a man. Jesus' statement that he came from the Father and came into the world does not mean that Jesus existed before his birth, but rather that GOD anointed him and sent him into the world with a mission. It's about Jesus' mission. Jesus also sent his disciples into the world (John 17,18), i.e. they went out from him to proclaim his message. Jesus knew from the Scriptures and the revelations he received from GOD that he would go to the Father after his resurrection. Jesus explained this to his disciples during their last meal together, shortly before his arrest and crucifixion. None of the apostles wrote in their letters that Jesus “returned” to GOD as if he had been physically in heaven before. A analogous translation is:

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28 "The Father begot me (by His Spirit) and sent me into the world; now I leave the world and go to the Father who begot me."

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John 17,5

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5 "And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began."

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In Hebrew thought, things that are prophesied of the future can be viewed as already existing or fulfilled before they are reality. This formulation expresses divine predestination. Many such prophetic formulations can be found in the Bible. GOD knew David (Psalm 139,16) and Jeremiah (Jeremiah 1,4) before they existed. The believers were already chosen by GOD and their names were written in the book of life even before there was one of them (Ephesians 1,4 / 2 Timothy 1,9 / Revelation 13,8). The works of believers were also prepared for them before the creation of the world (Ephesians 2,10). Various prophecies in the Old Testament are also formulated as if they were already reality, although (from the perspective of the time) they would only be fulfilled later (Isaiah 9,5 f. / Psalm 110,1 / Isaiah 53 / Hosea 11,1). The situation is similar with GOD's promises regarding events whose fulfillment is still imminent from today's perspective. So it is said that all who believe in Jesus have eternal life - that is, life in the age to come - although in fact they only receive it in the resurrection (Mark 10,30). It goes on to say that the saints are blessed with all heavenly blessings (Ephesians 1,3 / Ephesians 2,6), which also refers to life in the future age of the new earth that GOD promises to all saints.

The Messiah was already chosen, sacrificed and glorified in GOD's plan before GOD created the world, even though Jesus was born (= flesh) at a later date (John 1,14) to fulfill the prophecy. In verse 24, Jesus says that the Father loved him before the foundation of the world. The word loved (Old Greek: agapaō) can also be understood in the sense of chosen (Romans 9,13). It does not say that GOD “begotten” Jesus before the foundation of the world. The idea of ​​the existence of pre-existent souls comes from Hellenistic mythology and philosophy. John, who was a Jew, understood the pre-existence of the Messiah in the Hebrew, i.e. ideal, and not in the Greek or literal sense.

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All statements with reference to the glory of Christ foreshadowed in the Old Testament refer either to his ministry as Messiah (his signs and wonders) or to his resurrection and exaltation; but nowhere before the birth of Jesus. Scripture predicted that GOD'S Messiah would first suffer and then be glorified (1st Peter 1,11). Jesus asks the Father to give him the glory that GOD had intended for the Messiah in His providence. Abraham, King David, Daniel, the prophet Isaiah, and other prophets foresaw Jesus' glory in visions and dreams. They saw no real, pre-existent Messiah. Verse 22 says that Jesus gives his disciples the same glory that the Father gave him. 2nd Thessalonians 2,14 says that believers are to receive the glory of Jesus. This shows that the word glory (Old Greek: doxa) is not synonymous with “divinity”. It is clearly about Jesus' glory as a man and not as GOD. What is meant is the future glory that a child of GOD will receive in the resurrection of the righteous (Romans 8,18 / 1st John 3,2). A analogous  translation is:

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5 "And now, Father, give me the glory that you planned for me before the creation of the world."

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John 17,10

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10 "All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them."

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This verse does not speak of Jesus' nature. The point is that everything Jesus has comes from the Father (John 17,1-11). The same formulation regarding people can be found in Luke 15,31.

 

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John 18,6-8

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6 When Jesus said, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground. 7  Again he asked them, “Who is it you want?” “Jesus of Nazareth,” they said. 8  Jesus answered, “I told you that I am he. If you are looking for me, then let these men go.”

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Similar to John 8,58, there is no reason to believe that Jesus revealed himself as Yahweh. Jesus' words are an answer to the soldiers' question. Jesus asked who they were looking for, and they answered that they were looking for Jesus of Nazareth. Then Jesus confessed to them that he was the one they were looking for. The man born blind in John 9,9 also identified himself with the same words, I am he (Old Greek: ego eimi) as Jesus did here. This does not make Jesus or the man born blind GOD. John 7,32-46 shows that there was indecision among the people regarding Jesus. The chief priests and Pharisees had previously sent officers to arrest Jesus (John 7,32). However, they returned without Jesus. The soldiers' answer as to why they did not arrest Jesus shows that they were obviously very impressed by Jesus' preaching and his demeanor (John 7,45).

It can be concluded that these men, who were Temple Guard soldiers and not Romans, were afraid to arrest Jesus because they recognized that he might be GOD's anointed one and as such their king - the King of Israel – could be. After all, no Jewish soldier wants to arrest his own king. Jesus' bold response to their question unsettled them, causing them to fall to the ground because it was not yet clear to them whether Jesus was actually the promised King of the Jews or not. A person's falling backwards can be symbolically understood in Scripture as a sign of judgment. The fact that they did arrest Jesus makes the soldiers' conflict clear. It was most likely their fear of the Pharisees that ultimately led them to bow to pressure from their religious leaders to arrest Jesus, despite internal resistance.

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John 20,28

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28  Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my GOD!”

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In John 14, Jesus explained to his disciples that GOD the Father lives in Jesus through His Holy Spirit and that in this way GOD speaks through Jesus and does His works (meaning signs and wonders). In addition, Jesus made it clear that everyone who saw or recognized him saw or recognized GOD, the Father. With this, Jesus did not want to say that he was GOD, but rather show that GOD acts through him and that GOD's essence - love - becomes visible in what Jesus does. The disciple Thomas was also present at this conversation. When Thomas now sees his risen Lord standing before him in the flesh, he addresses both Jesus (my Lord) and the Father (and my GOD) who lives in Jesus, who raised him from the dead and glorified himself in this way. Thomas recognized GOD, the Father in Jesus; not Jesus as GOD.

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Thomas' statement can be understood as a reverent reverence for Jesus and GOD the Father. Thomas praises the tremendous omnipotence of GOD, which He revealed by bringing the dead Jesus back to life. Remarkably, Thomas does not prostrate himself in worship before Jesus, as one would expect if he had believed Jesus to be GOD Almighty. In this case, the statement my Lord and my GOD can be applied to two people instead of one, even though Thomas is speaking to Jesus here. It is normal language usage to address a statement to a person present and yet include another person in the statement; such as in the sentence: “Peter says to Mary: ”You and your father...”. A few verses earlier, Jesus makes it clear that it is the Father who is both our GOD and Jesus' GOD (John 20,17). The fact that Jesus did not contradict Thomas' statement is not evidence that Jesus confirmed his alleged deity, but shows that Jesus clearly understood that when Thomas said my GOD he meant the Father in him and not Jesus himself. In this respect, there was no need for Jesus to contradict Thomas. Besides, in verse 55 Jesus calls his Father the GOD of the Jews. In addition, Jesus is never referred to as “Lord and GOD” in the New Testament.

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In the context of the chapter it is about the belief in the resurrection of Jesus or Thomas' unbelief (verse 25) and not about the fact that Jesus is GOD. Thomas' words are not a creed. Jesus calls those happy (verses 29 f.) who believe that he has truly risen from the dead, even if they have not seen him in the flesh. The chapter ends with the confession, attested several times in the Gospel of John, that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of GOD (not GOD) (verse 31). Here too, the meaning of Son as a synonym for Christ (= the anointed One) becomes clear.

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